In May, we asked you to write a help wanted ad by a busy author looking for an assistant.

Gary Weibert sent this winning entry:

HELP WANTED

Busy Author Needs Assistant!

Needed: Past experience with authors (the more temperamental, the better). Wit to turn not only a phrase but also whatever you find in my hamper to my dry cleaner's shop.

Expected: Patience with my fits and howls of frustration. Constant praise of whatever I write, however bad. And providing frequent refills of my favorite beverage. A knight's shield is recommended to brandish against flying objects hurled from writer's rage.

Pay: One tenth of royalties on all books that ever see the light of day during your tenure. As payment is thus not until dubious publication, please leave your forwarding address, as you'll understandably be quitting long before. Honorable mention in my novel will be considered in lieu of pay.

Gary Weibert is currently revising his first novel, a paranormal romance. He had a poem published in last Winter's Rosicrucian Digest Magazine. Gary resides in Las Vegas and has visited the pyramids of Egypt, the Mayans and the temples of India.

You've started your book. You have the basic idea of what you plan to write (genre and length) and understand the conflict with which your characters will deal. But to be intriguing, your characters not only need that internal conflict to resolve, but dialogue that fits them and is effective. In addition, the dialogue that occurs between the characters has to convey necessary information. The key is - not too much information. You want the reader to intuit any secondary meaning in the words and also, the emotions and intent behind the words.

So what is effective dialogue? Effective dialogue:

1. Advances the plot and adds to the story

2. Doesn't use unnecessary prompts or cues (like er, hmm, oh)

3. Doesn't use excessive tag lines (she kidded, teased, warned)

4. Keeps the flow going

5. Fits the characters

What kind of Dialogue Advances the Plot and Adds to the Story? Consider the three following examples:

"I'm leaving," he said to the lieutenant.

"I hate this place," he said and handed the lieutenant the paper.

"I can't wait to walk out that door." He handed the lieutenant his transfer request.

Of the three, the last one advances the plot and adds to the story by providing more information.

Effective Dialogue doesn't use necessary prompts or excessive tag lines:

Try listening to everyday conversations. Be an eavesdropper (something which writers are allowed to some extent). Every day conversations may be realistic, but they are generally BORING! Every day conversations are generally filled with needless prompts.

Prompts (or cues) are the things such as:

"How are you?"

"What's new?"

A "Tag line" is the last line of a speech which is used to clarify or dramatize a point. For example, "he said" or "she said". Tag lines should be simple and not "he muttered", "she croaked", "he groaned".

Also try to avoid tag lines that contain unnecessary exposition. For example, in a scene where only two people are present, let's assume a vampire and a woman, it is not necessary to say, "I want a bite," the vampire said to the woman. We know it's just two people in the room and therefore "to the woman" is unnecessary.

Plus remember Rule One about advancing the plot/adding info. If he's a vampire, do you need to have him say, "I want to bite."?

More effective dialogue would be "You expect me to bite. What if you're not biteable?"

This makes us wonder whether the vampire regularly bites and also, why the woman isn't biteable. In a romance, it would also make us wonder if the vampire "doth protest too much" about her biteability.

Effective Dialogue Should Keep the Flow Going:

All writers do it at one time or another, namely: "I really hadn't planned on that," he said and walked across the room. He continued. "But then again, maybe I will."

Breaking the flow may damage a scene by pulling the reader out of the moment. In general, leave descriptions to the end of the dialogue. For that matter, if the description doesn't set the tone/nature of the dialogue that is occurring, omit it entirely. Excess narration at this point can negatively impact on the exchange between the characters. For example:

"I didn't mean - " she began, clenching her hands on the handle of her suitcase.

"For this to happen?" he said, cutting her off as he walked across the room, his stride hesitant.

Almost fearful.

Compare the above to this:

Her hands clenched on the handle of her suitcase. "I didn't mean - "

"For this to happen?" He walked across the room, his stride hesitant.

Dialogue Should Fit the Characters:

Consider what your character is like and have what they say be in synch with their nature. You wouldn't expect a rough and tumble, hard drinkin' detective to say, "Pardon me, Miss" if he accidentally bumped a young woman in a bar. He probably would just eyeball her and say nothing, which speaks volumes about his character without a word being spoken.

More importantly, men and women just do not communicate in the same way. What one says and the other hears is sometimes totally at odds with the actual language spoken.

Why is that? Deborah Tannen analyzes various reasons for this in her book, You Just Don't Understand. I highly recommend that you read that book so that you will be able to create realistic dialogue for your characters.

"What we have here is a failure to communicate." A memorable quote from the film Cool Hand Luke

What is being said and by whom? What Happens next? The Miscommunication and the Why?

Here are some examples of Male/Female Miscommunication:

She said: Would you like to take a break?

He says: No, I'm fine. Let's finish this.

Whether by nature or nurture, the fact is that men tend to work alone while women work in teams. A woman wants "the team" to agree on taking a course of action. By asking if he wants to take a break, she is saying "I'm tired. I'd like to take a break and I want you to agree with me." He is thinking that she is wondering whether he is tired and since he is not, he sees no problem with his response.

