I am honored, today, to be the featured blogger and winner of the contest, What Inspires Your Writing? I hope you will take the time to visit Timothy Pike’s blog, Dream Play Write. A writer, editor, and lover of words, Timothy is an inspiration.
How does this song relate to my personality? I’ll try to put a happy spin on this little nugget of truth – It’s all about love, baby.
“I know I’d go from rags to riches If you would only say you care And though my pocket may be empty I’d be a millionaire.”
I’m a romantic at heart and always have been. I’m a sucker for every chick flick that comes out, and to this day, the movie Love Story with Ryan O’Neal and Ali McGraw brings me to tears. You remember the famous line?
“Love means never having to say you’re sorry.”
Of course, we now know that famous line was a bunch of crock, but you can’t argue with success.
I grew up in a small Southern town in a middle-class home. We didn’t have a lot, but we had what we needed. And although, I’ve had a few heartbreaks along the way, today, I view myself as a very rich woman, not monetarily, but rich in love.
I have a wonderful husband, beautiful home and between the two of us, we have five adult children and eight grandchildren. If that isn’t rich, I don’t know how else to define it. Well, except – I can still do yoga.
As a writer, we want our characters to come across as credible and believable. Internal thoughts are part of bringing our characters to life. So, what is the correct way to write what characters are thinking?
Reasons to Use Internal Dialogue:
To make characters real to our readers.
Show vulnerability – to help connect readers to the character.
For dramatic effect – when you want to emphasize something important. Readers tend to remember emphasized moments.
To show the character’s motivation.
Courtesy of Quick & Dirty Tips
Ways to Show Internal Dialogue
Using the tag, “He thought.” I wish Stephen would leave well enough alone, she thought.
Italics: Why can’t Stephen leave well enough alone? Italics are my favored method to show internal dialogue.
Intermingling thoughts with narrative. Claire stared out the window. Why couldn’t Stephen be happy with the status quo? She didn’t have a clue what answer she’d give him this weekend.
Using quotations – for the most part, is not recommended, even single quotations. Because quotations denote dialogue, it can confuse to the reader.
Do you find one method preferable over another? Why?
Sam slapped blindly at the annoying sound, silencing it. Just a few more minutes, please. The sun fell across his face and he jolted upright. The clock flashed 8:00 am. “Shit, shit, shit.”
Two little faces stood at the foot of his bed. “You’re not supposed to say shif,” his youngest said.
He rubbed his eyes, “Daddy didn’t mean to say it.”
“You said it fwee times.”
Why didn’t he get up when the alarm went off at 6 am?
“Did we mth school?” his daughter asked.
“No,” he said, ruffling their hair, “just making a grand entrance.”