Wulf Moon's SUPER SECRETS Workshop & Challenge!

Posted by: @wulfmoon

WRITE SMART DIALOGUE ASSIGNMENT!

I'm sure that some of my answers may repeat what others have already said. Lol. I deliberately haven't read others' responses yet, as I didn't want them to sway my own ideas.

1. What is the beauty of said?

A= it's invisible to the reader (when not used a whole bunch of times in a row). That's important because otherwise it detracts from the story.

2. What are saidisms?

A="They're words that take the place of said when tagging," Scott instructed.

3. Why do saidisms bog down dialogue?

A=they can be used in an attempt to explain more about the dialogue, rather than having the dialog imply information. This alienates readers.

4. So why do beginning writers feel the need to use them?

A=they don't feel that readers will grasp the full meaning of the dialog without them.

5. DONE J and J
6. What are beats?

A=rhythmic noises created through instrumentalized creativity.

(also actions that a character does within a story. They can be placed before or after dialogue)

7. Why can beats be more effective than using strings of he saids, she saids?

A=Beats can be effective because they imply information (who is talking), and can add scenery and senses to the story without losing any clarity in the dialogue. Lots of 'he said, she saids' just don't read very well on a page, and will make readers and editors feel as though the work is amateurish.

8. What are As You Know, Bobs?

A=maid and butler dialogue. Conversations where characters discuss information that both already know and would not be realistic for a conversation in real life. They stem from an author's need to include story details, but details need to be included in smarter, more meaningful (and less obvious) ways.

9. How can we train ourselves to write smart dialogue that sounds realistic and not artificially manufactured?

A=listen to real people as we traverse the world. Also, YouTube (not joking, I've done this many times). 'Interviewing' a character, usually the protagonist, and asking background questions about them before you write the story can also help to identify what a character's voice may be like, which in turn impacts upon the dialogue.

10. Please review the last story you wrote.

A=I'm pleased to say I used many beats before/after dialogue. I did use say (story is present tense) a few times, but I don't believe I overdid it. I do have a question, though: if the character is asking something, can you tag with 'asked'? Or 'replied', if they're responding? Or would you still use said?

?

Signing in for April's Workshop requirements:

1. I wrote a 6900w story for LTUE, a 4700w story for Resnick, as well as 12k+ words on my novel.

2. x1 KYD exercise, based on the 'Don't worry. Everything is fine' prompt

3. Haven't yet submitted to WOTF for this quarter. Will do over next x2 months.

4. x10 stories submitted to respectable markets

I love holidays.  

Checking in for April:

Did a KYD then turned it into a 5,000 word story. Also wrote a non-genre flash for a contest opening in May.

Submitted to four markets and two contests.

Received two acceptance emails! Both for fresh stories at their first market. Both built up from KYDs. More to follow once the contracts are signed.

Now I really need to get started on my Q3 entry. I have an outline. Just need to write it.

@linardos You are my hero. FOUR stories? 

@wulfmoon Thanks, Moon! I have not made that mistake since. I HAVE had people ask what I'm doing. They've always been pleased that I thought what they said was worthy of notes. Lesson learned. LOL

In April reports, I wrote several scorched earth KYDs before settling on one that worked, submitted to the Baen Fantasy Awards and wrote my 3000 word story in 24 hours. I love it that I was able to produce a credible draft that fast, but I need to get my brain to engage on the front end now. LOL Channel my inner Picard.

April Check in.

1. wrote a 4000 word story. 

2. wrote a KYD.

3. Submitted two stories to two different markets.

4. brainstormed on my next WOTF entry and will start work on it this month.

I also received my first acceptance for an anthology that will be coming out later this summer.

Year Four April Update:

1. Wrote 3 fresh stories (500, 3000, 6000 words)

2. Wrote 3 KYDs (each expanded into above stories)

3. 3 submissions this month (one acceptance! Yay!)