He says: "But I am listening."

She sees that he is not facing her directly. She knows that the next thing he says will be about something totally different than what they are currently discussing.

Bonds between men are based less on talking and more on doing ("Boys night"). Because of this men don't know the kind of talk women want. Men with other men fight to avoid being at the "bottom" of the group. Being a listener makes some men feel like they are being talked down to. Men also jump around to lots of different topics during a conversation whereas women have a tendency to be more focused.

She says: "I'm having this problem at work. I don't know what to do. My boss screamed at me like a lunatic."

Another woman says: "Hmm. That happened to me. I felt bad."

He says: "Well, tell him not to do that. Or quit if it's that bad."

Men do and take action. They worry about being the top dog. They are problem solvers and when asked what to do, understand that a solution is needed for a problem.

Women are team players. They listen. They commiserate. If they sense that the other woman truly does want a solution, they will provide instruction by example because this maintains the dynamic of equality between all the team players.

When writing the dialogue between male and female characters, keep the above forms of miscommunication in mind. They will serve you well in not only crafting believable dialogue, but in learning how to create dialogue that enhances the conflicts between the characters due to this male/female miscommunication.

©2006 Caridad Piñeiro Scordato, www.caridad.com, cpsromance@att.net

Caridad Pineiro has been selected as the Author of the Year by the New York City chapter of the Romance Writers of America. Caridad will receive her award at the chapter's annual Golden Apple Awards in September. Caridad's fifteenth novel, BLOOD CALLS, was released by Silhouette Nocturne in May and Caridad has just accepted an offer for an additional three books in her successful THE CALLING vampire romantic suspense series. For more information on Caridad, please visit www.caridad.com or www.thecallingvampirenovels.com.

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Author C.H. Admirand is excited to announce her new release, PATIENCE, by The Wild Rose Press, ISBN# 978-1-60154-065-02. The E-book was released May 25th, 2007. The print version will be available July 20th, 2007. For more information, please visit C.H. Admirand at: www.chadmirand.com/

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LOVE, LIES AND A DOUBLE SHOT OF DECEPTION by Lois Winston (Dorchester Love Spell, ISBN: 0-505-52719-7) is a romantic suspense about secrets and revenge and the lengths some people will go in order to bury the former and achieve the latter.

Life has delivered one sucker punch after another to Emma Wadsworth. As a matter of fact, you could say the poor little rich girl is the ultimate poster child for Money Can't Buy Happiness - even if she is no longer a child.

Billionaire real estate stud Logan Crawford is as famous for his less-than-platinum reputation as he is his business empire. In thirty-eight years he's never fallen in love, and that's just fine with him - until he meets Emma.

But Emma's not buying into Logan's seductive ways. Well, maybe just a little, but she's definitely going into the affair with her eyes wide open. She's no fool. At least not any more. Her deceased husband saw to that. Besides, she knows Logan will catch the first jet out of Philadelphia once he learns her secrets.

Except things don't go exactly as Emma has predicted, and when Philadelphia's most beloved citizen become the city's most notorious criminal, she needs to do a lot more than clear her name if she wants to save her budding romance with the billionaire hunk someone is willing to kill for.

Read more about LOVE, LIES AND A DOUBLE SHOT OF DECEPTION at www.loiswinston.com

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Author Tara Nina announces the release of her new book, BLUE MOON RISING, by Elloras Cave.

BLUE MOON RISING

Missing children, werewolves and a mysterious castle in the swamps of South Carolina test Rae Richardson's version of reality. Strange things happen around her convincing her that maybe werewolves do exist. The sight of a large black wolf in the swamp only fuels her overactive imagination. Crossing paths with a handsome man ignites a fire in her soul she refuses to acknowledge. Something about this stranger raises her suspicions. Did he have a hand in the children's disappearance? Or was it the over-powering need in her gut to be near him the reason for her mistrust?

Nick Anthropos is on a quest, one that does not include saving children or meeting the woman of his dreams, his Lykoian soul mate. Her scent teases his senses and keeps him on edge. It's obvious to him she doesn't know her true self. But can he teach her to be the wolf he knows lies within her soul and save her from the very creature he set out to destroy? If he fails she would be lost forever.

Lykoian's get one chance in life to bond with their soul mate forever. Failure is not an option.

Tara's other books include: NIGHT PREY, CURSE OF THE GARGOYLE and ARIAN'S ANGEL.

For more information, please visit Tara Nina at: www.taranina.com/ and www.ellorascave.com

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Anne-marie Taplin announces that her book, BEING MUMMY (ISBN# 978-1-86254-747-6), is number 3 on the best seller list for her state in Australia!

"The quintessential gift book about mothering that tells it like it really is, Being Mummy distils the essence of that profound transformation from woman to mother."

The book, in the Gift/Parenting genre, candidly and accessibly reflects motherhood's lived reality. The photography by Kate Elmes and Mick Bradley is classic, personal and powerfully emotive. The subjects are real Australian mothers and their children showing the everyday love in families everywhere.

