Column

The Mad Word Doctor

Dear Doc Joan,

In my fictional story, one of the characters is a man with a thickItalian accent. Should his broken English be written to emphasize the accent or instraight, correct dialogue? --- Dialect Dilemma

Dear Dilemma,

Good question, and it applies to any kind of dialect. The first time your character appears in the story, you might mention something about his accent, perhaps having your viewpoint character think about it. After that, trust your reader to "get it." You might have the character struggle with an English word or idiom occasionally. He might say something like, "No! It is...how you say...not in the question." (meaning "out of the question," which in context of a conversation, should be clear to the reader without author explanation).

Rather than trying to duplicate every dialect sound with funny spelling as many nineteenth century writers did, strive for the rhythms and word order of the dialect. Thank goodness, Eudora Welty showed the rest of us writers how to evoke realistic dialogue effectively, never even showing a dropped "g" for her rural Southern characters, though we somehow heard it in our heads.

Overdone dialectical spelling keeps readers so busy translating what you mean, they lose track of the story. For example, I once had a client who switched all the "v" and "w" sounds in his German character Hans's dialogue. Typical as this may be, I suggested the client show Hans doing this only when he said a certain character's name ("Villy" for "Willy") because it was causing a huge miscommunication with other characters, a key event in the story. The client did a great job of revision, and Hans became a memorable character.

This also brings up the frequently asked question of the dropped "g" (i.e., sayin' for saying). Dropping that "g" when speaking informally is common to so many people and localities it is unnecessary to show it, and all those apostrophes get annoying. Contractions also sound more like natural, casual speech most of the time (even though they call for more apostrophes). Have you ever noticed that people for whom English is a second language rarely use contractions, and they may speak more formally out of self-consciousness?

If you aren't part of the sub-group you are writing about, read it aloud to someone who is and let that person tell you if the language sounds right -- and not demeaning.

Have fun breathing life into your characters!

Doc Joan

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To see other examples, go to: http://www.joanuptonhall.com/books.htm, scroll past the book covers and click the link: "Ask Doc" Q&A's

Author Spotlight

Meet M. D. Benoit

Interview by Mayra Calvani

1. You state on your website that you started writing ten years ago. What compelled you to make that first move and 'become' a serious writer?

I'd had my own human resources consulting company for 5 years. I was making incredible money, and hated every minute of the work. I was stressed out, grumpy, bitchy, and depressed on Sundays because I had to go back to work. Then a good friend of mine, who had loathed his job for years, died six months after retirement. He was 42.

It was a wake-up call. I decided that life was too short to do something you hated. It took me a year to be able to close my business, and our income dropped dramatically, but it was the best decision of my life. Six months after I quit, I looked ten years younger.

2. Besides being an author, you're also a freelance editor. Don't you find it hard to edit when there are hundreds of classics out there that break the 'rules' of writing? Why was it okay to use so much 'telling' and adjectives and adverbs one hundred years ago but it's not okay now? To what do you attribute this change?

I'm so glad you asked this question. In Dickens', Dostoyevsky's or Tolstoy's time, there were no visual media. It was critical to the story to describe the setting in every detail to situate the protagonists since most readers had never been to places outside their small town, their farms, their cities.

Today, if I talk about the pyramids in Egypt, most people have seen them on TV, in a picture book, on the internet, in the newspaper. It's not necessary that I take three pages to describe them in detail. The use of adverbs and adjectives served a useful purpose: it cut down on description. Today, we don't have that excuse.

Besides, with life being so much faster today, the emphasis is on action, on punch. Take out extraneous words. Get on with the story. Use action verbs.

3. Tell us about your book series and your main character, Jack Meter. What was your source of inspiration for this character?

Jack popped into my head all grown up. Metered Space started as an exercise for Writelab, an internet writing course. For almost six months after that, Jack kept invading my mind, screaming for me to tell his story. I wrote Metered Space (originally titled 'Til the Fat Lady Sings) because I couldn't not write it. It was my first "serious" writing exercise, and I still had my company at the time. I found a publisher, now defunct, and went on to write Synergy (published this March). But Jack had other adventures in mind, so I wrote Meter Made, a semi-sequel. The more I wrote about Jack, the more stories jumped up at me, so it became a series. Meter Destiny will be next, hopefully by the end of the year. Meter Parents is already written, ready for editing, and another in is the works, Meter Dreams.

