“Do you know what I want?” Josh said.

   “No.” Caitlyn said. “Do you?”

   “Yes, and it’s not spending the day with you,” Josh said.

   “Fine,” Caitlyn said.

   There’s no need for all these attributions. We can ditch the last two. And we can also place a bit of action between dialogue instead of attributions. How about this?

    “Do you know what I want?” Josh prodded his chest with his thumb.

    “No,” Caitlyn said. “Do you?”

    ”Yes, and it´s not spending the day with you.”

    “Fine.”

   Play around with a passage of dialogue in a book and have fun seeing what enhances it. Many times it’s a question of taking something out. 

   Happy Thursday! Liane x

   If there’s one thing I’ve learned – and keep forgetting! – is our body is like a car engine. We wouldn’t leave our car engine running 24/7 every day, would we? What a waste of fuel, battery power and noisy too.

   So today’s tip is to treat your body like a car for a week. Check if it´s getting high grade fuel – healthy foods and plenty of water. Is it getting enough rest? A car engine doesn’t like to continually tick over. Get the fan out, put your feet up and close your eyes for ten minutes. Recharge that engine.

   Think of three things which relax you and do all three of them this week. Go on, treat yourself.

   Happy Wednesday! Liane x

   Yeah, it’s Freddie. Did you miss me, man? Well I’m back to help get those creative juices flowing. Ready?

   A friend of a friend lends you a book. It’s not your sort of book but he’s insistent. You take it and huff all the way home. You sling it on the side. It cries out, “Ouch.” You look around. The book couldn’t have … You step toward the book and poke it. “Ouch,” it says. You jump a foot. Your heart races. You reach out and pick it up. You open it and your eyes bulge.

   Why? Over to you, guys. Happy Tuesday! Freddie xx  

Knock, knock.

Who’s there?

Boo.

Boo who?

There’s no need to cry. It’s only me.

Happy Monday! Liane x

   Friday again! Time for me to let you know what I’ve been up to over the last week.

   Been editing the book that is desperate to be off to the waiting editor. I’m so excited and tense with the character as I write that I’ve had to jump up and run and dance around the house to get some of the excitement out. Hee hee. Whoop, whoop. Love it, love it, love it.

  Issued some Sightsavers school packs. 10% of the profits of THE CHRONICLES OF JOYA go to this great charity. Check out their website www.sightsavers.org

  I’ve done some editing on a great crime novel. Love it. Received a lovely reveiw on amazon.

 I’ve done an edit on the start of a great fantasy novel.

 This week’s online writing lesson has been published at www.writers-clinic.webs.com and I’ve edited next weeks.

 I’ve started editing some work from one of my favourite authors. So excited to work on it. Have to go back and do some now. Great writer.

      So I’m patting myself on the back for a week well done. What have you been up to? You have? Well done! Give yourself a pat on the back.

   Happy Friday! Liane x

   I love writing dialogue. When I sent my editor the first draft of THE CHRONICLES OF JOYA she gave me a great tip about speaker attributions (he said, she muttered, she groaned, he chuckled, she screamed).

   Her tip was stick to he said and she said. Why? Because the reader’s mind will skim over he said and she said. When you write he requested or he uttered you risk taking your reader out of the story.

   Her other tip is write Paul said and not said Paul. After all, you wouldn’t say said he, would you? If you record both ways, you’ll hear the first sounds more natural.

   Write a scene with these new skills and watch your writing shine. Happy Thursday! Liane x

Ps. If you want to know more great editing skills, check out her book Self Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King.

   If you’ve got a problem you want solved, ask the question at night before you go to sleep. Your subconscious works out the problem while you sleep and give you ideas. They often come in the forms of dreams so as soon as you wake up scribble them down so you don’t forget them. Then read through your dream and see what the message is. If someone in your dream wasn’t clear, maybe you need to make yourself more understood.

   The more you do it, the easier it gets. So my eagle tells me!

   Happy Wednesday! Teal. xxx

   Okay, Freddie’s busy giving me insights into the story for the second in the series of THE CHRONICLES OF JOYA. So I’ll get you started on a story today.

   You lay outstretched on a golden eagle. Your arms are spread like his wings. He swoops into the air and your stomach races to your mouth. The wind rushes at your face and you grin. He swoops and lifts. Your body feels as light as a marshmallow. He flies below a white, fluffy cloud. You look up. The cloud turns blue. A flapping noise erupts from the cloud and dozens of talons descend upon you.

   What happens next? Over to you. Freddie will be back next Tuesday. Happy Tuesday! Liane x

   What is a French cat’s favourite pudding?

   Chocolate mousse!

   What happened when the cat ate a bowl of wool?

   She had mittens!

   How do you know if your cat’s got a cold?

   He´s got cat – arrh!

   What do cat actors say on stage?

   Tabby or not tabby.

   And if you want to have a giggle, check out my outtakes on www.youtube.com/lianecarter

   Happy Monday! Liane x

   Time for me to tell you what I’ve been up to this week.

   Answered multiple fan mail about THE CHRONICLES OF JOYA. Great to hear from you all and so glad you love the book

   Have finally got the answer to a block in my edit. Woohoo. Onwards and upwards.

   This week’s online writing lesson is published at www.writers-clinic.webs.com and Anita, as usual, has matched it up with a wonderful photograph to inspire all you writers.  

   Working on a new song and loving the lyrics. 

   Have found a way, hopefully, to please two editors who both have different ideas about the way a book should go.

      So I’m patting myself on the back for a week well done. What have you been up to this week? You have? Well done! Give yourself a pat on the back.

   If you want your joke to appear on Monday’s blog, send it in to me by tomorrow. Have a great Friday. Liane x