Goals are important. Goals keep us on track and moving forward.
What are your writing goals for this year? Are you on track?
Do you set reading goals? If so, what are they?
For readers and writers, what do you do to stay on track?
Author Archives: Sue Coletta
Is Reading Contagious?
Science indicates 75 percent of parents wish their children would read for fun more. Yet most parents stop reading aloud once the child learns to read on their own. A report from Scholastic suggests reading out loud to kids throughout their elementary school years inspires them to become bookworms, reading five to seven days per week for fun. More than 40 percent of frequent readers ages six to 11 were read to at home, compared to 13 percent who did not read for fun.
At any age, reading increases intelligence.
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
—Dr. Seuss
Diving into a good book opens up a whole world of knowledge. An increase in vocabulary is an obvious result, but it also leads to higher scores on intelligence tests. When children read for fun, it also leads to higher intelligence later in life.
Reading boosts brainpower.
Not only does regular reading make us smarter, but it also increases actual brainpower. Reading regularly improves memory function. Think of it as exercises for the brain. Aging often goes hand-in-hand with a decline in memory and brain function, but regular reading helps slow the process, keeping minds sharper longer, according to research published in Neurology.
Readers are more empathetic.
Being immersed in a story world, caring about characters, helps us relate to others. And so, we’re more aware of another person’s emotions, according to research published in Science Magazine. Interestingly, fiction has a greater impact on empathy than nonfiction.
“Understanding others’ mental states is a crucial skill that enables the complex social relationships that characterize human societies,” David Comer Kidd and Emanuele Castano wrote of their findings.
Reading may help fight Alzheimer’s disease.
Those who engage their brains through reading are 2.5 times less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than those who spend their downtime on less stimulating activities like television. Research suggests exercising the brain helps reduce the risk of developing other brain diseases, as well.
Reading reduces stress.
A 2009 study by Sussex University showed reading may reduce stress by as much as 68 percent.
“It really doesn’t matter what book you read, by losing yourself in a thoroughly engrossing book you can escape from the worries and stresses of the everyday world and spend a while exploring the domain of the author’s imagination,” cognitive neuropsychologist David Lewis told The Telegraph.
Reading helps us relax.
There’s a reason snuggling up with a good book sounds so appealing. Because it is! Reading washes away the stressors of the day as we melt into the pages of a good book.
Reading fiction for fun.
Readers of fiction have increased creativity, empathy, and emotional intelligence. Losing ourselves in a fictional character’s experiences make us more open-minded and allow us to spend time in someone else’s shoes. Thus, readers become better humans than non-readers.
Reading supports self-improvement.
Readers support lifelong learning. One of the best ways to do that is to pick up a book and learn something new. Waving at readers who prefer nonfiction!
In general, read is good for our wellbeing.
Some of us read to escape reality or imagine worlds beyond our own. Some read to learn new skills—cooking, crafting, creativity—or about real people who intrigue or inspire us. Some read thought-provoking books, some dive into futuristic worlds beyond our imagination. Whatever the reason that brings us to the page, reading is one of the best forms of self-care.
Is reading contagious?
Absolutely! Rather than rattle off statistics, I’ll pose a question. How many books have you bought based on word of mouth? When we see another reader all excited about a new book, we want to feel that way, too. So, what do we do? We check out the book.
When children see their parents reading for fun, it plants the seed for them to become lifelong readers, as well. In adults, if one partner pleasure reads several times per week, it lights a spark in their significant other. My husband never read for pleasure till he married me. When he first took the plunge, he devoured more books per week than I did. Over the years as he built and ran his small engine business, he had less time to read. But he dives between the folds whenever possible. Why? Because he sees how much I enjoy reading, and it’s contagious.
TKZers, why do you read? Does your partner read? Do your kids read? What’s the best thing about reading for you?
She may be paranoid, but is she right?
A string of gruesome murders rocks the small town of Alexandria, New Hampshire, with all the victims staged to resemble dead angels, and strange red and pink balloons appearing out of nowhere.
All the clues point to the Romeo Killer’s return. Except one: he died eight years ago.
Paranoid and on edge, Sage’s theory makes no sense. Dead serial killers don’t rise from the grave. Yet she swears he’s here, hungering for the only angel to slip through his grasp—Sage.
