Dialogue Tags

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 4 Comments

#writetip

Who is talking? Do you always need a tag? Advice from how-to-write books say it should be clear from the dialogue, who is speaking. For the longest time, I interpreted this to mean that the character should have some unique way of speaking.

I don’t like to read dialogue where I get distracted with unique speech patterns, so I don’t like to write that way.

I finally understood what the advice means. The context and what the character has to say should give the reader enough information to know who is talking. If it doesn’t then a tag is needed.

If you need a tag, you could try using character movements or thoughts instead of a tag.

So back to my original thought. I now get the advice. So here’s an example.

A brother and sister are talking.

“What?” – can’t tell who’s speaking. Consider a dialogue tag or other method of indicating who is speaking.

“Mom loved you more because you’re a girl. She liked to dress you up and do your hair. I had nothing but scrapes and bruises to offer.”  – easy to tell the brother is speaking, so no dialogue tag needed.

Dingy Dogs

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 3 Comments

#dogs

Does your dog like to travel in fast moving boats? Ours does.

Farley, the wheaten terrier, likes to lean over the side. Jasper, the springer spaniel, likes to be up front. They always choose the same place and I have no idea why.

Walking the dog while living on a sailboat means getting in the dingy. When the weather is rough or it’s raining, it might not be too fun. Most of the time it’s great. Training your dog its on the boat makes life easier, but they still like the ride to shore.

Bahamas welcomes pets and the process for clearing in is easy. It’s just too much fun having a dog here.

Setting For A Novel

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 3 Comments

#writetip

How to choose a setting for your novel?  That depends on what your story is. But can your story depend on your setting? I think so.

I chose mine because I wanted to write a thriller. I wanted the novel to be tense, and I wanted the setting to have a lot to do with it.

For a mystery novel, choosing a location that isolates your characters, pummels them with bad weather, scares them with wildlife, and gives them nowhere to run, opens up the imagination.

I spent 6 years living in an isolated mountain ski resort, and that had a lot to do with my choice of setting, Even though I write about a fictitious resort, I know what it’s like to live in the depths of BC. Experience lends authenticity; my imagination can do the rest.

Tell me the photo doesn’t give you any ideas for choosing a scary setting.

Hermit Crab

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 4 Comments

#sea life

This Hermit Crab can live 30 to 70 years. It can become a large as a coconut. It lives in a shell, and honestly, I find it a bit creepy.

The joys of cruising provide many opportunities to find creepy, crawly creature.  This one was crossing our hiking path and I couldn’t resist taking a photo, that is after I convinced my niece to pick up the creature.

Write From Experience

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 3 Comments

#writetip

Do you have scenes in your novel that are beyond your experience?

If you do, why not try the things your characters are doing? Everywhere you look, someone writes about writing being lonely. Well, it doesn’t have to be. Writing can be your excuse to be adventurous.

In The Final Gate I have a scene where my main protagonist is in danger while snowshoeing in the mountains. Having spent many hours snowshoeing in steep, rugged terrain, I found it easier to describe than if I’d just read about it.

My husband gets to do all these things in the name of writing a good novel and is happy to pose for a photo.

Dogs In The Office

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 4 Comments

#dogs

Are you a believer in bringing dogs to work? I am. And who doesn’t love a puppy.

During my time working at Panorama Mountain in BC, Canada, one of the perks of the job was brining my dog to work.

Chica was 9 weeks old in this photo, and I think the walk to work tired her out. Other than not having a chair to sit in, it was great having her.

My belief: a dog lowers stress levels in the work environment. Here’s why:

  • It’s hard to stay angry or upset when a dog is wagging it’s tail at you and demanding to be pet.
  • A quick walk with the dog can give a person a chance to think, figure out a problem, or just reassess a situation.  (with the side benefit of fresh air and exercise)
  • It’s not really appropriate to hug a co-worker when they need it, but the co-worker can always hug the dog.
  • And dogs make you laugh. Chica once stole the payroll and ran through the office with the cheques between her jaws. Tell me that didn’t get things moving!

Starting My Fourth Novel

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 10 Comments

#writing

Novel One, Novel Two, Novel Three . . . Now what?

I’ve eighteen pages of notes on my fourth novel, and it’s time to move location.  Three novels are set in the Purcell Mountains, BC, Canada.

The fourth novel (and I feel like I should play music here) is set in the Bahamas. It’s time for a sailing adventure.

It’s been quite the experience writing about the Purcell’s. A place I lived and loved. An isolated mountain resort provides a great setting for a romantic thriller.

But the winds are changing and pushing me in a new direction. This is not to say I won’t continue to write about BC, only that it’s time to try something new.

New characters, new location, new mystery. It’s all a bit overwhelming, but also fun.

Now to go back and read what I wrote about the writing process and make sure I remember it all.

Sea Turtles

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 11 Comments

#sailing

One of the joys of cruising is that the view from our home changes every day.

This lovely sea turtle swam by our stern. We were lucky and the waters were calm, giving us a perfect view. This guy stayed with us for a while, driving the dog crazy, but we loved it.

Who knows what will swim by us tomorrow.

Blurb Translated to German

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 4 Comments

Fracture Line in German

As my translator works hard on Fracture Line, I asked her if she would translate my blurb into German. So here it is . . .

Stone Mountain, Britisch Kolumbien, Canada, Montag 31. Dezember, 7.29Uhr.

An einem kalten Wintermorgen, hoch auf den Purcell Bergen verschwindet Roy McCann in einer Lawine. Unfall oder Verbrechen ist die Frage.

Kalin Thompson kündigt ihren Job mit der Kanadischen Regierung  in Ottawa und nimmt den Job als Personalchefin im Stone Mountain Resort im Inneren von Britisch Kolumbien an,  um mit ihren entfremten Bruder Roy, wieder zusammen zu treffen.

Nach ihrer Ankunft enteckt Kalin, daß Roy im Verdacht steht einen großen  Diebstahl im Resort durchgeführt zu haben.

Kalin muß sich in die Sub-kultur des Ortes reinversetzen und zugleich eine heimliche Untersuchung leiten , die Roys Unschuld beweisen soll.

Kalins Leben wird bedroht als ihre Forschung nach der Wahrheit Erfolge zeigt.

Kalins Dillema ist, wem kann sie vertrauen, und ist ihr Glaube an die Unschuld ihres Bruders gerechfertigt

The next question: What is the title in German? After many hours of deciding on a title for Fraction Line, it’s time to start the process for the German Version.

This writing business is very time consuming.

Footprints In The Sand

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 6 Comments

 #dogs #sailing

My 3-year-old Wheaten Terrier, Farley, gets to run on the beach each morning. He likes the 5K he covers without being on a leash.

Stocking Island in the Bahamas is the best beach I’ve found for running. At low tide, the sand is hard and sort of flat. Flat enough to run, anyway.

It’s a great place to exercise your dog if he/she has been on the boat for too many hours.

Cruisers bring all kinds of dogs to the Bahamas. I’ve seen a tiny, little fluffy girl about the size of a slipper (no idea what it was) to a Malamute. Most dogs we meet are used to being off leash and play well with other dogs.

If I could read his mind, I think my dog would tell me he prefers the freedom of the Bahamas to the amount of time he has to spend on a leash a home.