Dialogue vs Description

70% of my books/novellas rely on dialogue. This was not by accident. As a writer, there are areas that you are lousy at, areas where you cut it, barely, and areas where you excel. Writing realistic and entertaining dialogue is one of my strong suits, so I'm told. Dialogue creates interaction between characters. Different kinds of interaction. Love, hate, anger, jealousy, envy, friendship, bonding etc.

I read a very interesting article years ago which maintained that a person shouldn't waste their time trying to improve what they're lousy at, but make what they're good at (and enjoy doing) even better. I subscribe to that theory. Here is my (very basic) plan for writing a story, any story.

I'm pretty good at writing dialogue and as I've already mentioned, my books will contain about 70% of dialogue. What does that mean? It means that I've reduced the amount of the book I can screw up to 30% right off the bat. So far so good. Humor. I own a pretty sick sense of humor myself and infuse that into my writing. Humor, however, is a double edged sword. What I find funny, a particular reader might not. We don't all share the same sense of humor, therefore the onus is on my book description to let potential readers know what to expect. 40 to 60% of my dialogue will contain humor.

If I'm lousy at fight scenes or love scenes or writing description, I have a choice. I can either hint at the scene rather than write it out or I can have someone more proficient write a scene for me.

What would you rather read? Let's take (for example) a scene where a potential fight might occur. The first character has already asked the second what the hell he intends to do about the insult he threw at the second character. Which of the second character's responses would make you want to read more?

1. "I'm going to punch you right on the nose. You have no idea who you're dealing with."

Zzzzzzzzz...

2. "I'm going to remove my right shoe, insert that foot colon deep in your ass... and wiggle my toes. You may enjoy it, you may not. I don't give a shit. That will be all the foreplay you'll get. Allow me describe what will happen next...

As a reader, would you be eager to hear the second character's further description? I'm betting you would.

There is a gentleman by the name of Tom Leveen. He used to provide critique of the opening scenes of writer's books. He has great insight. I sent several 'first scenes' his way and was always impressed by his critique. Sadly, he no longer provides this service. He recognized right away that because I loved writing dialogue, I often skipped over description of setting or time frame that would allow a reader to paint a more vivid picture in their head of the scene at hand. I miss Tom's sharp eye.

Fighting the Urge

I'm fighting the urge to start writing some new books. I keep a swipe file of ideas for new books. Whenever an idea pops into my head (and that seems to be all the time) I jot down the skeleton of my idea so that it can be fleshed out at a future date. One in particular has been haunting me because it would be a romantic suspense and I haven't done one of those yet. I keep saying to myself, "I'll only write the opening chapter. Just the one and no more until later." I know that's a lie... but I'm so weak.

I'm typically a 'diet and binge' writer. Feast or famine. Six thousand words in one day followed by five hundred in two weeks. I don't believe in writer's block. I'm just a lazy so-and-so. I never stare at a blank screen. If I sit down to write, I write. It's the 'butt in chair' routine that frustrates me. Here's my motto. Willpower does NOT work. Discipline does. On the other hand, why does discipline sound like punishment? You do understand my dilemma, don't you?
                                                                                                   Alex B

Launch Team, Street Team, Call it What You Will

Hi everybody, it’s me, Alex. At some point in September, I am going to self publish several novellas. As you may or may not know, in order for any book to gain traction, the first few days of a book launch are critical. Two factors are absolutely vital in these first few days (or ground zero as I melodramatically like to call it)

Reviews and downloads.

Reviews offer unbiased social proof that a book is worth reading… or not. A dozen or two favorable reviews allied to several hundred or several thousands of downloads in the first few days will propel a book into Amazon’s line of sight. If enough books (free or $0.99) are downloaded, Amazon will throw its weight behind the book, almost ensuring its success.

This is where those who have enjoyed my free books come in.

If you would like to receive a free advance copy of every book I ever publish… then I would love to have you join my launch team. All I ask in return is for you to take a couple of minutes out of your valuable time to leave an honest review of whatever book I finish writing, and send your way. You would have access to me that the public at large would not enjoy. Perhaps a private FB group. Email correspondence for sure (let me know which books you liked and which you didn’t, and why) Beta reading my raw manuscripts and offering your insight would be welcome. I want us to be family.

How do you join?

You could use the optin box on my website to pick up the first two novellas in my ‘Dear Roz’ series. A week or so before the trilogy goes live, you would receive it in your inbox, probably as a PDF file. Did you know that I have already finished book 4 in the series? Well, I have. I will provide a link at the end of each book which would take you directly to the review section. OR, you could simply send me a short email requesting to be a part of my launch team. Copy and paste either of these two email addresses into your email provider of choice:- 
alexbahscot@gmail.com  or alex@alexbahscotsbooks.com         
The links above are not clickable.

