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YAASHA MORIAH

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3 Basics of Good Dialogue

12/28/2014

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In the first extreme, the author writes dialogue as though it is straight from a college textbook. The characters never say “who” when they ought to say “whom,” and they always speak in full sentences with perfect grammar. Unrealistic, though satisfying to any English teacher.

Dialogue should be a readable version of every day language.

I am rather confused. To whom should I address this letter? 

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The Story Behind IMMERSION (and an excerpt)

12/26/2014

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I think IMMERSION started with a dream, but for the life of me, I can't really remember much of the dream. This is because, as soon as I woke up, I started adding bits and pieces to the dream, and taking parts away, until I had made up the whole story and just about nothing of the dream was left. 

I recall the dream had something to do with a man who was being hunted by a shadowy group that wanted him to do something for them, but I don't remember what, and he ended up in a very dark place in a cage (I think), in which his family couldn't get to him. 

The characters came clearly in the dream: a young woman with a physical disability, and a little boy with an irrepressible spirit and a penchant for generating more questions than answers. 

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Should I Discard That Story? (Story of a Writer)

12/20/2014

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February 7, 2001
I am finished Woman of the Golden Horde [about ancient Mongols]. It is 73 pages long. Computer pages! 

I am now working on The Light of the Fosters. I’m not sure if I’ll change the name. It’s about Lucy Virginia Foster, a twelve-year-old girl living in modern time. I’m trying to make my story as realistic as possible.

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Excerpt From IMMERSION

12/14/2014

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Available January 1, 2015

Paul Graff was enjoying a short story in a fiction magazine, over a cup of black morning coffee, when he felt the unsettling insect-like whisper of eyes passing over his body. In the corner of his eye, the form of the silent watcher seemed like that of a dark man—either dressed in black, or of African descent, like himself—the face indistinct, a shadow where no shadow was cast. 

Paul turned sharply, and saw only the empty corner near the stove.

He shrugged and continued to read.

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How to Intensify Your Story's Conflict (Without Being Cheesy)

12/14/2014

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In every meeting of the main hero and the main villain, there must be an intensification of the conflict. This holds true even in those stories that center around internal conflict (man vs. his own conscience, for example), or conflict against a force (like nature or a corrupt system). 

You see, the reader unconsciously breaks the story into rounds (usually three), and expects each successive round to raise the stakes, with more on the line, more injuries received, and more suspense achieved.

The problem for the writer is: How do you intensify the conflict?


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From Small Beginnings (Story of a Writer)

12/6/2014

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May 16, 2000 [11 years old]
I’ve changed the plot of Pirate’s Wife and the story is all finished. Primrose is on a trading voyage with her father, the captain. The ship is conquered by pirates and Primrose hides. Her father is killed and later Primrose escapes by the aid of [Dime], the son of the Terror of the Seas himself. They are rescued and then they get married. They have kids and then Dime is arrested on suspicion of piracy. Primrose even pleads to the Queen to help. At the end, she is rewarded.
Pirate’s Wife never went anywhere, and it’s pretty cheesy, but I feel it is important to mention here the concept of recycling. Pirate’s Wife is, I believe, the first story I recycled. Years later, when I was sixteen, I wrote The Mask of Taranaz, that reused the idea of a pirate’s son who tries to escape from the pirating lifestyle, and ends up doing so while rescuing a captive woman.

Don’t be afraid to repeat a story, or to take bits and pieces from an old story and create an entirely new story out of it. If an idea is good enough to use twice, it’s worth reworking until it shines. That’s why it’s good to keep records and copies of your old stories. You never know what might capture your interest and revive an old spark. Let those small beginnings continue to give to you through the future.

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3 Strategies For Writing Humor

12/6/2014

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I have always found humorous writing difficult. When I first read the Redwall series by Brian Jacques, my attempts to replicate his comic songs and characters resulted in unimpressive sludge. Even today, when I read Gillian Bronte Adam's delightfully light-hearted posts, I wish I could write like that.

So how does one write winning humor?

Given that I'm not all that successful at it, my opinion may be unhelpful, but I believe there may be some small merit in "experience by failure." With that said, here are three ways to approach writing humor.


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    Yaasha Moriah

    I write YA/adult fantasy & sci-fi that explores fantastic and interconnected worlds, with stories that burn through the darkest realities with hope and redemption.
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