Bernadette Benda

Wow what a day. (I write this Friday afternoon). (Been running around to like 4 stores merchandising. I’ve been out since 9 o’clock in the morning) (Ooh and my new couch came) (The FedEx guy hates me) (I mean it’s a giant box. You could fit like four of me in there. Maybe more). (It’s like a clown box instead of clown car) (I’ll shut up now.)

Oh boy. I’m “kinda” done editing Her Name Was A Ghost (Silver). At least my editor and I are done going through it. I still have a couple things I will be fixing, but the biggest thing is….the first chapter.

AGHGGHHGHGH.

Still making my way through Indianapolis (it takes me like a year to read a non-fiction books) (which doesn’t make much sense since I have already read five this year) and right now I’m at the night of when the ship gets hit by the torpedo from the submarine AND THE TENSION. But also you can feel how it was on the ship. Midnight, heavy cloud cover leaving everything pitch black. Sweltering hot. Men sleeping on the decks. So. Good.

And then all hell breaks loose.

I just love when an author can just put you there. Like they’re dunking you into a bucket of water or something. (Then there are times when I have to read a description five times because I have NO idea what I’m supposed to be seeing.) Then there’s Victor Hugo (Every time I write Victor Hugo I have to stop and make sure I don’t write Hugo Weaving and vice versa), who’s like, “Now before I actually tell you what happens in the sewers, let me give you the extended edition of the long and glorious history of the sewers of Paris.”

(Searched into google: was les mis… and one of the things that popped up was, “was les mis a book first.” DUDE) (I was trying to find out of Les Mis was originally serialized. I don’t think it was, though it was released in volumes.)

I honestly feel like a lot of times I’m more of a dialogue person ( or fight scene person). (I was reading a post of fight scene tips and one was “make sure there is a purpose” and I’m sorry but the purpose is EXCITEMENT. Ok fine and plot purposes).

What do you prefer? Dialogue or description? And why???

The things I sometime find hard with description is making it fit the mood of the story. Like you can’t just start waxing poetry too much in a thriller (I say not too much because it depends on the mood. I feel like a psychological thriller could go heavy on the description.)

In fantasy I feel like a have a lot more room to be MoODy and fANcY. But with dialogue I’m just like “Bam! Boom! Bang! Bong! Bing!” and my fingers are just flying over the keys. Especially if its an argument. That’s the best. That’s the jam.

And I MISS the jam. I’ve been editing for *checks calendar* March??? (I did do some drafting back in April or something when we were in the lockdown because my brain was just !!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and I just. want. to. write. a. draft. Or like a scene. Instead of editing.

WHICH, once I finished Her Name Was A Ghost I will be editing OWWTSF which needs a ton of new scenes so YAY!!!!!!!!

Alright, this is enough of my random rambling for this Saturday Morning.

SO TELL ME. How is your week? Dialogue or description? Read any good nonfiction books lately?