Helpful Dialogue advice.

There's tons of writing advice out there.


There are some writing books I like.  Bird by Bird and How to Write A Damn Good Novel are among my favorite.  (I got a few for Christmas this year, so look for reviews in the next few weeks).


I also follow some blogs on writing. The NeverEnding Page Turner, The Rejectionist, Artzicarol Ramblings, KidLit.com. (Sorry for those not listed, but I heart your blog too.)


There are videos available that have pieces of interviews.  And some good TED talks that give me food for thought.


But the most direct and helpful writing advice I've gotten in the last few weeks came from a site dedicated to pointing out the sloppiness, editing errors, and offenses to the written word that are apparently found in Twilight.*

Go to ReasoningWithVampires.  Read it.  Laugh some.  Sure, some of the points are anti-Twilight or more focused on the blogger's dislike of the book/characters/story/etc.  Whatever, it's her blog.  And many of the posts are very educational.  


And some of the things she points out?  ...yup.  I've done them. >.>


I need to go do some editing now....








*I'm not getting pulled into the pro-/anti- Twilight debate, mostly because I just don't care.  I've read enough of the books to know that it's not my kind of thing. If you are pro-Twilight, go you, I am glad you are reading.**






**But while we're at it, the blogger of ReasoningWithVampires does post an interesting comment about whether or not Twilight should even be analyzed for things like story sense, structure, or grammar.  Her short answer: Yes.  Check it out here.  This question, I think, should be increasingly more relevant as the publishing industry changes - should all genres of work be held to the same standard?  Is it better that people are reading, or should they be reading 'good' books?  Who decides if a book is 'good'?  If Twilight is so bad, how should we interpret its success? ...that's another post.