With only hours left to live, how can Sage convince her Sheriff husband before the sand in her hourglass runs out? Preorder on Amazon for $1.49
*Though HALOED is Book 5 of the Grafton County Series, it can easily be read as a standalone.
First Page Critique: My Girl is a Dog
Another brave writer submitted their first page for critique. See ya on the flip-side.
Title: My Girl is a Dog
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
CHAPTER ONE
A Sunday morning on a snow-covered mountain trail, as I walked and dwelled on past sins and future amends, Girl hunted.
An old navy peacoat and flannel-lined jeans kept me warm. Girl always has her malamute-shepherd thick coat of hair.
Between her forays into the pines in search of prey, we played her favorite winter game: dig into a snowbank to follow my scent and retrieve snowballs. Girl has a soft mouth—until she kills.
When I threw another snowball, she veered away, dug deep into a different snowbank, and returned with a ski glove clamped in her mouth.
“Smart dog. Someone lost their glove. Let’s go. We’re short on time; things to do at the store today.” I wedged the glove in a pine tree branch and headed toward a meadow where animal tracks crisscross the snow and Girl runs in circles.
But her guttural vocals, dog-talk I call it, told me to turn around.
“What’s wrong?”
I followed her to the hole she dug, expecting to find another glove. Girl once found a purse buried in the snow; instead of a glove or purse, I saw a bare hand and forearm: black hair and white skin. I wondered if Girl pulled the ski glove off the hand as I touched the wrist—thick and cold—no pulse. After clearing more snow, I uncovered a shoulder tattooed in cursive: SEXUEL TABOU.
I brushed snow off the face: a mustached man, a stranger. And I wondered if what the tattoo implied tied to his being dead, at least half-naked, and buried in the snow.
My breath clouded in the frigid air as I pulled out my cellphone—no signal. I needed to call 911 from the truck.
A stark, contrasting memory of the last pulse I checked—five years ago, an unconscious man prone on a Mexican dive bar floor after he cut me with a knife and I busted a beer bottle over his head and held the jagged edge to his throat—accompanied me down the snow-covered trail.
I checked that guy’s pulse out of self-interest to ensure I hadn’t killed him. Then I walked out of the bar into a dusty street under a hot-as-hell sun and onto a bus heading out of town, leaving a job as a deckhand on a sportfishing boat without notice or collecting pay. Better than getting locked up again.
***
Brave Writer, we have a little colon/semicolon problem that needs to be addressed. With a few rare exceptions, they’re not necessary in fiction. If you pretend they don’t exist, you won’t use them as a crutch. That’s not a dig, btw. There isn’t a writer alive who doesn’t have crutch words, phrases, or punctuation they fall back on. The trick is learning our crutches so we can kill our darlings during edits.
Let’s dive right in…
A Sunday morning on a snow-covered mountain trail (Is the day of the week important? If it is, fine. If it isn’t, delete), as I walked (use a stronger verb. Hiked?) and dwelled on past sins and future amends, [my dog] Girl hunted. Added “my dog” for clarity.
An old navy peacoat and flannel-lined jeans kept me warm. Girl [had a] always has her malamute-shepherd thick coat of hair.
Between her forays into the pines in search of prey, we played her favorite winter game: (change colon to em dash) dig into a snowbank to follow my scent and retrieve snowballs. Girl has a soft mouth—until she kills. <– Here’s your opening line.
When I threw another snowball, she veered away, dug deep into a different snowbank, and returned with a ski glove clamped in her mouth.
Condense all of the above, like this…
My dog Girl has a soft mouth—until she kills.
On the snowy hiking trail of Mount Whatever, Girl slalomed around pine trees in search of prey. I threw a snowball for her to fetch, but she returned with a ski glove instead.
“Smart dog. Someone lost their glove. Let’s go. We’re short on time; things to do at the store today.”
With only a pet character to chat with, be careful your dialogue doesn’t become too on-the-nose. Less is more. Example: “Huh. That’s odd. Somebody must be looking for it.”