If you want to read my books, but not join my launch team, then that’s fabulous too. I look forward to hearing from anyone and everyone who enjoys my work. Thank you for making my time spent pecking away at the keyboard more enjoyable.

                                                                                              Alex B.

A scene that was cut from the 'Dear Roz' series

Conversation between Roz and her assistant, Maxine that didn't make it into the novella.

Lunch break. Roz and Maxine were making their way to the deli not far from their workplace.

Maxine turned to Roz. "You're lovesick."

"Get away from me," Roz replied, a look of disgust on her face.

"Admit it."

"I admit nothing."

"Nathan asked me about you."

"What did he say?"

Maxine shrugged. "Makes no difference. You don't care."

"That's right. I don't."

They walked in silence for several seconds..

"So what did he say?"

"Doesn't matter. You wouldn't want to go there anyway."

"Go where?" Roz asked in a tone approaching boredom.

"Oh, look!" Maxine said, nodding her head in the direction of a middle aged woman on the other side of the street. "Isn't that Rhonda? She divorced her husband two days before he won the lottery."

"Where could he possibly think I would go with him?"

Maxine let out a loud sigh."They say it was over ten million."

"Somewhere sleazy no doubt." Her tone remained even.

"Her new toy-boy turned out to be wanted by the police."

Roz gave a half-hearted chuckle. "You can't make me beg."

"Something to do with hotwiring a car."

Roz smiled and shook her head. "I don't beg."

"Of all cars to hotwire, you choose the police commissioner's wife's chevy?"

A frown creased Rozlyn's brow. "Not ever. That's just not me."

"Why would a man steal a pink car anyway?" Max wanted to know.

"I know what you're doing, Maxine."

Maxine continued. "If I were a man and decided to steal a car, I'd pick a black car, or maybe a dark green one." 

"I've used that technique myself, but it doesn't work on me."

Max took the conversation sideways. "I think Rhonda's ex husband owns half of that incredible new restaurant. What's it called again?"

"Is that where he wants to take me?"

"It has a man's name." Maxine searched the sky for clues as they walked.

"I hear only the super elite can get in, the waiting list is so long," Roz replied.

"I know it doesn't begin with F. It's not Frank's or Freddie's."

"There's no way Nathan, of all people, could get a reservation there." Roz shook her head.

"I told him you wouldn't be interested," Maxine responded.

"Interested in what? That new restaurant? Are we talking about Carl's?"

"Carl's. That's the name. I knew it didn't begin with F."

Roz grabbed Maxine by the arm and forced her to stop. "Did he want to take me to that new restaurant? Yes or no?"

"I thought you didn't care?"

"I don't. On the other hand, I wouldn't pass up a chance to go there even if it meant going with one of your dates."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, come on, Maxine. Twice you begged me to double date with you. Usually that would mean that I would get stuck with the guy wearing his sister's wig."

"Reg was a nice-ish guy, sort of."

"His handshake was wetter than an Olympic swimmer's armpit."

"Nathan decided to take Betty, instead."

"He chose Betty over me?"

"Only after I told him you weren't interested."

"How the hell did he wangle a table at Carl's?"

"I asked him the same thing," replied Maxine.

"Well?"

"He said it's because of his posh English accent. According to him, it opens doors. Doors that remain shut to people like... never mind."

Roz's face turned pink. "People like who?"

"He never mentioned your name. I want that on record."

"He meant me, didn't he? That no good, low down, sneaky, greasy, two-bit—"

"He also said that if you change your mind..."

"I should think so too. It would be the only decent thing to do. After what he's put me through."

"But I said you wouldn't."

Roz's eyes almost popped out of her head. "Max! Why would you say that?"

"To save you from a—what was it—no good, greasy, sneaky—"

"Yes, but that was before he wanted to treat me to dinner at Carl's."

"You're starting to sound very shallow right now, Roz."

"You're supposed to have my back, Max."

"If I thought you were the slightest bit interested in him, and not just because he's a gorgeous hunk with a foreign accent, I would have landed you that gig in a heartbeat. Hell's bells, I almost begged him to take me. I have no problem taking your cast-offs."

"You can't be an ex-boyfriend unless you've officially been a boyfriend, Maxine. That's how it works."

"So, since you two were never an item, you wouldn't mind if I dated him?"

"He asked you out?"

"No, but just on the off chance it ever happens."

"You can be my guest, but I'd warn you against it."