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Noticing Newbies: July 06, 2016 Issue [#7737]

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Noticing Newbies


 This week: Tools of the Trade
  Edited by: Tornado Dodger Author IconMail Icon
                             More Newsletters By This Editor  Open in new Window.

Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter


The Noticing Newbies Newsletter's goal is to make the newer members feel welcome and encourage them with useful information and/or links to make navigating Writing.com easier. Writing.com members of all ages and even veteran members can find useful information here. If you have specific questions, try visiting "Writing.Com 101Open in new Window. and/or "Noticing NewbiesOpen in new Window..


Meet The Noticing Newbies Full-Time Newsletter Editors






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Letter from the editor



*Note* The full Ideanary is available to members with an Upgraded or higher membership. All members can try the example searches. Read on to learn more about this feature.


Writing.com tools can be found on the left side of your screen right under the Writing Resources category. If you haven't checked these out, you really should. There are some great tools over there. One tool we're going to talk about today is a lot of fun. "The Ideanary" is a creative masterpiece, a thesaurus on steroids! *Bigsmile*

So you may be thinking, that sounds cool and all that, but what can I use this tool for? There are many uses and not just in story writing. This could also be helpful when you're writing poetry as well, but for today let's use dialogue.

I'm a firm believer in well-written dialogue. Many of the most popular verbs are overused. Maybe you would like to say something else besides, he asked, she said, or he screamed, etc. Dialogue is an important part of fiction so choosing the right words to keep your audience's attention is a very important lesson to learn. Writing realistic dialogue doesn't come easily to everyone. However, it is an extremely useful tool in fleshing out a character and advancing the story. Unfortunately, bad dialogue has the opposite effect. Nothing can send a reader running faster than bad dialogue.

Writing effective dialogue is an art. It comes from truly knowing your characters. It can show not only how they speak but how they act and who they are. A tense conversation between a husband and wife can reveal more about their relationship than several paragraphs of descriptive narrative. Readers often skip narrative, but seldom skip dialogue. That's because they are actually drawn to dialogue as it is often where conflict is built and secrets are revealed. Whenever possible, try and break up long stretches of narrative with well-written dialogue.

Let's say your character is speaking loudly but you don't want to say that because it sounds boring. When you find yourself writing "He said loudly" what you should be writing is "He shouted." or "He screamed." Using verbs instead of adverbs will make your writing stronger. You can use this creative tool to help discover alternate words when you need them so your writing improves. After clicking the link to the Ideanary - you'll see this box pop up:

Newsletter Image = Ideanary


The Writing.Com Ideanary is a radically new, dynamic thesaurus where words are linked against meanings instead of predetermined synonyms. This provides for more than just word alternatives, but also assists in the idea building and creative process.


You can use loud or try typing in scream. Don't type scream-ing or loud-ly or you won't get the best results. Always use the basic form of the word to get the most choices. Most of all, have fun!

Write and Review on! ~ Brooke

*Down*"This method of getting book ideas, compared to other methods, is like comparing the fish a single angler catches to what a fishing trawler does."


[Related Links] *Thumbsup*
This month's links are educational items that help teach us about different things in our community.

*StarR* "The Dialogue 500"  Open in new Window. by W.D.Wilcox Author Icon
This contest uses only spoken words or internal dialogue!

*StarP* "Invalid Item"  Open in new Window. by A Guest Visitor
Useful reference for fiction writers of dialogue

*StarV* "Realistic Dialogue"  Open in new Window. by Jeff Author Icon
How to write realistic dialogue.



Editor's Picks


Check out these items that all have something to do with this month or the recent holiday. Enjoy!

 Invalid Item Open in new Window. []

by A Guest Visitor

Excerpt:
The Fourth is on Saturday this year.
I looked it up and discovered it was on a Saturday
the day the store opened, too.
So, here comes Saturday
and I don the old stiped railroad fireman's hat
I found in a box from the auction--
an old hat for an old holiday.

~*Star*~


Excerpt:
We live our share of life in pain,
We all know the taste of fear,
When warm sunshine gives way to rain,
Each drop is a saint's shed tear.

~*Star*~

 
Month of the Red X Open in new Window. [13+]
July 2014 cannot be forgotten even if I want to
by Cheri Annemos Author Icon

Excerpt:
My husband has a habit of putting a red x on the calendar every time I am “wrong”. It does not happen much, but when it does, he is elated. His biggest triumph was July 2014. That month had a sea of red check marks. Check this out.

We wanted to start out with a nice BBQ with friends, but we underestimated the enthusiasm for parades in Minnesota. 1 hour and 45 minutes and 3 detours all because I wanted to take the shortcut instead of the long way around, and forgot that the city streets where my friends live are all tore up for construction season. Holy circuit breaker, Batman, I was ready to blow a fuse.