I wedged the glove between two in a pine tree branches and headed (be precise. Hiked, clomped, plodded, lumbered, strode…) toward a meadow where animal tracks crisscrossed the snow and Girl runs ran in circles (if she’s running in circles, she’s not digging a hole, yet you say she dug a hole three lines below. Easy fix. End the sentence after “snow”).
But her Girl’s guttural vocals, dog-talk I called it, told (alerted?) me to turn around.
“What’s wrong?”
Girl bounced on her front paws, then took off, glancing over her shoulder every few seconds to ensure I followed (to give her some personality).
I followed her to the hole she dug, expecting to find another glove. Girl once found a purse buried in the snow.; instead of a glove or purse, I saw (saw is a telling word. Start the paragraph here –>) A bare hand and forearm protruded from a snowbank.: (lose the colons and semi-colons) Black hair, pale and white skin. I wondered (wondered is also a telling word. Rewrite into a question.) Did Girl pull the ski glove off the hand? as I touched the wrist—thick and cold—no pulse. (<– Nice!) After clearing more snow, I uncovered a shoulder tattooed in cursive.: Rather than that pesky colon, set the next line apart like this…
SEXUEL TABOU. (Do you mean Sexual? Also, don’t change fonts. Use italics instead.)
I brushed snow off the face: (you’re killing me with these colons!) a mustached man, a stranger. And I wondered (rewrite into a question to remove “wondered”) if what the tattoo implied tied to his being dead, at least half-naked, and buried in the snow.
Why would the MC assume the tattoo and his death are related? If it is a clue, don’t tell us yet. Let the reader wonder if there’s a connection and move on. Later, the MC can circle back to this clue. For more on how to use misdirection, read this post.
My breath clouded in the frigid air (<– great imagery) as I pulled out my cellphone—no signal. I needed to call 911 from the truck.
A stark, contrasting memory (reminder?) of the last pulse I checked. (Don’t use an em dash here. It muddies the sentence.) Five years ago, an unconscious man lay prone (you know prone means facedown, right?) on a Mexican dive bar floor after he cut me with a knife. (This paragraph and ones after it can all be summed up in two sentences. Otherwise, it’s a flashback, and it’s much too early for a flashback.) He’s the reason I left a good-paying job and fled to [insert where we are]. Better than getting locked up. Again (I separated Again into a staccato to give it a little added punch, but it’s also fine as one sentence).
Hope I wasn’t too hard on you, Brave Writer. My only goal is to help you succeed. Once you clean up the few issues I mentioned, you’ll have a compelling storyline. I’d flip the page to find out what happens next. Best of luck, Brave Writer!
Favorite line: My breath clouded in the frigid air…
TKZers, please add your suggestions/comments.
What do you think of the title? Would you turn the page?
What Writers Can Learn from I Was Prey
Please excuse my absence over the last 7-10 days while I was on deadline. I’m usually a better multitasker. *sigh*
Every once in a while, a TV show comes along that’s a goldmine for writers. I Was Prey is that type of series.
If you’re unfamiliar with the show, each episode recounts the hauntingly true stories of people who found themselves in a life-or-death struggle with a dangerous animal. Whoever puts these shows together knows story structure, because each episode grips you, holds interest, and keeps you watching. It’s like a car crash. You cannot look away.
The benefit for writers comes through observation.
As each victim recounts their harrowing tale, watch their facial expressions, their involuntary tics and body movements. Listen to the inflection of their voice. It’s all real, raw emotion. These victims carry lifelong emotional and physical scars.
The grizzly bear and hippo attacks are my favorite. Not because I enjoy watching people fall prey to these animals, but because of their reaction to the animal’s power and strength. And we can use that to our advantage. The shock when they first encounter the animal, and what that looks like as they relive the moment on screen. More importantly, how they felt at the time.
Stories thrive on emotion.
It’s how we breathe life into characters.
By studying real people in dangerous situations, we can then transfer that emotion to our characters. It’s especially helpful for the young writer who has never experienced trauma, thus has an empty well of emotional upheaval to dip into.
Emotions add to the credibility of the story.
In a much-cited experiment, researchers showed several versions of the story of a father whose son is dying of cancer. The goal was to encourage listeners to donate money to charity. The versions of the story that emphasized statistics yielded the least donations. Versions focusing on the father’s feelings for his son’s condition gained the most.
