Dialogue Tags: Said Bookisms Make You Look Like An Amateur
I only post these things in case new writers who don’t know about them are interested in learning. I found this link and the one below, and I think they’re both very good…
I’ve been writing professionally for more than fifteen years, and I’ve been reading avidly for far longer. Over the years the publishing market has seen sea-changes in almost every respect, with ramifications for the business, the very act of reading, and yes, even the way books are written. One of the changes that baffled me when I first entered the field was the market’s sharp turn away from what are now known as “said-bookisms.”
Let’s start with a definition. What is a said-bookism? Basically, it is any word other than said or asked that is used to describe how a character speaks a line of dialogue. Phrases like “he hissed,” “she croaked,” “he inquired,” “she averred,” “he rasped,” “she lamented,” and about a thousand more are all considered said-bookisms. And all of them are looked upon with disfavor by editors and publishers.
Here’s the link. I highly recommend reading it. And if you google “dialogue tags” you’ll find all kinds of information out there that’s free and simple to learn. The truth is there are no set rules to anything in writing fiction, however, when you see someone doing one thing wrong repeatedly it’s pretty sure bet they don’t know what they are doing.
And this link over at Anne R. Allen’s blog, I believe, is an excellent break down about writing dialogue that’s simple and fresh.
Straight Men Share Their Transvestic Fetishism Stories
This is a fascinating piece about straight and bi men who are into wearing specific things during sex, like women’s lingerie and high heels.
“To me, ‘transvestic fetishism’ can travel in both directions,” he explains, “either being turned on by other men dressed in lingerie or women’s clothes; or being turned on by dressing oneself in lingerie.”
He continues, “For me, it starts and stops at lingerie. I’ve no interest in dressing as a convincing woman and men completely dressed as women don’t rev my engine. But being in lingerie or being with a man dressed in lingerie can be incredibly arousing.”
Of course this is also a primary focus in my novel, Kendle’s Fire, where my character challenges the concept of masculinity in general through his fetish for lingerie and high heels. And this character is about as butch as they get. Here’s the link to more.
Side note: this has nothing to do with being transgender. That’s a completely different subject.
Kendle’s Fire
A PG Rated Gay Romance
Dating App Wants Men To Look Manlier
There’s a hook up app that’s now under fire because they’re offering some kind of photo shop that’s called “red hot perfect body editing.” From what I gather, you can post a photo of yourself that’s been shopped that makes you look as if you spend all day at the gym.
Not only is Manly promoting unhealthy, and now completely unrealistic, ideas of “the perfect male body,” but its encouraging users to participate in that lie. On top of that, this adds all kinds of problems in terms of dating and hooking up. People already get put off when you look different than you do in your profile picture, and now you can change it so you look like a totally different person?
You can check this out, here. This could be interesting. You think you’re hooking up with a hot body builder and Mr. Pizza and Donuts shows up. It’s not the most genuine way to get a date. However, as far as I can tell, no one is forcing users to photo shop their bodies.
You don’t want to miss the comments.
