Tātad. Gribi rakstīt? Lūgtum -- citēju:
So, youve got the perfect story: a great character, your basic plot, a world, and hey maybe youve even sketched out a few scenes. But theres just a few things missing maybe the dialogue just doesnt seem to work, or your action scenes dont seem realistic. So for all of you out there who just need a few quick pointers, I hope this helps.
Disclaimer: I am not, and do not pretend to be, a published author. You can take my advice or leave it, and youre fully entitled to your opinions as to its helpfulness.
The Description
When having trouble writing description, try blocking out the scene in very general terms. What are you trying to convey? Is it hot? How many people are there? What kind of floor are your characters standing on? You dont need to get into the really fine details, but your audience is going to want a mental picture. I normally stick to three main characteristics: atmosphere, the general placement of objects or people, and what the main character is doing or what he/she looks like.
The town was bright and bustling; nary a breeze ran through the crowded city streets. The sweltering midday sun was as hot as midsummer, though the seasons still claimed the day as spring. The abundant light flashed and reflected off metal armor and shining trinkets in the various stalls of Travelers Square. A young guard wiped his forehead with the back of his tanned hand at his post in the corner of the Square as he surveyed the ever-changing scene. Merchants bartered and haggled, shouting across the busy cobblestones as they advertised their wares. A few roadside performers practiced their acts, gaining the attention and coin of several passersby with their prowess. Old Alchnet the wizard scowled as he caught the guards stare, and the youth quickly redirected his gaze. He looked down, carefully refastening the cuff on the stiffened jacket of his cobalt uniform.
Atmosphere: Hot & crowded not a very personal or quiet place.
Placement of objects/ people: There are stalls to either side of the road, backed by merchants, and travelers line the cobblestones.
Main Character: A young guard on duty, wearing a blue uniform.
Words like sweltering midday sun give both the time of day and the temperature effective in concisely describing the scene and giving the reader a feel of the heat before the scene has even truly begun. The guards tanned hand shows that this kind of day isnt so unusual Travelers Square is a temperate place. The roadside performers, merchants, and the stalls themselves all add a certain sense of reality, in addition to making the Square seem crowded.
Granted, this example would be best used for an introduction to a chapter or story it sets the scene with minute details, but very little action takes place. Scenes like this one are good to introduce new settings, but can be easily overused, making the story long and drawn out.
Descriptions dont have to be long in fact, most character descriptions wont be. A sentence or two is enough to give a basic understanding of a character, which can be built upon later in the meantime, the action can continue. (Some character descriptions take place during an action scene already in motion. See Erin M Evans The Deception of Description for more on writing in-action descriptions of characters.) For quick character descriptions, focus on the most obvious attributes. If the character towers over everyone in the room and has ornate tattoos all across his bald head, dont tell us about his dainty nose. Remember: not everyone is perfect. Some characters should have physical flaws dont forget to describe them.
And last: add little details about the nonentities that is, the characters who dont particularly have a big part or give more depth to your character by referencing their past. Both give a sense to the reader that this world isnt being created its being viewed. Adjectives are your friend, and details make the story. Use your imagination!
The Dialogue
Many of the steps for good dialogue are similar to those for a good description. Dialogue is a great opportunity to sneak in details about the characters what theyre wearing, their personalities, or their current mood. The tone of a voice, or the action of a character speaking expresses a lot to the reader. In this first example, notice Alchnets temperament hes just been robbed, and he isnt too happy with the guards who are on duty. (Note: the elf mentioned is stationed on a roof nearby, listening to the conversation, unbeknownst to the guards.)
If I may, sir, interjected the second guard, what did the thief look like?
The wizard immediately grumped, Tall. Elven.
Tall, sir? The elf gave a slow smile at the guards questioning tone. Arent elves short, sir?
The wizard hissed in exasperation, then said in a patronizing tone, Most, yes. But this un was tall, sir. The elf almost laughed. No one knew as well as Alchnet how to rankle a guard.
The first guard, Marik, quickly asked, What was his hair like, sir?
Glaring, Alchnet snapped, Silver.
To indicate Alchnets anger, I used the words grumped, snapped, glaring, and other similar phrases. If you were a happy-go-lucky halfling whod just won a bet, you wouldnt be snapping, now, would you? Also, notice how many times the word said is used: once. Said is boring. It doesnt say anything about the character, what theyre feeling it simply sets the stage for dialogue. No more.
Note, also, that this is another way to describe a character: through dialogue, we now know that this elf is tall, elven, and has silver hair. Not the most poetic way of describing, but, in some cases, it is effective. Be careful not to use this technique often , however having your characters described this way is memorable, and it gets impractical very quickly.
The next example is multi-purpose: it describes the character, gives insight to his personality, and - as an added bonus shows the benefit of dialect. A thief growing up on the streets doesnt have the education of a high-elven noble one of the ways to demonstrate this is through his language.