Surprising? Not really. When we connect on an emotional level, we react.
Emotionally infused messages are more memorable.
Researchers have also shown how compelling stories boost hormones, oxytocin and cortisol. These hormones help us forge powerful connections. Stories that unlock strong emotions linger in a reader’s mind.
Evocative storytelling overcomes objections.
If we focus on “Just the facts, Jack,” the reader can experience analysis paralysis. Hence why there’s a fine art to weaving in research. Emotion allows readers to mark choices as good, bad, or indifferent, which in turn allows them to move beyond objections.
Emotional narratives inspire change.
For centuries we’ve told stories around the campfire. We’re wired to respond to traditional narrative structures. And so, emotion encourages empathy (say that five times fast). That emotional connection grounds the reader in the scene. Because they’ve been transported into the story, rather than merely reading words on a page, we’ve changed their mindset. Whether it’s temporary or permanent depends on the story.
A vivid, emotional story packs an extra punch and feels more real, more important. If you look back through times at moments when somebody’s beliefs changed, it’s often because of a story that hit home.
Emotion encourages word of mouth.
Emotion begets emotion. Readers who are moved by a story are more likely to recommend the book to friends, family, coworkers. They may even sing the author’s praises online.
Visceral emotion commands attention and creates a shared experience between character and reader.
Don’t tell the reader how the character feels. Show them through body cues, dialogue—external and internal—and unspoken truths. By doing so, the reader bonds with the characters.
Have you ever seen I Was Prey? Any suggestions for other documentary-style shows that writers can benefit from?
Tips to Deceive Characters and Readers
Fictional truth is never quite as clear as it seems on the surface. Deceptiveness boils down to manipulation, disguise, and misdirection. The writer can deceive characters and readers in numerous ways.
A villain might murder another character, then lie to avoid detection. This leads to more lies, more misdirection, and deepening deceptions, creating tension and conflict.
What if the main character lies to themselves about who they are or their current circumstances? Because the truth may be too difficult to accept, the charade continues. One of the most widely known examples is The Sixth Sense.
*Spoiler Alert*
Dr. Malcom Crowe, played by Bruce Willis, could not accept the fact that he died from a fatal gunshot wound. He was an unreliable character from the start of the movie, but viewers didn’t know it. Because he couldn’t accept his fate, he fooled himself into believing he survived. Thus, we believed. In hindsight, we can see where the writer dropped clues. At the time, though, most viewers didn’t catch any hints the first time they watched the movie.
Creating an unreliable narrator takes a skilled hand.
Fail, and the reader feels tricked. Succeed, and reap the rewards.
The one advantage we have is that trust is often automatic. Because narrators act as our guide, deception isn’t something readers expect. Trust is woven into the fabric of our lives. Thus, we often take it for granted.
- When we slip behind the steering wheel or into the passenger seat, we trust the wheels will stay bolted to the car.
- When we eat at a restaurant, we trust we won’t get food poisoning.
- When we crawl under the covers at night, we trust the legs won’t snap off the bed.
This presumed trust is why and how authors can manipulate readers. It’s reasonable to presume we can trust the main character. And so, we do. Should we, though? No narrator is 100% reliable. Stories that force us to question our own perception are often compelling page-turners, unputdownable, and unforgettable.
Deception can occur anywhere.
We tend to first think of antagonists who are manipulative and deceptive, but heroes can deceive, too. In fact, even secondary characters are capable of deception.
What if a main character lies to protect a child?
What if a foil thrives on deceit? Or it only appears like they thrive on chaos when in truth, they’re hiding a secret? The higher the stakes, the more they’ll lie to protect it.
What if a character believes they’re right? They genuinely want to help and don’t mean to misdirect the detective. I’m talkin’ about eyewitnesses to a crime.
Think about this…
We each view the world through a filter of our past experiences, emotional baggage, scars we carry, profession—past or present—worldview, religion, politics, the list goes on and on.
For example:
When I look at an old mighty oak tree, I see a living, breathing being who’s survived for decades, maybe even hundreds of years, and has provided housing and comfort to thousands of animals. And I think, Imagine the stories it can tell.