4. Your website has links to genetic engineering, cloning, biotechnology, and evolution sites. Why are these subjects important to you? Are these your brain food?

I became interested in genetic engineering during the controversies about Genetically Modified Organisms. Then I came upon a newspaper article about genetic warfare, and, I followed avidly the issues around cloning with Dolly the sheep and the race to map the human genome. This gave me ideas for stories. Synergy, coming out this March, is about genetic modification and warfare. The next in the trio, Catalyst, is about human cloning farms. The third, which I'm working on right now, is entitled Entropy, and deals with the consequences of monoculture and genetically modifying food staples like rice, maize, and wheat.

I was so fascinated by the entire body of work that I felt it would be interesting to have a collection of links for people like me who wanted to know more.

5. What type of books do you read to feed your brain in order to create your stories?

I'm an eclectic reader. I read everything from literary fiction to science fiction, with mystery, fantasy, romance, thrillers in between. My very favorite book from the past few years has been Blindness, by Nobel prize winner José Saramago. On my current TBR pile are Joshua Palmatier, Neil Gaiman, Tanya Huff, Richard Benoit, Scott Westerfeld, Donna Leon, Wally Lamb, Salman Rushdie, Timothy Findlay, and Doris Lessing.

6. Tell us about your upcoming release.

As mentioned above, it's about gene modification and warfare, but it's also about two people who complement each other like yin and yang. Torver Lockwood is scarred emotionally, Demetria Greyson is disfigured. He can travel other people's lifepaths and find their innermost secrets to use against them; she is unwaveringly honest and has visions that hold the secret of the cure needed to save a very sick child. They can only find the solution if they work together. But there are two major problems: genetic engineering on humans in prohibited by law and, in developing the cure, they may build the ultimate genetic weapon. The question is, does the end justify the means? Is it worth developing a doomsday weapon to save the life of one child?

7. Do you have a website where readers may learn more about you and your work?

M. D. Benoit's World, which has descriptions of my books and a first chapter to read is at http://mdbenoit.com. I also have a blog, Life's weirder than fiction, at http://mdbenoit.com/blog. Jack Meter has his own blog, where he discusses his own take on life and his most recent cases, at http://jackmeter.wordpress.com. I'm also associated with a group of mad authors, and post to our blog, It's a mad, mad, world, at http://madten.wordpress.com.

8. Who is the author (or book) which has influenced you the most as a writer?

Hmm. I'd say the first one I remember with awe is my father. He wasn't a writer, but an incredible storyteller. Every night for years, when we were growing up, he would tell us a story. Of course, my two brothers and I were the protagonists. There was always a dark forest, alien beings, caves and bats, witches, keypads to press that led to strange, dangerous worlds. We had to overcome many obstacles, and the story lasted for weeks. I learned the skill of building cliffhangers from him. I have a picture of me sitting on his lap (I must have been two or three), my face rapt as he tells a story.

9. Is there one famous author in your genre who you think has been overrated? Why?

Not necessarily in my genre, but I find nowadays that many of the "big" authors –King, Chrichton, Brown, Grisham, to name a few –are selling their names rather than their stories, which are essentially crap. The books are poorly edited, the stories mundane and repetitive. I find I'm much more interested by the emerging authors, like Holly Phillips, for instance, a Canadian who writes literary science fiction that will send shivers of delight down your spine.

10. What is your schedule like? Do you have any 'mad author' quirks?

I listen to classical music when I write, especially Bach and Beethoven chamber works. I'm addicted to Mah Jong, so I have three different computer games that I play when I want to take a break. I do an online crossword every day. I'll usually start by reading my email, maybe comment on some entries in my LJ and Mobile Reader communities, post on my blog. Around 9am, I'll start writing and write until 11:30. I have lunch, read while I eat, then go back to writing until about 2pm, which is the end of my writing day. I'll usually break to do my yoga, then I'll take a shower. Errands if I need to, work on marketing issues even if I don't want to. Repeat in the morning.

