Dialogue and Gilmore Girls

I can only hope to ever write dialogue as compelling as that of the television show Gilmore Girls. I never grow tired of watching the episodes over and over. It's like studying an art. This show has little action really. How many scenes involve characters talking on the phone or just standing and conversing? The dialogue is what drives the show forward. The script is masterfully written, especially where the dialogue is concerned. The characters talking to each other does not just create a crutch for the plot. There are some shows and movies that could function just fine as silent films. Gilmore Girls could not. This concept is not negative. When the main characters, Lorelai and Rory, have a conversation, it is like a dance. The choreography is nearly flawless.

I really miss new episodes of Gilmore Girls, but all things have to end at some point. I am still holding out hope for a Gilmore Girls movie. I have read that the script for this show was usually about 15-20 pages longer than the typical script with the extra pages being made up of all the dialogue that made this show such an amazing work of art.

As a writer, dialogue can be difficult for me. Writing dialogue that does not feel forced is a chore sometimes. I have started revisiting Gilmore Girls starting with the first season. Studying the dialogue is extremely rewarding. Even the characters who only have a few lines fit into the puzzle like interlocking pieces. I feel fortunate to have found this work of art disguised as dialoge that I can study.

Happy writing!


Copyright (c) Emily D. Wood
Photo via The WB

Back to School Quotes

It is that time of year again. Pencils, pens, paper, notebooks, crayons, markers, backpacks, and so on are just waiting to be purchased for back to school. I am an adorer of quotes, so I thought I would share a few of my favorite quotes for Back-to-school time!

"If there were no schools to take the children away from home part of the time, the insane asylums would be filled with mothers." ~Edgar W. Howe

"The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows." ~Sydney J. Harris

"I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides homework." ~Lily Tomlin as "Edith Ann"
"The larger the island of knowledge, the longer the shoreline of wonder." ~Ralph W. Sockman

"A professor is someone who talks in someone else's sleep." ~W.H. Auden
"You can get all A's and still flunk life." ~Walker Percy

"If you think education is expensive, try ignorance." ~Attributed to both Andy McIntyre and Derek Bok

"Education is not filling a pail but the lighting of a fire." ~William Butler Yeats

"You learn something every day if you pay attention." ~Ray LeBlond


I could quite possibly go on and on...

These are just a few quotes I enjoy with the "Back to School" theme. Happy reading, happy writing, and happy back to school!




Copyright (c) Emily D. Wood
Quotes via Quote Garden

A Writer's Drawing Board

There are a few things I have to constantly remind myself about writing. 1) It's good to have someone else read the work. 2) The someone else reading the work will have his or her own opinion of said work.

Sometimes criticism can hurt. Often, it leaves you asking yourself what in the world the person is talking about. You can have five different people read your work and receive five unique critical responses. This is where the thick skin a writer has to have comes in handy. Writers need to be thick skinned, sure, but we also must be willing to take the opinions of others into consideration.

I just finished reading a blog post about a multi-published writer who had a manuscript sent back asking for a completely different book. The author had to go back to the drawing board, as they say. That type of rejection must hurt in the worst way, but sometimes starting over can produce something greater. I can only imagine that it would be discouraging to be told "start over." I think instead of feeling discouraged about it, any author could see such a criticism as a challenge. Also, keep the rejected work, because it could be just what someone is looking for next time.

When rejection and harsh criticism hits, grab that drawing board and show it who's boss!

Happy writing!


Copyright (c) Emily D. Wood
Photo: via Photl

Writing Frustrations

It has been far too long between posts here. Upon graduating with my Bachelor's Degree, I was supposed to have tons more time to write. (Yeah, right!) I have found myself spending all of my spare time catching up on all of the things I neglected while I was in school. "What needs to be fixed? The screen door? Oh, well, I have homework. I'll do it after the semester is over." I have a to-do list twelve miles long thanks to "I'll do it after the semester is over."

