Dear O'Abby - from the archives: Is Blogging still something I need to do?

I thought I'd bring back this post from almost two years ago because it seems very relevant at this moment.  I have been writing this column here for a number of years now, and have watched the number of people engaging with each post dwindle month by month.

In light of this, and the fact I feel very much like I've covered almost every topic I'm qualified to offer advice on, I'm planning to make November 2024 my final month as O'Abby.  So if you have any burning questions, get them in quick...

Dear O'Abby,

I'm a writer and have been blogging pretty regularly for over 10 years now.  I started because it was THE thing all writers seemed to do and as a baby writer, it felt like I had to if I wanted to be a real writer.  Now, blogs seem so much less prevalent and I'm noticing the number of comments and traffic seems to be slowing to my own blog.  I'm wondering if in 2023 blogging is still necessary for writers? 

Maybe I should spend my time somewhere else?

Kind regards,

Blogged-Out

Dear Blogged-Out,

I hear exactly what you're saying.  Back in the 2010s, every writer seemed to have a blog and there were multiple blogs offering writing advice, competitions, publishing tips and anything else in between. There also seemed to be a far larger number of passionate readers with blogs specifically for book reviews and talking about books than there are now.

Like everything else you do as a writer, blogging is a personal choice.  If you don't enjoy it and struggle to find content, maybe it is time to quit.  But if it is something you enjoy, why stop?  You may not be getting the comments you used to, but I bet you have a handful of loyal followers who enjoy what you post.  You may even consider some of these people friends.

The key to a good blog is consistency, both in when you post and what you post.  If you blog about something you're truly passionate about and write about it in a way only you can, it's far more likely to be successful than if you post stuff because you feel you have to.  

If you're feeling burned out with blogging and struggle to think up content to post, but don't really want to give up entirely, switch up your schedule.  Maybe you post three times a week now - can you drop down to one post per week?  Would your readers care?  Just signal your intentions.  Write a post explaining that in 2023 you're only going to post on Fridays or Tuesdays or whichever day.  

And if you want to change the focus of your blog, signal that too.  Maybe you want to keep up the three posts a week, but rather than being three posts on a single topic, you want to switch one to something else you are interested in.  You may find new people discover your blog when you shift the focus a little, even if it is for just one post a week.

I hope that helps!  Never feel obliged to do something you don't enjoy just because other people are doing it.

X O'Abby

Week #43 – The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle

Last year on Mondays we had fun with books. This year, we'll look at most of the same books but also some new ones, and see if the first line [or first paragraph] met the goal of a first line which is ==> to hook the reader's attention.

Here are some tips on writing a first line

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/tips-for-writing-the-opening-line-of-your-novel

Week #43 –   The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hound_of_the_Baskervilles

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2852/2852-h/2852-h.htm

First published:  March 25, 1902

Here's what the story is about: In London, Dr James Mortimer asks for the aid of Sherlock Holmes. He recounts the legend of a curse that has run in the Baskerville family since the time of the English Civil War, when Sir Hugo Baskerville kidnapped a farmer's daughter. When the girl escaped, Hugo made a deal with the devil and pursued her. Hugo's companions found the girl dead of fear and Hugo killed by a demonic hound, which has haunted Dartmoor ever since, causing the premature death of many Baskerville heirs. 

First line/paragraph:

Mr. Sherlock Holmes, who was usually very late in the mornings, save upon those not infrequent occasions when he was up all night, was seated at the breakfast table. I stood upon the hearth-rug and picked up the stick which our visitor had left behind him the night before. It was a fine, thick piece of wood, bulbous-headed, of the sort which is known as a “Penang lawyer.” Just under the head was a broad silver band nearly an inch across. “To James Mortimer, M.R.C.S., from his friends of the C.C.H.,” was engraved upon it, with the date “1884.” It was just such a stick as the old-fashioned family practitioner used to carry—dignified, solid, and reassuring. 

“Well, Watson, what do you make of it?” 

Holmes was sitting with his back to me, and I had given him no sign of my occupation.

This story starts in first person POV, with the narrator introduced as “Watson”. The setting is Holmes sitting at the breakfast table, which is unusual because he's usually a late riser,  with Watson standing on a hearth rug and inspecting a walking stick left by a visitor. The story starts in media res. Holmes asks Watson what he can learn by examining the walking stick, which introduces that this most likely is a detective story. I'm a fan of detective stories and this presents a puzzle in the first paragraph. What does Watson [and Holmes] learn simply by examining a walking stick? I'm sufficiently curious to read the first chapter.

Does this first line/paragraph hook your attention? If you had never heard of this story, would you buy this book in 2024? Knowing the story, would you change the first line? Tell us in the comments!

Dear O'Abby: How do I write good dialogue? - From the archives

Variations of this question have come up a few times in the last couple of weeks, so O'Abby trawled through the archives and found a previous column that answers them.

Dear O'Abby,

My critique group recently told me they feel like the dialogue in my stories is letting my writing down.  They say it's stilted and doesn't feel realistic.  Do you have any tips on how to write dialogue that feels natural and smooth?

