As I mentioned in other posts, I believe in cross-training for writers. To do this you need to write off genre. Today I blasted through a first draft of an anecdotal story that I plan on submitting to a magazine and to a radio program that reads listener’s stories.

This is not a short story, but the story is short, true and personnel. No spaceships, magics,  aliens or advanced maths involved. A simple story of a two-year old boy seeing his first buffalo, which he pronounces “buth-a-row”.

Writing in a shorter format helps me focus on getting the most out of every word. Word choice, I am finding, in larger multi character adventures helps keep my characters from blurring. Each character needs their own voice and with that comes the way speak – or how they communicate to the reader through dialogue in particular. We find examples of this littered throughout modern and near-modern literature and movies. Yoda, Bruce Willis, Sherlock Holmes, Buzz Light Year, Katniss. Some characters are defined entirely by how they speak, Hodor for instance.

With this in mind you may want to identify words your characters would never use. Use it as a guide to help in writing your characters.

As always, Be well – dcd