11. What is the easiest part of writing? The most difficult?

For me there are more things difficult to do than easy ones. Starting a new story is for me very difficult and scary. It's always as if it were the first book I've ever written. Finishing a book is also hard, but there's tremendous satisfaction in writing "The End". Editing my work is difficult, as well. I usually will have a minimum of four drafts. The first draft is the easiest and most fun to write. Once you're in flow, it's like feeding on Belgian Chocolate.

12. Are you the quiet, anti-social, secluded type of author, or a Hemingway styled, 'live to the fullest' writer?

I'm definitely a recluse, and have been for most of my life. To paraphrase Joyce Carol Oates, I often find the characters in my books more interesting than the real people I meet.

13. Would you please leave your readers with some witty words of wisdom?

This is why I write:

"The truly creative mind in any field is no more than this: A human creature born abnormally, inhumanly sensitive. To him... a touch is a blow, a sound is a noise, a misfortune is a tragedy, a joy is an ecstasy, a friend is a lover, a lover is a god, and failure is death. Add to this cruelly delicate organism the overpowering necessity to create, create, create -- so that without the creating of music or poetry or books or buildings or something of meaning, his very breath is cut off from him. He must create, must pour out creation. By some strange, unknown, inward urgency he is not really alive unless he is creating." -Pearl S. Buck, novelist, Nobel laureate (1892-1973)

Thanks for the opportunity of telling your readers a bit about myself!

Fiction

THE BENCH
by Anne K. Edwards

"It's happening again," the old man spoke thoughtfully. "Look at them graves. They look sorta rumpled, like the dead have been tossin' an' turnin'."

"Shut up, Irwin," the old woman seated beside him said. "You're scarin' Charlie, here." She patted the little boy's head as he turned anxious brown eyes on her.

The old man nodded at a passing woman pushing a carriage, then continued, "Shaddup yerself, Louise Carter. You know as well as I do they walk on Halloween."

She shook her head and shrugged. "I don't know why all you can ever talk about is that. The day is lovely. Look at the trees. The leaves have turned and everything is so pretty." She patted Charlie's head again.

"When will Mama come for me?" he asked. "Bet she'll be late," Irwin grumbled. "Never was on time for nothin'." He got to his feet. "I'm gonna take a walk around an' look at some more of them graves. They look disturbed to me."

Louise shook her head in pity. "You're disturbed. Always were with your stupid stories. Never hear such nonsense from anybody else."

Irwin grunted and turned his back on them.

"Why don't he like me?" Charlie asked sadly.

"Oh, child! It's nothing to do with you," Louise patted his hand. "Long as I've known Irwin Grady, he's been an unpleasant old grump."

The little boy nodded and looked longingly toward the entrance gates. "Where's Mama?"

Louise wished she could answer him. It was the same every time they met on this bench. Mrs. Benson never came on time. She'd show up a few minutes before sunset to talk to her son. You'd think she'd have a little more consideration for the boy. He misses her so. As the thought left her, a small blonde woman appeared at the gate. Charlie got up and ran toward her. He was always so happy to see her. And she was always so sad.

Irwin returned and seated himself beside her. "Sun's gonna go down soon. I don't think I wanna be here then."

Louise laughed at him. "What do you think will happen?"

He frowned. "I don't wanna find out. I don't wanna see the dead walk." He got to his feet. "I'm goin'."

She watched him hurry away, then slowly got to her feet, reluctant to leave the most comfortable seat in the park. That's how she thought of it. In spite of the headstones and old crypts, it was a park, a place to sit in the sun and relax.

Louise watched sadly as Charlie's mother said goodbye and departed out the gate. Charlie had gone too. Too bad Mrs. Benson couldn't take him with her.

The gravel underfoot crunched a little as Louise made her way down the narrow path. She stopped beside a double headstone to read the inscription. "Irwin, you old fool," she muttered and went a little farther.

Turning she looked up at the darkening sky. It was a lovely evening, but she wished it wouldn't come so soon. It would be another full year before she could return to that bench. Another year to see the sun. She looked at the stone in front of her. "Louise Carter, born January 10, 1880, died September 19, 1958."

