March 15 Drama NL

Writers will happen in the best of families.
~Rita Mae Brown

Write what matters. If you don't care about what you're writing, neither will your readers.
~Judy Reeves

My most important piece of advice to all you would-be writers; when you write, try to leave out all the parts readers skip.
~Elmore Leonard


From the Editor:

I don't care. I simply and flat out don't care. Part of it is depression talking, I'm sure. But, hey, I don't care.


What does my mood have to do with drama? Depression certainly isn't dramatic. It's rather the opposite.
But, your job as a writer of drama is to make your readers care! If they don't connect, they will toss your work in the trash and fast!


Characters will cause your readers to care. If you have a protagonist and antagonist that are interesting and are easily relatable, your readers will love and hate them. They will care! And don't forget about your supporting cast! They are people too. Make them count. As you work on your characters, either in a sketch or as you write, ask yourself continually if you care about them and what they do. Chances are, if you love your characters, so will your readers!


What about plot? If it is lazy and apathetic, your readers won't give it a chance. Give your main plot and subplots a shot of life. You don't need to be fantastical about it, but choose your words wisely. If your story isn't moving along in an engaging fashion, play with it until it does.


Setting is another way of making your readers care. Use description to draw them into your story and your characters' lives. It will pull them into the story and involve them. They will be allowed to see the world you have created.

These tools can make or break your work. Use one or mix and match! If your readers care about one or more of the above, they will continue reading and come back for more.






Editor's Picks:




Feedback:

From ♥ just jess ♥ : Great issue, Nikola! Thanks for including my story! Believe it or not, I wrote it for one of the other drama editor's short story contests (Scottie Working 60 Hrs! (66) ), but didn't get it finished in time. I took an ordinary event, like taking out the trash, and stretched it by throwing in random chance happenings to see how dramatic I could make it.

Jessie, a very good example of imaginative writing and a good writing exercise by Scottie!


From W.D.Wilcox © ¿ Φ : Nikola,
What a cool idea! Right now I'm closing my eyes while driving to the store. I can hear traffic noise, car horns honking...a loud siren. Excuse me, I think I hear a police officer asking me for my lisence.

Bill, you nut!


From § Roseille - Writing ♥ : Thanks for your wonderful and informative thoughts about dialogue. It really does help to listen to your surroundings! Thanks for a great NL, and also for highlighting my story!

Thanks Angel!

From BBINJC : Hi Nik! Great article, and on one of my favorite subjects: dialogue! I agree that it is important to give your characters distinct "voices" that reflect their personalities. Dialogue shouldn't always be about correct grammar and diction. It should be a true reflection of 'who' that character is.

I love to write dialog! It's fun for me and I get to watch my characters come to life.

From Matthew C. : I enjoyed your newsletter and agree that adding dialog (or dialogue - what's
the difference?) can be an effective way to spruce up your stories, though
should be used with some caution. I've seen (and, O.K., probably written)
stories that abuse dialog and stereotype characters within the writing.
Characters like that make me think of the painfully obnoxious "Dr. Angus" from
the recent Burger King ads.

Anyhow, good topic and advice. I always enjoy reading your newsletters and
chatting with you.

Thanks Matt! Always good to hear from you!