Fun Friday

Welcome to another edition of Fun Friday and another collection of odd signs. Enjoy!

10 Reasons It's Great to be a Writer

10. There is no dress code.

9. You're not eavesdropping; you're working.

8. Your rather eccentric computer history of websites can be explained as research.

BONUS: Actually, anything can be explained as research - it just takes a bit of thought.

7. Your active imagination now has something to focus on.

6. Although you say you don't base your characters on anyone you know, you could. Revenge is sweet.

5. People expect odd behaviour from creative types. This is an advantage.

4. You know talking to yourself serves a purpose.

3. You can tell yourself your typo isn't a typo, it's a new word. Language evolves.

2. If you write romantic scenes you can blush and tell people you couldn't possibly confirm whether they're autobiographical.

1. You can make your own rules and then break them.

A Journey Back

WELCOME TO 1935...

If you have a telephone it might look like this...

and if you open a magazine you'll see advertisements like this...

During the day you might dress like this...

with shoes like this...

Your children might be busy reading this...

or this...

While you are busy reading this...

Or you might drive in this...

or this...

to go see this...

or this...

You're looking forward to this...

and you've bought this...

There's so much to look forward to...someday he will be King...

And next year is this...

You've got 4 years until you're reading this...

10 Things I've Learned

You've thought of an idea for a story. Congratulations. Here are a few things I wish I'd known when I started out.

10. First drafts are called 'first' for a reason. This is a good thing.

9. If you don't love your protagonist, neither will anyone else.

8. Real people aren't perfect. Let your characters have flaws.

7. As much as you admire certain authors, accept that you don't write like them. You can only write like you.

6. Write the story you want to tell, not the story that's the 'newest thing'.

5. Some days you might write more, some days less. As long as you're moving ahead, you're on the right road.

4. Give your manuscript to someone else to read. They'll see things you never will.

3. Writing takes self-discipline; way more than you'd think.

2. Never close yourself off to new ideas. There's always something to learn.

1. Snacks help.

The Importance of Being Silent

Every story has dialogue. Writers need to consider vocabulary and rhythm but don't forget the silences. Pauses in a conversation can serve many purposes. For instance...

A character has just said something shocking. There will always be a silence before any type of reaction is given.

A blind date will be filled with pauses in conversation. These pauses can be used to heighten the awkwardness of the situation, but can also be used to heighten the comedy.

Some people hate silences and will say anything to fill the void. This is a very useful tool if you write mysteries.

Just because there are no words being spoken, doesn't mean communication isn't continuing. Body language speaks loud and clear.

What isn't said is sometimes more important than what is.

When dealing with strong emotions, words are hard to come by. Let your characters be lost for words.

Sometimes, silence is golden. A well-placed pause can lift your dialogues off the page and make them real.

How often do you think about putting a pause into your dialogues?

Fun Friday

Funny translations seem to be popular with many of you, so here's another helping. Enjoy. Have a great weekend.

(I WANT this sign)

In Taiwan, the translation of the Pepsi slogan
Come alive with the Pepsi Generation
came out in Chinese as Pepsi will bring your
ancestors back from the grave.

***

Coors translated its slogan, Turn it loose, into Spanish, where it was read as Suffer from diarrhea.

***

The Kentucky Fried Chicken slogan finger-lickin’ good came out in KFC’s first Chinese campaign as eat your fingers off.

***

When Chevrolet developed the Chevy Nova, they decided to market it heavily in Mexico, where the name translates as 'doesn’t go'. The car was later renamed Caribe, which means Caribbean.

Ford had a similar problem in Brazil when the Pinto flopped. The company found out that Pinto was Brazilian slang for tiny male genitals. Ford pried all the nameplates off and substituted Corcel, which means horse.

Just Write

Little Voice: Write.

Writer: But I don't wanna!

Little Voice: Write.

Writer: But it will be bad. Bad, I say. Mind-numblingly bad.

Little Voice: So what? Write.

Writer: (whining) But it's hard.

Little Voice: When did you think it was easy?

Writer: That's not the point. Don't try to trick me.

Little Voice: I'm not trying to trick you. I'm the Little Voice. I'm always right.

Writer: No, you're not.

Little Voice: Yes, I am. It just might take you a really long time to understand my wisdom.

Writer: Oh good grief.

Little Voice: And I have a weird sense of humour.

Writer: Oh, I know that. You're the one who gave me the idea of someone drowning in chocolate.

Little Voice: That was one of my good ones. Funny and yet ironic at the same time.

Writer: But still, writing is hard. And I've got a kitchen floor that needs to be washed.

Little Voice: Oh good grief.

Writer: What?

Little Voice: You've got to get this through your head. I'm losing my patience. Write. If it's bad, it's bad. Who'll see it? You. You can change it. You decide when someone else reads it. It's all up to you.

Writer: That's true...

Little Voice: But first you've got to put those words on the page. Who knows? Maybe it won't be bad. Maybe it will be good. Or maybe it will be good in disguise.

Writer: What on earth does that mean?

Little Voice: When it looks like it's bad but then you discover the idea is good. The kernel of goodness is there, it's just hidden by the bad.

Writer: That's tricky.

Little Voice: You have no idea.

Writer: Ah. More irony.

Little Voice: Are you writing yet?

Writer: I'm just finishing this blog post.

Little Voice: It's done. Write.

The Unexpected

Here's my this...

Allow your this...

To be this...

And let your this...

adore his this...

Someone who looks like this...

could live in a house which looks like this...

Do this to the rules....

You'll be amazed where this leads.