Kristina Stanley

Character Development

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 6 Comments

I’m excited to say I’ve added a new spreadsheet to my box of writing tools.

Getting to know new characters, or even existing characters, is exciting.

For each scene, I ask the POV character the following questions and then answer in their first person voice:

  • How did you get into the predicament you’re in?
  • What do you want?
  • Why do you want it?
  • How did you feel when (insert disaster or setback here) happened?
  • What are you going to do next?

The questions open my mind to new ideas and remind me to keep character personalities consistent.

Do you ask your characters questions to get to know them?

Thanks for reading . . .

 

Farley’s Friday: One Sad and Lonely Wheaten Terrier

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 8 Comments

Farley here,

I’m soooo sad. I don’t understand what’s happened. My human is gone. Where? I just don’t know.

I watched her leave. She got in a dinghy of humans I don’t know very well, left our boat, and waved goodbye.

“Wait,” I bark. “Where are you going?”

I’m very suspicious because she has a suitcase with her. That can’t be good.  And look how pathetic I look trying to get her to stay.

Farley sad

 

I howl my best howl, and she waves and tells me to be good.

Matt, my other human, whom I love, but he doesn’t baby me like Kristina does, is doing his best to keep me happy. I didn’t eat dinner the first night. I thought that might make Matt get her back, but when that didn’t work, I ate anyway. I was just too hungry. I’ll need to try something else to make Matt understand.

But where – oh – where is Kristina?

And when will she come home? Matt keeps saying soon, but what does that mean? I’m soooo sad.

Woof Woof, Boo Hoo.

The Audacity of Reading a Novel Aloud

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 3 Comments

I’m testing both Garageband and Audacity to determine which one is better for creating podcast. So far Audacity is winning.

With the new Mac operating system, the help files are stored online and not on the Mac itself. For people connected 24/7 to the internet, this might be okay. For me, not so much. While living on my sailboat, I’m often not connected and can’t get access to the help files.

This is particularly frustrating when learning a new software program like Garageband. So on the advice of my fellow blogger, Kirsten at A Scenic Route,  I tried Audacity.

The help files come with the program, so I don’t have to have internet access. The noise reduction function works very well. The help files give tips on how to speak into a microphone. The basic functions are easy to learn.

So, Goodbye Garageband. Hello Audacity.

On the proofreading side of things, I discovered creating a podcast of written text helps find errors. A lovely added bonus when trying to perfect work.

Thanks for reading . . .

Women Sailing A Lagoon 380

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 3 Comments

We were out the other day sailing our Lagoon 380 with friends. There’s nothing like sailing in 15 knots off the beam in flat seas. Mattina sailed at 8.5 knots over ground.

I had to laugh at this photo of me and what the wind does to my hair. It’s a good think a person can’t see themselves most of the time.

Sailing in between Stocking Island and George Town give us lots of opportunity to tack and gibe. A piece of cake on our lagoon as she’s a catamaran and the boat stays flat during sail maneuvers.

Tina at winch

Anyway, sailing is everything about speed over ground and nothing about looks.

Thanks for reading . . .

Books On Point Of View

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 4 Comments

I just finished reading The Power of Point of View: Make your Story Come To Life by Alicia Rasley.

This book provides an in-depth explanation of POV and how to use it. It’s one of the best I’ve read on the subject. It’s so good I’m on my second reading.

The information contained in the pages is clearly expressed and well thought out. The exercises have motivated me to try writing in first person. Usually I write in third person, but I thought it was time to expand and try something new.

Do you know of any books on writing that were helpful? I’d love to get some suggestions for further reading.

Thanks for reading . . .

Guests At Work On A Cruising Sailboat

~ Kristina Stanley ~ Leave a comment

When guests arrive on Mattina, they may think they’re coming for a vacation full of fun and relaxation, but …

Okay, it’s true there is a lot of fun and relaxation, but we also put our guests to work.

My nephew got the fun job of checking the anchor. Even though we have a pretty good anchoring process, and we love our Rocna anchor, it never hurts to have a pair of eyes check the anchor is fully buried.

Can the water be any bluer?
Can the water be any bluer?

Lucky nephew. He got the good job. Others, like cleaning the galley, are not so fun.

Thanks for reading . . .

He Said/She Said When Reading Aloud

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 4 Comments

Last Monday, I wrote about reading aloud. I’m on a bit of a discovery mission and figuring out how to do this well.

I think if you’re an actor or have training as an actor, this might come easy to you. For those of us that have only read aloud to children, it’s hard.

After creating a recording of a short story, I quickly discovered listening to a story is different than reading a story.

When a person reads the story they see the paragraph breaks between speakers. This tells them the speaker has changed. When listening the person doesn’t have the visual to aid in understanding the change of character.

So if you’re not a person who can talk in many voices, what do you do?

I’m trying to add he said/she said in the audio version. Sometimes placing the tag before the spoken sentence instead of after of adding the tag near the beginning. For example:

“Thanks,” Bob said. “I need to hear that.”

The other option is to add a character movement or action before they speak. Something simple like: She sighed.

I’m not sure if this is a proper method for reading aloud.

Any suggestions on how to do this?

Thanks for reading . . .

Farley’s Friday: A Jack Russell and Her Harness

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 5 Comments

Farley here.

Do you ever laugh at your friends? When I laugh, the resulting noise sounds like a bark combined with a howl.

So here’s my Friend For Life, Cali. She says she’s a Jack Russell, but really, does she look like one?

Calie and Harness

Now why am I laughing, you ask.

Is she wearing a diaper? Nope.

Is it some kind of new dog skirt I don’t know about? Nope.

It’s her harness.

She got crazy going after a lizard, got her harness stuck on a branch, didn’t care, kept chasing the lizard.

And what ended up happening? Her harness ended up on her bum. The humans were too busy laughing to help her, so there she sat, looking silly.

I’d never do that . . .

Woof Woof.

Reading A Novel Aloud

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 2 Comments

Have you ever read your novel aloud?

Do you know how you sound?

I made a recording of a scene, thinking the process would help me proofread. Then I got side tracked, wondering if I could make a podcast. Many writers have web sites with podcasts and book trailers, so I thought I should build some new skills.

I’ve been trying out Garage Band on my Mac. The first thing I discovered was I read too fast. After practicing with the same scene for an hour, I was finally happy with the tempo, but not with the tone. Oh, and my throat was sore. How to professional readers talk for so long?

The next thing I discovered when I read a different scene aloud was I read too fast. I guess I have to learn to slow down when reading a scene for the first time.

Do you have an easy way to create an audio file? Garage Band has a lot of features I don’t need, and I’d like a quick way to do this.

Now if I ever get lucky enough, maybe I’ll read aloud to an audience and not just to my dog – although by the way he cants his head, I think he’s very interested in what I’m saying.

Thanks for reading . . .

Farley’s Friday: A Wheaten Goes Beach Running

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 6 Comments

Farley Here,

Now I’m a dog who likes to take it easy on the beach. I like to dig a hole and drop myself into it. But just when I try to relax in my pit of sand, I see my pack coming.

I’m trying to look cool, as if I’m uninterested in the runners. Do you like my hat?

Farley with HAt

But you know me. I can’t help myself and I get excited.

“Stop running,” I bark. “Come and sit in this nice hole I dug for you.”

Kristina waves and yells, “Come.”

“No way,” I bark. “I’ve got a coconut to play with.”

Farley Joining Run

No one stops, so what choice to I have but to join the run.

Gang running

Okay, I’ll admit, I had fun.

Woof Woof.