4. Working on my Q3 and will submit by the deadline in June

April update:

3,000 new words (check and then some)

1 KYD (check). Note, I still really haven't got the hang of these kyds, but they do help spark story ideas.

2 submissions to pro-markets (check, one of which is pro-bono in honor of Dave Farland)

registered for a June writing conference (looking forward to seeing the ocean again after 2 long years) and submitted 7 contest entries to be judged by their sponsors (all different and most with small word limit caps)

I haven't begun work on my Q3 entry as of yet, but I plan to tackle that beginning tomorrow.

I would have sworn I'd posted here, but I think it's just in the Wulf Pack.  I struggled with the KYD process a LOT this month, but after several fails I finally got the Scorched Earth prompt to take off last night. Finished five hundred additional words to help me pick up this morning and wrote 2500 words in three hours this morning. I was afraid I might not complete the exercise last night, so I'm pleased. I also submitted my revamped Q2 Finalist from last year to the Baen Fantasy Award. Here's hoping. 

Posted by: @scott_m_sands

Signing in for April's Workshop requirements:

1. I wrote a 6900w story for LTUE, a 4700w story for Resnick, as well as 12k+ words on my novel.

2. x1 KYD exercise, based on the 'Don't worry. Everything is fine' prompt

3. Haven't yet submitted to WOTF for this quarter. Will do over next x2 months.

4. x10 stories submitted to respectable markets

I love holidays.  

Fantastic word output here, Scott, followed by a stellar submission count! Smart practice like this will pay off! Thanks for taking part in my additional Wulf Pack challenges! Ride that wave!

Well done to all of you in the Super Secrets Workshop this month! It's obvious you're doing the work, and that has already led to wonderful results this workshop year! Looking forward to seeing your Q1 Vol. 39 results! Don't forget to share them here so we can cheer you on.

All the beast,

Beastmaster Moon

Posted by: @physa

Give the reader an experience. Don’t tell them how to experience a scene.

A great set of thoughtful answers, Amy! I loved those two lines above most of all--hits the nail on the head. Saidisms tell readers what the characters are feeling, what is the emotional context of the words they spoke. If we've coded our dialogue properly, there's no need for explaining what was said. It should be evident in the exchange. If not, we need to word it better so it becomes obvious. That's the beauty of reading dialogue--sensing the feelings behind the exchanges between characters. A great writer never steals that experience from the reader. They trust the reader.

I'm glad you checked your last manuscript for saidisms. I'm not bothered as a reader seeing asked following a question mark, it's almost as invisible as said. But I've seen many end a sentence of dialogue with an exclamation mark, only to follow it with he exclaimed or she shouted. Ai-yi-yi, isn't that what an exclamation mark means? Never restate the obvious. And saidisms usually do.

You are hereby permitted to pull a card from the Community Chest.

Oh, it's a good one!

Posted by: @scott_m_sands

2. What are saidisms?

A="They're words that take the place of said when tagging," Scott instructed.

"Very good," Moon smiled. "An excellent statement!" he ejaculated.

Nice answers, Scott, with a fun dash of humor here and there. Like your example above. Well done!

You posed a question about whether it's permissible to use the tags asked and replied when questions are asked or answered in dialogue. Asked is almost as invisible as said. I'm never bothered by it when reading. I'm more bothered by replied, as it's restating the obvious. A question was asked, so it's obvious the character answering is replying. 

The more you use the nearly invisible gray man said--instead of the abundant descriptive alternatives--the better the dialogue will flow, and not trip over itself with awkward tags.

Great work! You get to pull a card from the Community Chest! Oooh, nice one!

Happy Monday, Challenge Beasties! Your Monday KYD writing prompt is:

Ship of illusions.

Works for both SF and fantasy! 

All hands on deck!

Beastmaster Moon

Posted by: @wulfmoon

You posed a question about whether it's permissible to use the tags asked and replied when questions are asked or answered in dialogue. Asked is almost as invisible as said. I'm never bothered by it when reading.

Great. Thanks for clarifying, oh Master of Beasts. 