Someone else might only see firewood.
Neither view is wrong. We’re admiring the tree through different lenses.
Psychologists refer to this as the Rashomon effect, also known as the Kurosawa effect.
This refers to a phenomenon wherein the same event is interpreted in vastly different ways by different people. The Rashomon effect is named after the popular 1950 Akira Kurosawa movie Rashomon in which a murder is described in four different ways by four different witnesses of the same crime. It is often used to emphasize the point that people’s perceptions about an event can differ considerably based on their individual personal experiences.
Thus, it is entirely possible that an event may be described in different ways by different people without any of the witnesses consciously lying.
The same holds true for our characters. And that’s where the fine art of deception comes into play. If we stay true to our character, deception could be automatic. The reader might not catch on right away, but once the truth unravels it’ll make perfect sense. Why? Because they’ve come to know how the character views the world.
Another way to show a character disguising their actions, emotions, or a secret, is through subtle clues.
Subtle clues of how characters behave can tell the reader a lot about them. Imagine people in real life when they’re not being completely honest. How they act and react say a lot about who they are. Characteristics can also show the reader a character might be deceptive—things like suspicious behavior, not wishing to engage with others, indecisiveness, or apprehension.
Dialogue is another way for writers to manipulate the reader. What characters say—and don’t say—can show a character acting evasive or blatantly lying. Tone of voice also disguises the truth, as does ambiguity.
Symbolism and atmosphere can reinforce a specific message, feeling, or idea. If you look at the setting and the character’s state of mind, think about what you want the reader to see. Is there a symbol or setting that might help foreshadow the truth or reinforce the deception?
For example, the following foreshadows danger:
- Mirages
- Heat waves
- Venomous snakes
- Fog
- Poisonous plants
Symbols of triumph and joy:
- Breathtaking sunrise
- Rainbow
- Four-leaf clover
- Butterfly
- Cardinal
Both these lists are so common they’ve become cliche, but we can use that to our advantage. What if you took a symbol that commonly brings joy and flipped the script? Now, the reader will no longer be able to trust their own instincts. You’re toying with their perception. Thus, able to deceive.
These are just a few ways to create deception. The possibilities are endless.
What are some ways you’ve deceived a character and/or the reader? Or name a favorite author/novel that hoodwinked you.
Reader Friday: Favorite Summertime Treat
The nice weather has finally hit New England. Yay!
As soon as the sun’s warmth spawns new life, the grass greening, trees filling in with leaves, flowers blossoming, it triggers me to crave seafood, ice cream, and burgers on the grill.
What’s your favorite summertime food, beverage, or treat?
Bonus points if you include a recipe. 🙂
What Writers Can Learn from Animal Communication
Zoosemiotics is the study of animal communication, and it’s played an important role in the development of ethology, sociobiology, and the study of animal cognition. Writers can also learn from zoosemiotics. Think characterization and scene enhancement.
In the animal kingdom, the sender and receiver of communication may be part of the same species or from different species. Crows, for example, warn the chippies, squirrels, and numerous small birds when dangerous predators are in the area. They do this with a vocal alarm, and every animal pays attention. When crows are around good people and animals they’re comfortable with, they blink several times per minute and have a relaxed, roaming gaze. If a predator prowls or coasts into their domain, their unblinking, hard stare at the threat warns other wildlife in the area.
Warning Coloration
In species such as wasps that are capable of harming potential predators, they’re often brightly colored, and this modifies the behavior of the predator who either instinctively knows to be wary or has learned to use caution through past experiences. Some forms of mimicry fall in the same category. For example, hoverflies have similar coloring to wasps. Although they’re unable to sting, wasps avoid them.
Coloration changes in characters include reddening or flushed neck and/or face (anger or embarrassment) or the lack of color i.e., pale (fear, anxiety, or nervousness).
Behavioral Changes
Canines such as wolves and coyotes may adopt an aggressive posture, such as growling, head leveling, or baring teeth to warn a potential predator to stay back, that if they approach, the canine is ready and able to fight. Rattlesnakes use their telltale rattle—it means, if you come near me, I will strike. Certain amphibians with a bright colored belly and a back that blends into the environment, flash their belly when confronted by a potential threat, indicating they are poisonous in some way.