~*Star*~

 
The Cowboy and Miss July Open in new Window. [13+]
Denny Killian finds there's more to life than playing cowboy and reading comic books.
by J Dan Francis Author Icon

Excerpt:
His spurs jingled with each step as his boots tapped a constant rhythm on the concrete sidewalk. Everyone coming towards him knew to make a wide path as he walked by. He was polite though, always tipping his hat to the ladies when they smiled. He slapped time on the tanned leather holster hanging from his hip that held his favorite piece of hardware; a Colt Forty-Five. He wore a black Stetson with a pitch front rim and a custom made leather band was tied around it. And that tin star on his shirt said it all; he was not a man to contend with.

~*Star*~

 
Father Time Open in new Window. [E]
A change at the stroke of midnight.
by Don Two Author Icon

Excerpt:
It behooved Father Time to relax in his chair
even though he was cognizant--he was aware
that in just a few minutes midnight would be nigh:
Oh how fast, Father Time thought, the year had gone by!

~*Star*~

 
Flight Of The Flaming Marshmallow Open in new Window. [13+]
A July Fourth celebration in the town of North Hill and the exploits of JD Gifford.
by J Dan Francis Author Icon

Excerpt:
It has been a good week up here in North Hill. It was a patriotic week. A time when all the inhabitants of this small town have come together to reflect on freedom and the price paid for it and the meaning that it holds deep down in the farthest reaches of our hearts. It was a time of flag waving, and cookouts, watermelon and pie eating contests, and sack races, and softball games and toasting marshmallows on bonfires.

~*Star*~

 
The Stranger Open in new Window. [E]
Park bench writing. July 4, 2016
by Blue Moon Author Icon

Excerpt:
I can still see the morning sun on her skin
She's laying there beside me in our bed
I kiss her cheek and whisper her name
Wait for her to smile and turn her head

~*Star*~

 Velvet night Open in new Window. [E]
The sun slowly disappeared behind the horizon, ending a hot July’s day.
by Igor Author Icon

Excerpt:
The sun slowly disappeared behind the horizon, ending a hot July’s day. The evening brought a breeze, giving a feeling of coolness. Swarms of white moths circled over the shrubs of withering jasmine. Hedgehogs rustled somewhere in the grass. Birches soughed aflutter by leaves. Through their face a nearly full moon showed its face through them and moved slowly across the sky.

~*Star*~

 I'll Take Manhattan (July 1, 2006) BET Open in new Window. [13+]
Barb's takes a rainy summer night's "sunset" cruise around Manhattan Island.
by Carol St.Ann Author Icon

Excerpt:
One night last week I went on a dinner cruise in honor of a good friend’s birthday. I met eight women I have never met before and we totally bonded. Birthday girl, Dale, has terrific friends. It was the kind of group where everyone was of an age - some of us married with husbands and children, some of us single with careers, some juggling both - but we all knew each other's language and laughed at the same things and understood each other immediately.

~*Star*~



 
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Ask & Answer


I received some wonderful feedback to my last newsletter [#7680] "What Is a MOOC?Open in new Window. (which was actually my 100th! *Shock*) and as always, I'm proud to share it with you.

From Shannon Author Icon
Oooh, I'm saving this one, Tornado Dodger Author Icon! I love taking free classes online, and thank you for sharing the meditation link! *Thumbsup*


You're welcome. That is a link that definitely needs to be shared. I thank you for finding it. *Bigsmile* Thanks for writing in; your note made me smile. *Bigsmile*

From GaelicQueen Author Icon
Great reference material to pass on the Newbies. I found many of those same sites on my own as well as picking up some more via Youtube or taking free workshops offered by favorite authors.


Thanks! I agree and I think that if more knew about them, they would sign up like we do and enjoy!

From Joy Author Icon
Great newsletter, Brooke. I liked the course that didn't need registration, which eliminates the fear of my inbox getting clogged up. *Laugh*


Oh, I can totally understand that. My email seems to fill up faster and faster each week. *Pthb* Thanks for the note and the compliment. *Smile*

From QPdoll is Grateful Author Icon
While I'm not a newbie, I had no idea about MOOCs. I'm so excited to learn about them. I'll definitely be checking them out. Thank you for sharing.

You're very welcome. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and writing in. *Bigsmile*

From Sand Castles Shopgirl 739 Author Icon via email:
I had the privilege of participating in three different MOOC's off reed by the Univ of Iowa and their writing course. There were two in Poetry and one in fiction. I really enjoyed all of them. The lectures, exercises and online community was so helpful.
I have not received any updates on any current free offerings from them, but if I do get a notification, I will gladly post the link here.

Update:
The writing gods were watching my last posting. I just received a new email from the Internation Writing Program at the Univ of Iowa. The newest MOOC starts July 18 and will center around the Civil War. For anyone interested in signing up and it is free...free...free..Univ of Iowa can be emailed at:
distancelearning.iwp@gmail.com. Or consult the Google for more information on their latest on-line MOOC. Christopher Merrill is the online moderator and there are guest lecturers. I have already signed up!

Hope you find this information helpful!
Kathleen


Thanks for sharing that. I love talking new classes and I hope others find this helpful as well. *Smile*


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