Thanks @wulfmoon...

"Posted by: @physa

Give the reader an experience. Don’t tell them how to experience a scene.

A great set of thoughtful answers, Amy! I loved those two lines above most of all--hits the nail on the head."

____

I appreciate the kind words and encouragement. I always loved that community chest card,  

Posted by: @wulfmoon

Happy Monday, Challenge Beasties! Your Monday KYD writing prompt is:

Ship of illusions.

Works for both SF and fantasy! 

All hands on deck!

Beastmaster Moon

I should be able to get behind this one. My whole life has felt like a ship of illusions... especially the last decade or so.

What a coincidence. I'm reading a book by Jodie Lynn Nye named School of Light. The students are trained in the art of illusion.

Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

The Year Four Super Secret Challenge members have reported in! All completed April’s requirements and they are reaping the rewards of diligence and smart practice. Yet more sales were reported this month, on this venue and others.

Huzzah!

Posted by: @lost_bard

Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

The Year Four Super Secret Challenge members have reported in! All completed April’s requirements and they are reaping the rewards of diligence and smart practice. Yet more sales were reported this month, on this venue and others.

Huzzah!

Thank you, oh Keeper of Records! Some of you have news to report! After your contracts are signed, please let our challenge beasties know so we can cheer for your results! Great work this month, all! Smart practice does yield wonderful rewards!

All the beast!

Beastmaster Moon

Posted by: @wulfmoon

 

Something to howl about! Contract signed, so I can officially announce my weird Western samurai lawman story, "Showdown at Sueño Hueco," will be published July 15th, 2022 in the AFTER THE GOLD RUSH anthology by Third Flatiron Publishing.

 

 

BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE! I challenged my Wulf Pack Writers group to workshop fresh stories to the anthology's theme with my KYD process, and then they expanded them out and submitted them. Sixteen successfully completed the challenge, and seven of us were accepted into this pro-rate anthology. That's a 44% acceptance rate from our challenge group! Two of these writers had never been published before, this was their first sale! I am howling happy at their stellar performance. 

 

 

Congratulations to those of you in this SUPER SECRETS Workshop that took up this special challenge. Now you know why I'm drilling you with monthly KYDs! THEY WORK.  

 

I'll post again when the preorder is up. These stories are going to be FUN! 

 

 

 

 

I just added this to Success thread. Looking forward to my first sold story “Amore For Life” joining yours in the anthology.

Conga rats to all of you in the Gold Rush! 

Happy Monday, Challenge Beasties! Your Monday KYD writing prompt is:

We rebuild what you destroy.

This is a line from the song “Racist Sexist Boy,” by the young punk rock band, The Linda Lindas. Use the prompt, not the lyrics. 

I was a punk rocker in college. Believe it, or not. 

Bang it out! 

Beastmaster Moon

Ooo I'm glad I waited on which prompt to do for May. This one gets the juices flowing. 

@wulfmoon Hey! I’m a punk rocker too! Love the prompt ?

Posted by: @ruthn

@wulfmoon Hey! I’m a punk rocker too! Love the prompt ?

Hi Ruthn! Thanks for dropping by. It’s not the CBGB, but we do dance to the beat of a different drummer. ? This says it’s your first post, so welcome to the Forum! Hey, ho, let’s go!

Best of success with your writing!

Not sure if you want us to post our Q1 results here, Moon? Well done all! There are a heap of names I recognized from the forum on the list of HM or above.  

Anywho, if you'd like us to post,

Posted by: @scott_m_sands

Not sure if you want us to post our Q1 results here, Moon? Well done all! There are a heap of names I recognized from the forum on the list of HM or above.  

Yes, all those registered in this Year 4 workshop (AKA challenge beasties), please post your results for Q1. Saw so many names from the workshop in the list, including yours, Scott. Well done!

I kind of expected this one. It was a rewrite of my Q3 HM from last year. At least I’m consistent! Time to send this one out to market to see how it does.