Behavioral changes in characters include a snarled lip, clenched fists, pitching forward, or lunging at the threat (anger), mouth dryness, licking lips, avoiding eye contact, clenched hands/arms, jerky steps, fidgeting, defensive posture (fear, anxiety, or nervousness), slumped shoulders, tears, flat speech (sadness), raised eyebrows, eyes widening, slacked jaw (surprise), open body language, smiling (happiness) etc.…
Stotting
An example of prey to predator communication is stotting, a highly noticeable form of running shown by some antelopes such as a Thomson’s gazelle. Stotting indicates the animal is healthy and fit, thus not worth pursuing.
Stotting behavior in characters: Think about the difference between jogging and running for your life. The feet may be sloppy or the character zigzags, trips, or falls (fear).
Predator to Prey
Some predators communicate to prey in ways that change their behavior. The deception makes them easier to catch. Take, for example, the angler fish. Fleshy growth protruding from its forehead dangles in front of its jaws. Smaller fish try to take the lure, thereby positioning themselves directly in front of the angler fish’s mouth.
Describing deceptiveness in characters would take an entire post, but you get the picture. 😉
Human & Animal Communication
We are all part of the Natural World. Various ways in which humans interpret the behavior of domestic animals and/or wildlife fit the definition of interspecific communication. Although dogs can use vocal communication, they mainly display nonverbal communication through the use of body language, such as tail carriage and motion, ear and eye position, body position and movement, and facial expressions. Recognizing the correct nonverbal cue will help decipher what the dog is telling us.
More character nonverbal cues include sweating, trembling, damp eyes, muscles tensing, crossed arms or the drawing in of limbs, the body recoiling (fear, anxiety, nervousness), sudden backward movement (surprise), relaxation of muscles (happiness), etc….
While observing a dog’s body language it’s crucial to observe the entire dog, as well as the situation or context. For example, a dog’s wagging tail does not always mean Fido’s happy. A tail in motion is often noticed first, but the rest of the dog is board-stiff, and the ears are back and the dog’s in a couched position, the full picture tells you Fido’s not happy with the situation.
5 Common Groups of Canine Signals
Keep in mind, a dog could use more than one response at a time. Hence why it’s important to analyze the entire dog, not just one body cue (the same applies to characters).
Fido may start with a display of excitement, then decide the stimuli is a threat and switch to aggressive posturing, or send fear signals, or both.
As we review each group, notice the similarities to us (characters).
Fearful Communication
When a dog is frightened, he’s likely to react with his whole body. He may lick his lips, yawn, keep his mouth tightly closed, cower or lower his body, lower or tuck his tail, or flatten his ears. He may also tremble or shake, avoid eye contact, or lean back to avoid the frightening stimulus.
The body language may be a combination of several signals and/or may appear as a progression through these signals as the dog’s response intensifies. Sometimes, the complete absence of active signals can speak volumes. A dog that won’t eat food or treats, is avoiding people when they approach, or freezes when someone reaches for him—a “shut down” appearance—is demonstrating fear. Sadly, we often see this behavior in shelters if the dog doesn’t get adopted. Shelter dogs also may display high arousal or excitement.
Arousal Communication
The arousal in shelter dogs could be due to many factors, including age, confinement, lack of physical and/or mental outlets, and personality. An arousal/excitement response could indicate joy directed at a certain person, another dog, or toy. If the context is a favorable one, the dog should have soft, relaxed body and eyes and mouth, along with a wagging tail that jumps for attention. He may also play-bow—rear end in the air, front end lowered—to demonstrate excitement. Other cues are jumping, mounting, and mouthing. Mouthing should be soft (no teeth).
Arousal behaviors can also be directed at unfavorable stimuli, such as an unwanted human, animal, or situation. Arousal signals in this context may be coupled with fear signals, such as trembling or a low/tucked tail. Or the arousal signals are paired with aggression—barking, lunging, anxious pacing or spinning, or biting of leash, clothing, or the unfavorable stimuli. The dog’s fur can pilo-erect (hackle), his ears bent forward or at attention, his stance upward and erect. The tail is often up and wagging stiffly, and the eyes are wide-open and focused on the target. He could also bark, growl, and/or lunge.
