Category / Guest Post

by intenttowin

Weaving the yarn…

Folks work with crochet hooks, knitting needles, material and thread, and everything a person would think of when weaving with yarn. Sometimes we weave items for friends, for presents, for sale, or just to satisfy ourselves with a peaceful hobby.

IMG_20170813_193619050

The project may exist as one large piece or may be many small pieces that are woven together to compliment and contrast each other. The same is true of stories. Perhaps only one story is being told. But many times there are multiple threads that work together to make a strong finished product. Perhaps that is why in days gone by stories were called yarns. I think of the well-woven stories of Mark Twain and how his characters twisted and complemented each other into a perfectly fabricated tale.

But, the part that so many crafters forget is the inspector. When goods are woven, they are inspected to make sure the stitches are even, all of the loops hold, that no elements are out of place, and that the end product will be admired by the wearer.

Stories are the same. As word crafters, we weave our tales with different backgrounds, characters, actions, dialog, and energy. But without the inspector (editor) to make sure there aren’t any dangling threads, the story might unravel and leave the reader confused or unsatisfied.

Never doubt the fact that every author needs an editor who can trim away excess material, pull and tuck here and there for a perfect fit, and make sure all of the loops are connected and tied up before the story is over.

Winner

Craft your words, weave your tale,
and find an editor that can make
your story the winner you want it to be!

 

 

Thanks, Intent to Win for the guest post!

by intenttowin

A Little Goes a Long Way…

Sometimes writers believe that adding a touch of their natural speak helps the reader feel more comfortable with their words. I believe this to be true to a point.

If you read Stephen King, you can almost hear that New England accent from many of the actors in his movies. If you read Charlaine Harris, you can hear the Southern drawl of the people from Bon Temps, Louisiana. Having that speech in your mind helps the reader hear what the characters are feeling as well as what they are saying.

But a little can go a long way in the written words. When the conversation of the novel or other work is so abbreviated or drawn out that it impedes the reading of the text, that is too much. A well placed “Y’all” isn’t too bad but making the Southern (or any other) lingo so heavy that it is unreadable or understandable defeats the purpose of writing the story.

This link provides an interesting view on when the use of translators is necessary even for people who are speaking the same language:

http://brave-new-words.blogspot.com/2006/12/translators-responsibilities-when.html 

Which brings me to another point. In worldwide blogging, we often run into blogs written in the native language of the posting person rather than automatically to American or British English. There is always a button at the top of the blog which asks if you wish to translate. I’m always uncertain about using the translate button. We’ve learned from auto fill on our texts that what we meant to say is not what is sent a good portion of the time. How do we know that the translate button really works? How do we know we are reading what the posting person wrote or felt?

It is a quandary I am facing daily. For the people who often use the translate button, how well do you believe it translates what might be regional or other versions of the basic language?

I would like to know your feelings.

Photo Credit: How many languages are there in the world? Stephen R. Anderson  https://www.linguisticsociety.org/content/how-many-languages-are-there-world 

 

by Sherron0

Introverts Want You to Know — by Dianna Haught

(Sort of a guest post. Dianna put this wisdom out on Facebook and said I could share it as long as I credited her. Thanks Dianna, for the post, and the willingness to share.)

I am an introvert. Many of my friends aren’t. So I’ll give you a quick guide to introverts:
*It is NOT “good for us” to go out and socialize. It drains us. We have to withdraw and recharge. We hate crowds especially crowds with loud music and drunks. Good for us is a quiet evening with a friend or two with maybe some wine or hot cocoa. Not being a People Person isn’t the same as not liking people – we just like our people in smallish doses.

*We don’t sit around waiting for your phone call. We don’t like being interrupted by the phone. We like you a lot but not that way.

*We generally don’t confront. We are not confrontational people.

*Most of us, if abandoned on an island somewhere, wouldn’t notice the lack of people as long as the plumbing and electricity worked (can’t read in the dark) and we had books and a computer and a food supply. Well, we’d notice eventually, but it would take a while.

*Extroverts are dogs. We are cats.

*We write things down. We write in general. Words are the world and the universe. We live many lives and they are all in our heads.

*Very few introverts will know what color is in Fashion this season, although we can usually tell you more than you want to know about the science of color. Style for us means comfortable – preferably with no itchy tags. Sometimes we like to dress up in costumes though.

*An introvert can consider you their bestest friend for years and never see you at all. It’s ok, we write (email really) don’t we?

*Introverts have a hard time knowing what to do with themselves when made the center of attention in a group.

*We are not sitting around secretly wishing we had company. We have a cat familiar or two and it’s all good.

*Our answer to “Don’t you get bored being home all day?” Is “NO.” Being bored while being alone is not something we relate to.

*Introverts love you. You just might not know it.

by Sherron0

from Emma’s Hope Book

Today this blog reminded me that we aren’t alone, that we shouldn’t feel alone, and that life continues, just hold on.

Emma's Hope Book

Mess of Me

I was a pretty messed up teenager.  I quickly developed into a very messed up twenty something, who progressed into an even more messed up thirty something.  Taking a breath.  Whoooo.  I’ll spare you the gory details, suffice it to say, I was a mess.  Another breath.  I don’t think I’ll get a great deal of argument from those who knew me then.   In fact, it took me until I was 36 to realize I was far too old to be so confused and such an utter mess.   I found people who had also once been where I now found myself, some worse, some not as bad, but they reached out and pulled me up.  Because of them I learned how to reach out to others.  I learned how to ask for support.  I learned to take suggestions.  I learned how to make…

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