My to-do list also seems to be infringing upon my creativity. I sit down to write something, and I get...nothing. I stare at the page just waiting for something to happen. I have not been able to get out and people-watch for ideas. Nor have I been able to go somewhere that will inspire. The stress of playing catch-up is severely hindering my creative process. I find myself feeling as though a pillow is covering and smothering my creativity.

So, what am I to do about this? The first thing I MUST do is get a handle on my to-do list. Sometimes stress seems to create a cloud that blocks out the creativity. I have to force myself to take a step back and relax. I need some "me time" that I can devote to inspiration. The life changes I am facing now are taking a toll on me as well, but "this too shall pass." I do often talk to God, and this does help. (No judgement here if you believe differently than I do of course.) As a writer, one of the worst challenges (for me) is writer's block. I am used to inspiration striking me and the words flowing out onto the page in a frenzy. Well the flow of words has hit a dam. I am trying to work through this so that I may get back on track.

What do you guys do when writer's block hits? What do you do to gain new inspiration?



Copyright (c) Emily D. Wood
Photo Credit: Photl

Writing from Pictures

Sometimes I find myself in situations where I am at a loss for inspiration. Luckily, there are tons of writing prompts out there to peruse through. I am finding the photo prompts to be incredibly interesting. Using pictures in order to create a story can open up so many ideas. I have noticed that a few of my blog friends have also used this exercise, and some have shared their stories. I have read suggestions about using this type of prompt ranging from flipping a magazine open to a random page, picking a picture, and writing about it to getting a random picture from a friend.

I am currently reading a book by Ransom Riggs called Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children in which he has taken collections of old photographs and created an entire story using them. The pictures are including within the story and incorporated in a unique way. The novel almost makes me want to go out and start hunting down old black and white pictures! The story is not what you expect it to be (in a good way), but Riggs has taken the pictures and used them in a way that makes the story seem real.

Writing from pictures gave me another idea as well. I love to "people watch." I find the adversity in the human race to be fascinating. I cannot always capture unique moments in photos, but I can capture them in my mind. If I can write from a picture, I can write from a memory. I suppose you could try to sneak pictures of people and situations, but getting caught could have soem adverse effects I'm sure. I try to carry a small notebook around with me to record my observations. I also take notes on my phone.

I think some really interesting stories can come from looking at pictures and real life observances. I am going to start seeing what kind of pictures and situations from which I can gain inspiration. I would also like to see what would happen if several people take the exact same picture and write a short story about it. I bet if you took five people, you would get five uniquely fun stories.

Have you ever used pictures as inspiration? What kind of stories have you been able to write from them?

Happy writing!

Copyright (c) Emily D. Wood
Photo Credit: Photl

Graduation!

I have been off the grid for a while with my approaching graduation. It finally got here! I finally have my diploma in hand! I officially have a B.S. in English with minors in Humanities and Business Administration. I can hardly believe it. Now, the common question is: what are your plans now? Hopefully graduate school! The next common question: what are you going to do with an English degree? Anything I want. LOL People just do not seem to realize the potential of someone with a degree in English. I can write, teach, work in an office, work in publishing, editing, etc. Most importantly, I can write no matter what job/career I have. Tonight's post is going to be brief. I just wanted to share my excitement. This graduation is the first rite of passage on my road toward my ultimate goal of becoming an English professor.

Photo via Google

Deep South Magazine 2012 Summer Reading List

I am excited to be able to share this!


Deep South Magazine has released the Summer Reading List for 2012.  The list features some excellent choices in Southern Literature. Deep South Magazine has partnered with Better World Books for the reading list. Better World Books is based in Atlanta, Georgia and donates a book to someone in need every time you buy one. Check out Deep South Magazine's 2012 Summer Reading List in order to get a special one-time discount. Also, scroll to the bottom of the list to see how you can enter an awesome giveaway! This year's list features the books pictured above and a lot more! If you're looking for a few good books to dive into this summer, check this list out. This is a great place to get started!



Cover photos via: Deep South Magazine
Copyright (c) Emily D. Wood