Anxious Communication
If a dog becomes stressed, he may exhibit excessive panting, pacing, and lack of focus. Similar body language to a fearful dog, when in reality, he’s filled with anxiety. Which is why context is key. A dog that jumps at the kennel door as a person approaches is displaying arousal/excitement. Whereas a dog bounding off the side walls of the kennel displays anxious communication signals.
Aggressive Communication
Aggression is a normal and natural behavior in animals, triggered by a perceived threat. Aggressive vocalizations and body posturing are warning signals.
In dogs, we understand aggression through body language that includes stiffening or freezing, eyes wide with the whites visible (called whale eye), tense mouth or curled lips, wrinkled nose, bared teeth, barking, growling, and air snapping.
Relaxed Communication
We all love dogs in a relaxed position, like he doesn’t have a care in the world. Mouth relaxed, lips slightly parted. A smiling appearance. Head and ears relaxed in a neutral position, body loose, eyes soft. His tail may be swishing back and forth, or even wagging in a circular motion. My favorite is when a dog’s lying in the frog-leg position. Those froggy legs are hard to resist!
Over to you, TKZers! You may be using animal communication and not realize it, because many behaviors are similar to our own body language. If you’d like to give an example from your WIP, go for it. Otherwise, please include different animals and how they communicate.
Reader Friday: Main Character
Tell us about the main character in your WIP, recent release, or the main character in the book you’re reading.
What’s your favorite thing about that character?
In one short paragraph:
- Showcase their personality.
- Showcase their flaws.
- Showcase their inner struggles.
- Showcase something special about them.
MS Word Keyboard Shortcuts
Whether you’re working today, grillin’, or hanging poolside, Happy Memorial Day! For those outside the U.S. a belated but heartfelt Happy Remembrance Day!
I hope the following shortcuts will help save you productivity time when you return to the keyboard. I’ve broken the keystrokes into two sections — Windows and Mac — to act as a quick and easy reference guide.
Please note: Today is all about MS Word. For other shortcuts, such as inserting advanced symbols/characters, WordPress, or YouTube, see Writing Hacks: Keyboard Shortcuts. Please ignore my wonky columns. 😉
COMPOSING & EDITING WINDOWS MAC
Create a new document Ctrl-N ⌘-N
Open document Ctrl-O ⌘-O
Save document Ctrl-S ⌘-S
Open “Save As” F12 ⌘-Shift-S
Close document Ctrl-W ⌘-W
Print document Ctrl-P ⌘-P
Select All Ctrl-A ⌘-A
Copy to clipboard Ctrl-C ⌘-C or F3
Paste from clipboard Ctrl-V ⌘-V or F4
Delete selection & copy to clipboard Ctrl-X ⌘-X or F2
Undo last action Ctrl-Z ⌘-Z or F1
Redo last action Ctrl-Y ⌘-Y
Add comment Ctrl-Alt-M ⌘-Option-A
Turn revision tracking on/off Ctrl-Shift-E ⌘-Shift-E
Run spelling/grammar check F7 ⌘-Option-L or F7
TEXT FORMATTING
Bold Ctrl-B ⌘-B
Italics Ctrl-I ⌘-I
Underline Ctrl-U ⌘-U
Double underline Ctrl-Shift-D ⌘-Shift-D
Underline words, not spaces Ctrl-Shift-W ⌘-Shift-W
Strikethrough text Alt-H, 4 ⌘-Shift-X
All caps Ctrl-Shift-A ⌘-Shift-A
Superscript text Ctrl-Shift-+ ⌘-Shift-+
Subscript text Ctrl-= ⌘-=
Increase font size Ctrl-Shift-> ⌘-Shift->
Decrease font size Ctrl-Shift-< ⌘-Shift-<
Insert hyperlink Ctrl-K ⌘-K
Open font dialog box Ctrl-D ⌘-D
or Ctrl-Shift-F
PARAGRAPH FORMATTING
Left-align text Ctrl-L ⌘-L
Right-align text Ctrl-R ⌘-R
Center-align text Ctrl-E ⌘-E
Justify text Ctrl-J ⌘-J
Indent paragraph Ctrl-M Ctrl-Shift-M
Remove indentation Ctrl-Shift-M ⌘-Shift-M
Change to single spaced Ctrl-1 ⌘-1
Change to double spaced Ctrl-2 ⌘-2
Change to 1.5 spaced Ctrl-5 ⌘-5