Sincerely,

Scriptless

Dear Scriptless,

I think the best tool for writing natural sounding dialogue is to read your scenes aloud.  You'll hear when it doesn't ring true.  People are often sloppy when they speak and use a lot of contractions and slang terms, so if you write dialogue using formal written English, it won't feel realistic.

Using too many dialogue tags, especially things other than "said" can also make your dialogue feel unrealistic and stilted.  Save expressive tags like "yelled", "whispered", "howled" or anything else for moments when they are really needed.  The rest of the time, "said" is fine.

And don't even use "said" too often.  A lot of the time you can indicate who is speaking in a scene through action instead of using a tag.

"I'm going now," Jim said.

Sally didn't look at him. "So go, then."

When there are only two people speaking in a scene, there is no need to break up the flow of dialogue with any tags - they can just converse.  I suggest throwing a bit of action in every few lines to keep the reader grounded in who is talking and to keep the scene from reading like a script.  

And remember.  Dialogue shouldn't be used to provide exposition.  It should drive the story forward, always, give valuable character insights and needs to fit the character speaking it.  Everyone has slightly different ways of talking, and one way to make your characters distinct is through their dialogue.  Maybe one of your characters has a favourite word they use often or incorrectly.  Maybe one doesn't ever swear and has silly phrases she uses instead of profanity.

Dialogue is fun and incredibly important to make your characters sing off the page.  So have fun with it!

X O'Abby

Week #42 – Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift

Last year on Mondays we had fun with books. This year, we'll look at most of the same books but also some new ones, and see if the first line [or first paragraph] met the goal of a first line which is ==> to hook the reader's attention.

Here are some tips on writing a first line

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/tips-for-writing-the-opening-line-of-your-novel

Week #42 –  Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulliver%27s_Travels

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/829/829-h/829-h.htm

First published:  October 28, 1726

Here's what the story is about: Gulliver's Travels, or Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. In Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships is a satire, a parody of the popular travel novel. It mocks English customs and the politics of the day. Gulliver has four adventures, (1) he travels to Lilliput where the inhabitants are only 6” tall, (2) he travels to Brobdingnag where the inhabitants are giants, (3) he travels to Laputa where the inhabitants have great learning but no practical application, and (4) he travels to the land of the Houyhnhnms, a race of intelligent horses who are more rational and communal than the humanoid race called Yahoos.

First line/paragraph:

THE PUBLISHER TO THE READER.
The author of these Travels, Mr. Lemuel Gulliver, is my ancient and intimate friend; there is likewise some relation between us on the mother’s side. About three years ago, Mr. Gulliver growing weary of the concourse of curious people coming to him at his house in Redriff, made a small purchase of land, with a convenient house, near Newark, in Nottinghamshire, his native country; where he now lives retired, yet in good esteem among his neighbours.

This story starts with a letter from publisher to reader, and a letter from Captain Gulliver to his cousin. The story then starts. These introductory parts are not common in modern stories. Here, the reader is introduced to the main character by his “ancient and intimate friend”. The book is in first person POV, but that first person in the first two parts is different from the main character's first person which begins in the third part. The tone is friendly and familiar, with a brief introduction to the initial setting, and would convince me to skim through the first two parts and give the beginning of the main story a chance.

Does this first line/paragraph hook your attention? If you had never heard of this story, would you buy this book in 2024? Knowing the story, would you change the first line? Tell us in the comments!

Dear O'Abby: What's a hook and do I need them?

 Dear O'Abby,

My crit group keeps saying the same thing about my chapters: there's no hook.  

I'm not sure what they mean by this or why they seem to think I need one in every single chapter.

Is this something you know anything about?  I'd be grateful for any clarification.

Kind regards,

Hookless

Dear Hookless,

A hook is a device in a book that makes the reader want to keep reading.  The first line should act as a hook, drawing the reader in and making them want to read more.

But in the context you've given, around each chapter needing a hook, I'm thinking your crit group is talking about having a good hook at the end of each chapter to make the reader want to keep going.  Think about it like a cliff hanger.  You want to end each chapter with a tantalising reveal about something, a piece of action that leaves your character(s) in peril or a piece of information that changes things for the characters.

Obviously your book isn't going to be pitched at a consistent level of tension throughout, so the hooks at the end of each chapter don't need to be huge every time. It would be too exhausting if every chapter ended on the same kind of note!  There just needs to be a reason for the reader to want to turn the page and keep reading rather than putting the book down.

Hopefully that helps?

XXX O'Abby

Week #42 – Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Last year on Mondays we had fun with books. This year, we'll look at most of the same books but also some new ones, and see if the first line [or first paragraph] met the goal of a first line which is ==> to hook the reader's attention.

Here are some tips on writing a first line

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/tips-for-writing-the-opening-line-of-your-novel

Week #42 –  Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_of_Darkness

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/219/219-h/219-h.htm

First published:  As a serial 1899, as a book in 1902

Here's what the story is about: Sailor Charles Marlow, captain of a river steamboat for a Belgian ivory trade company, journeys up the Congo River to meet Kurtz, an ivory trader. Marlow encounters inefficiency and brutality in the Company’s stations. The native Africans have been forced into the Company’s service and exploited.