Anne K. Edwards is an author and book reviewer. She writes in a variety of genres--mystery, speculative, children's. Visit her website at: www.MysteryFiction.net.

Mayra's Book Reviews

Ghostly Tales from America's Jails
Edited by Joan Upton Hall
Atriad Press LLC
ISBN: 1-933177-09-8
Copyright 2007
Trade Paperback, 240 pages, $15.00
Non-fiction Anthology/Paranormal

Are you intrigued by true ghost stories? Author Joan Upton Hall has put together a collection of spooky tales that will be thoroughly enjoyed by fans of the paranormal, especially by those readers with a particular interest in old jails and prisons.

The stories, forty in all, take place in different times and locations across the United States, bringing in the flavor of each individual setting--from an old Salem Witch Jail from the 1600's to a Charleston Civil War prison for pirates to a modern state penitentiary in the Wild West. These haunting stories written by a versatile group of authors from various backgrounds, appeal to the reader's imagination and capture the dark mood of these jails, bringing to life the misery and violence that once took place there. The fact that many of the jails and prisons are now restaurants, inns, offices, shops and museums is interesting.

The chapters are arranged in chronological order from the oldest to the newest haunting, and each story is accompanied by an author photo and bio. Some of the authors are host hunters, psychics, and correctional officers.

How do investigators of the paranormal seek verification? What are their methods? How do they classify and study hauntings? What type of people encounter ghosts? Is there a pattern? Is this something that happens to believers--who may be easily influenced--or to skeptics as well?

If you're a ghost hunter, the book includes addresses and contact information of the institutions, that is--as the editor notes--"if you dare." Whether you're a believer or a skeptic, this is an intriguing book that will tickle your sense of wonder and offer some spooky excitement on those long rainy evenings.

Summer of Night
By Dan Simmons
Warner Books
ISBN: 0-446-36266-2
Copyright 2007
Copyright 1991
Mass Market Paperback
Horror

If the goal of a horror author is to scare the readers, to affect them in such a way as to influence their dreams, then Dan Simmons has achieve his goal with Summer of Night.

In the small town of Elm Haven, Illinois, during the summer of 1960, an ancient evil has awakened…the first sign being the strange disappearance of a young boy within the century-old walls of Old Central School.

When the authorities seem to ignore the event, friends Mike, Duane, Dale, Harlen, and Kevin decide to take matters into their own hands and investigate. Not much time passes before the boys realize something very wrong is happening in their town and more specifically, in their school. Pale faces at the window, noises in the closet, evil clouds under the bed, and a red rendering truck that mysteriously travels through town carrying roadkill and giving off the stench of Death are just some of the horrors the kids have to face. Will they be able to destroy the gathering evil that threatens to take over their town and take their souls?

The book is much more than a scary tale. It's a story of innocence vs. evil at its best. Simmons offers us not only his macabre imagination but his elegant sense of style as well. His writing sparkles and maintains an almost painful crescendo all the way to the heart-stopping climax. I found myself totally engrossed in the plot and the fate of the young characters. Simmons has a way of effortlessly pulling readers into his world, leaving them strangely exhausted--yet very satisfied--at the end. This is a book that will be relished by horror fans. If you enjoyed Stephen King's It, you'll love this book.

*This review originally appeared in Armchair Interviews.

Tempted in the Night
By Robin T. Popp
Warner Books
ISBN: 0-446-61784-9
Copyright 2007
Mass Market Paperback, 322 pages, $6.99
Paranormal Romance

Robin T. Popp brings us yet another thrilling adventure in this her latest Night Slayer book, Tempted in the Night.

Beautiful brunette Jessica Winslow lives with one obsession--destroying as many vampires as she can. Her lust for revenge has its roots in her childhood, when she witnessed one of the undead brutally kill her own mother. Now, she will stop at nothing to seek justice and protect innocent victims from the same fate…

Detective John Boehler has one aim in mind--finding a savage serial killer who's terrorizing the D.C. area. That is, until a group of strange vigilantes called the Exsanguinators capture the criminal and leave his body devoid of blood. There's only one problem… what happens when the serial killer awakens as one of the undead?