Yeve got a fertile imagination on ye, taka. Don even try yer dagger. The strangers eyes glinted, and Marik dropped his hand. His captor was a black-haired youth, obviously of Lowertown. At his waist was a belt strapped with at least seven daggers; his left arm boasted a worn leather band with another. Ye look like yeve been ere awhile. Ye should know th rules
Unless yere just thick-eaded. The youth let Marik fall, and leaned against the opposite wall of the narrow alley. He took out a dagger and tested its point. Whatre ye doin ere?
The most important thing to remember when using dialect is not to overdo it. Dropping out half the letters in a word and replacing them with an apostrophe isnt going to sound real. And even in a fantasy story, the reader seldom enjoys a tale that isnt believable. (To an extent, at any rate.) Secondly, make sure the character is consistent in his dialect. If he drops all the hs and never says you, only ye, remember that. Make a note somewhere readers often remember such quirks better than the author. (And they arent going to hesitate to point out an error.)
Notice that certain characters speak different ways. A dwarf has more of a tendency to speak roughly, while an elf might use words such as thee or thy. One of your characters might call everyone mate, while another would be disgusted by such comradie. How much a character speaks also develops their personality. If a seer only speaks once in three pages, while her companions have been conversing the entire time, she might come across as shy, or perhaps wise. (Depending on what she says.) In the same way, someone who always speaks in riddles and rhymes will probably sound a little crazy. It all depends on what you want to convey, but a great deal of personality can fit between the quotation marks.
Action!
Here, balance is the key. As said by S. B. Hulsey (Writing Action Scenes), too much description can slow down the action. Still, some is not a bad idea it helps to form a picture of the scene in the readers mind.
Of course, my first suggestion isnt description its choreography. In a battle scene, the placement of characters can be confusing, and the descriptions of their actions are often lacking. I suggest going over your scene mentally
Then getting up and trying it yourself. If youre really dedicated, get a friend or family member to be the other characters. Position them as you imagine the scene, then run through it is it possible? Ill use my own scene as an example:
"Easily parrying her first advance, the youth darted under her defenses, scoring a light blow on the ribs. As he came out, Krishena slammed the hilt of her dagger against his forehead, and he rolled to the side, blood welling in the wound. Unflinching, he got to his feet in a single fluid movement, seemingly unharmed, though blood ran down the contours of his face. Dropping one of his blades as she threw hers, he grabbed the oncoming missile by the base of the blade, its edge cutting into his hand. Reversing the grip, he circled warily, searching for an opening."
Krishena, the woman, attacked first. The youth, a thief skilled with knives, was able to parry her blow while ducking under her arm and slashing at her ribs. However, he made the attack quickly, since he was defenseless for that short period of time hence, he only scored a light blow. As he ducked back under her arm, Krishena brought down her own dagger on his forehead, and he rolled with the impact. And so on. I tried this scene myself, and I think its actually possible. (Again, youre entitled to your opinion.)
And as I keep saying little details make it real. If you dont know much about battles, use your favorite authors for reference R.A Salvatore, in particular, is known for his choreography. Or just try the scene and see how it works. Rolling to the side to avoid a blow or reversing the grip on a dagger are both examples of common battle tactics but its not something a barbarian character would do. Fit the fighting style with the character, and try to logically reason out their actions, even if you dont truly know what they would do.
Remember, not all action scenes have to contain a battle. A Court debate can contain a great deal of excitement, even if the characters arent fighting. Conflict makes action, but conflict can be emotional as well as physical. Even simple games, in some cases, could be considered action. A game of throwing knives, for example, doesnt have to turn violent to be fast paced tension, not violence, defines action.
On a grammatical basis, both dashes and the length of paragraphs are important to the feel of a piece. Dashes bring attention to the second clause of the sentence almost like an extended comma, or a semi-colon. I usually use them to speed up action; two sentences take far longer to read than just one. With a dash the ideas stay linked, but less formally than with a semi-colon or period.
It stuck true, less than a fingers width from the exact center, drawing looks of surprise from the others of the group. The woman was only one who seemed to not notice.
It stuck true, less than a fingers width from the exact center, drawing looks of surprise from the others of the group save the woman.
Shortened sentence style and fast dialogue also help to spice up a scene, but dont overdo it. If the sentences get too short, the piece sounds choppy and overdramatic.
A Combination
Its a combination of action, dialogue, and description that ties any story together. Without action, the story drags on, and the plot never continues; without description, the setting is nothing more than a blank wall. Dialogue shows the characters personalities, and complements both action and description at the same time. To learn to meld them all takes time, and practice. So start writing!
Citāta beigas. Lūk, kas tev jādara
ps. ieej
http://youtube.com/watch?v=LYOpT5TvKyAoffspring + bleach <3