First line/paragraph:

The Nellie, a cruising yawl, swung to her anchor without a flutter of the sails, and was at rest. The flood had made, the wind was nearly calm, and being bound down the river, the only thing for it was to come to and wait for the turn of the tide.

This paragraph does not give us a hint of POV, but by the second paragraph it is clearly in first person POV. The setting is on a boat and apparently on a river. We don't know anything about the narrator/character at this point, except that he/she is on a boat stopped on a river. There is the hint of a plot based on travel along a river. I'd probably give this a few pages to see if it grabbed my interest.

Does this first line/paragraph hook your attention? If you had never heard of this story, would you buy this book in 2024? Knowing the story, would you change the first line? Tell us in the comments!

O'Abby's October writing prompt

One of things I try to do in my writing is to make sure that anything that is described in a scene is there for a purpose, either because it's going to be important to the plot or because it gives you information about the characters.

So for this month's prompt, I'd like you to write a description of a room which helps us to understand more about the person who lives in it.  To make it more challenging, don't tell us who the character is - let the description do that work for you.

Post your writing in the comments so we can all see it.

I'll look forward to seeing what you come up with.  Happy writing!

X O'Abby

Week #41 – War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

Last year on Mondays we had fun with books. This year, we'll look at most of the same books but also some new ones, and see if the first line [or first paragraph] met the goal of a first line which is ==> to hook the reader's attention.

Here are some tips on writing a first line

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/tips-for-writing-the-opening-line-of-your-novel

Week #41 – War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_and_Peace

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2600/2600-h/2600-h.htm

First published:  As a serial 1865-1867, as a book in 1869

Here's what the story is about: Set in Russia during the Napoleonic Wars beginning in 1812, the book mixes fiction with chapters discussing history and philosophy. It details the French invasion of Russia and its aftermath through narratives following five Russian aristocratic families. It is 587,287 words.

First line/paragraph:

“Well, Prince, so Genoa and Lucca are now just family estates of the Buonapartes. But I warn you, if you don’t tell me that this means war, if you still try to defend the infamies and horrors perpetrated by that Antichrist—I really believe he is Antichrist—I will have nothing more to do with you and you are no longer my friend, no longer my ‘faithful slave,’ as you call yourself! But how do you do? I see I have frightened you—sit down and tell me all the news.”

It was in July, 1805, and the speaker was the well-known Anna Pávlovna Schérer, maid of honor and favorite of the Empress Márya Fëdorovna. With these words she greeted Prince Vasíli Kurágin, a man of high rank and importance, who was the first to arrive at her reception. Anna Pávlovna had had a cough for some days. She was, as she said, suffering from la grippe; grippe being then a new word in St. Petersburg, used only by the elite.

This appears to be omniscient POV. The story begins with dialogue, but the reader is only introduced to who is speaking in the second paragraph. To me, this is a good example of why not to start with an entire paragraph of dialogue. As a reader, I have no idea who this is, or where they are, or what's going on, or much of anything. I'm dangling, even past the second paragraph when I get some introduction. Nothing grabs me and keeps my interest. Unless I had a reason to continue reading [like it was a school assignment lol], I would not continue.

Does this first line/paragraph hook your attention? If you had never heard of this story, would you buy this book in 2024? Knowing the story, would you change the first line? Tell us in the comments!

Dear O'Abby: Tell me more about book bans

 Dear O'Abby,

I see that it was recently banned book week and I'm a little confused.  My local bookstore had a whole shelf-load of banned books on display, but surely, if they're banned, they shouldn't be available?  And most of the books on that shelf are things I've read!

So what's the deal with banned books?  Can you explain it to me?

Best wishes,

Confused Reader

Dear Confused Reader,

You are correct that last week was Banned Book Week.  Banned books are not necessarily banned everywhere, but have been removed from school and other libraries in certain places.  Running since 1982, the week is designed to highlight titles that have been banned or challenged.

The titles on the list have shifted and changed over the years, especially in recent years where the majority of books on the list are titles that deal with LGBTQIA+ content.  In the past, profanity, sex and drugs were the main reason books were banned or challenged.

Florida seems to be the place where book banning seems to be the most intense at the moment, with titles like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Diary of Anne Frank and books by Judy Blume, Stephen King and many others being removed from libraries.  This has been made possible by a State law that means books have to be immediately removed if anyone suggests they are harmful and the process to get them back on shelves is arduous.  This has made it possible for a small number of parents to have an outsized influence on the books available to readers.  Including making some absolute classic pieces of literature unavailable to readers.

Book bans are incredibly harmful in that limiting access to books narrows the range of voices and experiences readers, and particularly young readers, have access to. For many young people, reading about people whose experiences and feelings match their own can play a huge part in understanding and accepting themselves and finding their place in the world.  

Publishers of these books will fight for them, but with the law in favor of those calling them out as inappropriate, and the measures to get them reinstated being both difficult and expensive, many of these titles will remain off shelves in some school and public libraries into the future.  Which in my opinion, is incredibly wrong.

You can find a list of the top 10 most challenge books of the year here. 

X O'Abby