In spite of their mutual attraction, which threatens to do them more harm than good, Jessica and John join forces to destroy the serial killer vampire… But at what price? Are they ready to fall into darkness and lose their souls to achieve their goal?

The story starts with an exciting scenario, grabbing the reader into the world of the characters, then maintains a rather quick pace until the end. There are enough romance and supernatural thrills to keep fans of the genre happy. Popp creates her own chupacabra myth and hierarchy of vampires, adding a certain level of originality to the plot. The only aspect of the novel which didn't work for me was characterization. Jessica, though sympathetic, somehow didn't come through enough to make me care about her predicament. I had problems with the hero as well, mainly because of character inconsistencies--he seems to behave like two different men in the first and second parts of the book. These two problems made me lose connection to the plot during the second half of the story. All in all, this is an entertaining book that will be enjoyed by most fans of vampire romance.

*This review originally appeared in Armchair Interviews.

Aiming At Amazon
By Aaron Shepard
Shepard Publications
ISBN: 978-0-938497-43-1
Copyright 2007
Trade Paperback, 174 pages, $15.00
Non-fiction/Publishing & Marketing

In his latest book, Aiming at Amazon, Aaron Shepard proposes a revolutionary way to easily self publish your non-fiction work and market it successfully.

No, this is not one of those books that will teach you how to become an instant Amazon Bestseller. What Shepard suggests is much more ingenious. While becoming an instant bestseller may appear glamorous, the effect of this marketing trick lasts little compared to a real bestseller with good steady sales over a long period of time. Furthermore, the author's innovative technique includes ignoring--yes, totally disregarding--bookstores. With this plan, your aim will be selling your book via Amazon only. While this method may appear a little extreme, there's a beautiful simplicity to it.

Shepard demystifies distributors and wholesalers and offers you a practical, step-by-step plan on how to become your own small press, print your book, and sell it to the public via Amazon. He explains why it's important to stay away from subsidy companies that use print on demand, and he takes you right to the POD printer itself--Lightning Source--saving you an infinite amount of money in the process.

Some of the topics discussed include: choosing POD for printing your books, researching the market, designing and layout, cover design, setting up accounts with Lightning Source and Amazon, Amazon marketing tactics, and getting reviews, among others. In sum, everything you need to know to become your own press and start selling your book online.

Whether you live in the US or in another part of the world, this is an important book to read if you plan on self publishing a non-fiction book, as Shepard also offers valuable information for those living abroad. Written in Shepard's friendly style, Aiming at Amazon is a must read for anybody who is considering self publishing without too much hassle or expenses.

Resources

*This month I discovered two new ebook publishers:

http://www.wildchildpublishing.com. This ebook publisher is currently accepting submissions. It has a magazine and newsletter, too.

http://www.calderwoodbooks.com. This new ebook publisher is also accepting submissions in most genres.

*Review sites

http://www.uksfbooknews.net. Very comprehensive book review site for fans of SF, Fantasy and Horror.

http://euroreviews.eu.funpic.de/index.php. Review site from Holland. Currently recruiting reviewers and accepting review copies.

http://www.reviewers-choice.com.

http://romancereaders.com. The latest on romance book news. Also has a blog.

http://irosf.com. The Internet Review of Science Fiction. Currently looking for reviewers.

http://www.midwestbookreview.com. For readers, thousands of book reviews. For authors, it offers a comprehensive list of publishers and reviewers.

Contests

Visit our blog - and win a FREE ebook!

The Mad Ten Authors invite you to visit their blog, It's a Mad, Mad
World (http://madten.wordpress.com). Read a passage of their novels,
answer the author's question, and you may win the ebook version!

During READ AN EBOOK WEEK, between March 5 and March 10, we'll post a
new entry each day. Answer the question in the comments section of the
blog. Each day, we'll draw a winner to receive an electronic version
of the book.

Try us out ....... and play every day!

I'll be posting an excerpt of my paranormal novel, Embraced by the Shadows, on Monday, March 5th. Don't forget to stop by for a chance to win a free copy of my book!