Remove paragraph formatting Ctrl-Q
Open Apply Styles task pane Ctrl-Shift-S
Open Styles pane Ctrl-Alt-Shift-S ⌘-Option-Shift-S
DOCUMENT NAVIGATION & VIEWS
Move up one paragraph Ctrl-Up arrow ⌘-Up arrow
Move down one paragraph Ctrl-Down arrow ⌘-Down arrow
Move right one word Ctrl-Right arrow ⌘-Right arrow
Move left one word Ctrl-Left arrow ⌘-Left arrow
Move to top of document Ctrl-Home ⌘-Home or ⌘-Fn-Left arrow
Move to bottom of document Ctrl-End ⌘-End or ⌘-Fn-Right arrow
Go to dialog box Ctrl-G or F5 ⌘-Option-G or F5
Switch among last four places in doc Ctrl-Alt-Z
Switch to Print Layout Ctrl-Alt-P
Switch to Outline View Ctrl-Alt-O
Switch to Draft View Ctrl-Alt-N
Switch to Read Mode View Alt-W,F
Split document window/remove split Ctrl-Alt-S
Display Help F1
FIND AND REPLACE
Find Ctrl-F ⌘-F
Find and Replace Ctrl-H or Alt-H-R ⌘-H-R
Find tab (inside Find and Replace) Alt-D
SPECIAL CHARACTERS RECOGNIZED BY FIND AND REPLACE
Type these special characters into the Find box to search document:
- Em dash
- En dash
- Em space
- En space
- Copyright symbol
- Registered symbol
- Trademark
- Section symbol
- Paragraph symbol
- Ellipsis
- Double opening quote
- Double closing quote
SPECIAL CHARACTERS IN DROP-DOWN MENU
Within the Find and Replace dialog box, choose one of the following special characters:
- Em dash
- En dash
- Nonbreaking hyphen
- Optional hyphen
- Nonbreaking space
- Section symbol
- Paragraph symbol
I find it easier to create my own shortcuts for special characters and symbols I use on a regular basis. For example, if you want to create a shortcut for the em dash, go to Insert > Advanced Symbol > Special Characters. At the bottom of the dialog box click Keyboard Shortcut and a new dialog pops up. In the Press New Keyboard Shortcut box, type Ctrl-E or whatever is easy to remember. Click OK and you’re done. Easy peasy. The same applies to symbols, only you’ll choose Symbols instead of Special Characters.
FORMATTING IN FIND AND REPLACE
Click Replace, then More to expand dialog box
Click Format and a list of different formatting types appear. Search by font, paragraph, tab, language, frame, style, or highlight.
Select the type of formatting you want replaced. A dialog box opens, showing all the formatting options available to search for in that category.
For example, the Find Font dialog box is a copy of the Font Formatting dialog box, with all the same formatting options.
Specify formatting type. Then click OK
Repeat these steps to find additional types of formatting. You can even search for text with both specific font formatting and paragraph formatting at the same time.
Click Replace With
Click Format
Select formatting type (font, paragraph, tabs, language, frame, style, highlight)
This is especially helpful if you need to highlight italicized words for the publisher. In my career, I’ve worked with five different publishers and every house required it be done during final edits.
Click OK
Select replacement option: Replace, Replace All, Replace Next
Click OK
Click Close
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
I’m curious if highlighting italics is an industry standard.
Where are my Indie authors who do their own formatting? Do you highlight italics? What program do you use for formatting? Is highlighting italics a requirement for that program?
Traditional authors, does your publisher ask you to highlight italics during final edits?
Reader Friday: Book Covers
Do you judge a book by its cover?
Do you like fancy covers with sprayed edges? Leather bound covers? Or do you like simple covers?
Does your answer change if it’s nonfiction? If so, how?
Name a favorite book cover and why it speaks to you. Remember, we’re talking only the cover, not the story inside.