Author: Sandy Vaile
Originally published by Writers in the Storm blog on 1st November 2023


As writers, we’re painfully aware that not every story idea that sparkles in our mind turns into a gem on paper. With the intense competition of four million book releases each year, it’s crucial to ensure the idea behind a book is compelling and marketable. If only there was a simple way to test ideas and be sure they are worth spending time on.

Well, there is!

​Whether you’re a meticulous planner or prefer to discover details as you go, refining that initial idea into a solid concept can save considerable stress and wasted time, because it provides a strong foundation for the writing process.

​Getting clear on a few key elements will give you an anchor to tether every part of the plot and transform it into a cohesive narrative. 

Author: Sandy Vaile 

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Have you ever been bamboozled when it comes to formatting non-verbal communications in a fictional story?

Things like text messages, social media posts, chat room conversations and emails can be tricky to incorporate seamlessly into a manuscript; yet they are so much a part of our everyday lives that leaving them out can make a story feel less authentic.

Today’s readers are accustomed to consuming a mixture of text and graphics on their screens, and eBooks offer the flexibility to include color, visuals and even interactive elements.

Let me walk you through how to format each type of non-verbal communication and take the stress out of incorporating these elements effectively into your stories. 

What to Keep in Mind

Non-verbal messages require a different approach than traditional narration. Unlike prose, these communications often occur in short bursts of abbreviated text rather than complete sentences, with little regard for correct grammar, spelling and punctuation.

​Understanding the difference will help you make them feel like a natural part of the story.

There are a few challenges to be aware of when considering including non-verbal communications in a story.

Author: Sandy Vaile 
First published on the Writers in the Storm blog 03/05/23


​Dialogue is a powerful tool in fiction because it enables readers to get to know characters without the author telling them how to feel or information dumping what they need to know.

But how do you make dialogue believable and capable of communicating vital information succinctly, while captivating readers?

Speech predates written language by tens of thousands of years and is ingrained in our daily lives. It’s the basis of storytelling, so it makes sense to use it to it’s full advantage to develop characters, advance the plot, increase pace and create tension.

The last thing we want is for dialogue to ramble unnecessarily, be overly stilted or sound forced, leading readers to skim over it and not connect deeply with our characters.

Let’s explore what dialogue is, what makes it impactful, and how to write it concisely and authentically.  

 
I absolutely love dialogue because …

• It breaks long passages of narrative with dynamic information (showing).
• It enables readers to get to know characters on a personal level.
• It offers an opportunity to imply subtext through associated actions and tone.

​But it’s not always easy to write succinct speech that rings true, i.e. is relevant to what’s going on in the story, suits the character, and doesn’t feel like it’s forced. 

Author: Sandy Vaile
Previously published on the Writers in the Storm blog on 3rd August 2023.


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Dialogue in fiction stories is a reliable way of bringing characters to life and immersing readers in their lives, but for it to be effective, it needs to be understood.

As Michel de Montaigne said in his essay, On the Art of Conversation,

Dialogue doesn’t include private thoughts, dreams or narration. 

It’s important that readers can easily determine who is speaking, so they can follow the conversation and don’t get the wrong impression of what’s going on in the story.

Ambiguity can lead to misinterpretation, but this can be prevented by:

• Separating the speech and actions of each character into different paragraphs.
• Not going too long without a dialogue tag to establish who is speaking. 

Author: Sandy Vaile
​First published in Hearts Talk ezine in August 2023
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One way to bring readers closer to fictional characters is to get inside their heads and show their thoughts, to provide intimacy and insight to readers. But is the only way to do this to italicise them? If not, what other options are available to authors?

Formatting internal thoughts in fiction is a subject that causes a great deal of confusion.

It raises so many questions like: Should you differentiate thoughts from the rest of the narrative? If so, how? And if you don’t use direct thoughts, will it distance readers?

In this article we’re going to explore:

• What internal thoughts are (and what they’re not).
• What options are available for formatting thoughts.
• What thoughts look like in different Points of View.
• How each method influences the distance between readers and characters.