"Though it's a gift book, it doesn't shy away from the darker side of motherhood or gloss over the moments of desperation, guilt and heartache. I sometimes feel motherhood, especially new motherhood, is akin to that consuming state of infatuation and blinding first love - combined with sleep deprivation and exhaustion, it's a potent mix!" said Anne-marie.

Anne-marie's website, www.parentingexpress.com, extends the author's desire to share truths with other mothers and in its first year has attracted impressive web traffic and input from hundreds of parents worldwide. The website includes poems, stories and memoirs about the range of experiences a parent lives through in raising a child.

"Parenting can erode our sense of ourselves. Although it's a labour of love, the work of parenting can sometimes be monotonous and isolating," she said.

"There is a real need for people who care for children to express themselves - the challenges of raising the next generation can seem insurmountable and all-consuming."

Being Mummy is available to readers from the USA via www.parentingexpress.com

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Winners Announced for Next Stop Hollywood

May 22, 2007; New York

Fourteen authors were recently selected for inclusion in a ground-breaking anthology: Next Stop Hollywood, just published by St. Martins Press. Their short stories were selected from more than 600 submissions from around the world.

Next Stop Hollywood is a collection of 15 previously unpublished short stories ­ all of which have potential as movies.

For 40 years short stories were a major source of movie material. Successful and critically acclaimed films such as "All About Eve," "It Happened One Night," "Rear Window," and "High Noon" all started as short stories. And while some more recent films such as "Brokeback Mountain," "Terminator," and "Minority Report" also started as short stories, the magazines which were the major source of "commercial" fiction -- Saturday Evening Post, Colliers, Mademoiselle -- are long gone. That is where Next Stop Hollywood came in.

We knew that good writers were still writing short stories; they just had very few places to get them published," said Steve Cohen, executive producer and editor of Next StopHollywood.org.

Some 60 volunteer readers helped review the submissions. "The criteria we used were quite simple," said Cohen. "We asked readers whether they thought a story had potential ­ for them ­ as a film. Did it have a plot; a beginning a middle and an end? Did it have characters they cared about ­ whether they loved them or loved to hate them? And could they "see it" translated to the screen? We had enormous fun, and plenty of disagreements. And that's what probably makes this collection so special. It doesn't reflect any one person's taste or sensibilities about film. It is a collection!"

Several producers and directors have already weighed in: several of the stories have been optioned.

As David Brown, the producer of such films as Jaws, The Sting, Driving Miss Daisy, The Verdict, The Player, and A Few Good Men has said, "Next Stop Hollywood is a fine collection of stories; well told and visual. They will keep readers glued to the page!"

A synopsis of each story, author bios, and one of the winning stories "An Age of Marvels" are posted at www.NextStopHollywood.org

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The Women's Business Mastermind Group & MOMMY MENTORS.COM announces its innovative MOMMY MENTOR PROJECT!!

Ft. Lauderdale, FL May 10, 2007 -- MommyMentors.com in conjunction with The Women's Business Mastermind Group has embarked on an exciting new mission, one that will touch EVERY woman's life in an inspiring way. It is a mission to create a compilation book born from the very essence of our souls. For our book entitled, "From Older Moms to Younger Moms," we are asking women to share their personal experiences courageously, boldly and without fear. We at MommyMentors.com believe that every woman has something special to impart; something that makes them a unique gift to the world. Our objective is to have women from every walk of life, all with vastly different, yet equally insightful life experiences, to write to us in order to share their knowledge, strengths and aspirations. Your stories may express many things: Pride, fear, enthusiasm, love, and overcoming defeat...in essence; stories from the heart!

Personal letters are by their very nature, intensely emotional, honest and heartfelt records of our common humanity. This is what The Mommy Mentor Project seeks: Letters from YOU, relating your life's struggles, dramas, joys and sorrows. We are asking that you look at life in an entirely new way when writing these letters. Share your cherished experiences (both positive and negative), your special memories, and in so doing, impart your wisdom to other women around the world

We will be publishing Your stories in our much anticipated book, "From Older Moms to Younger Moms," making them accessible to women around the world, as a resource for inspiration, information and renewed hope & faith. This is your chance to touch the lives of women everywhere, thereby unifying and strengthening ALL women and yourself!

Sharing is very powerful because it creates invaluable unity. UNITY brings STRENGTH; STRENGTH brings COURAGE and COURAGE fosters FAITH, HOPE and CHARITY. Building a coalition of all three is the vital mission of MommyMentors.com and it's affiliate, The Women's Business Mastermind Group. Barbara Theodosiou, the founder of both organizations, has dreamt of creating this resource for women for many years. She knows that this project goes way beyond statistics or self-help. This project has the power to truly change women's lives.

We encourage you to participate in this amazing event. Take some time to really reflect on your life; once you do we're positive you have stories that only you can share. Stories that may help someone else. This is the essence of spirituality: opening the eyes of another through sharing and community. We know that to give is to get and when you share a part of yourself to benefit someone else, you get back what was given ten-fold.

Interestingly, Mother Teresa wrote nothing for publication, yet in the course of her life she spoke in over one hundred countries, on countless occasions. Imagine if we had a compilation book that contained her thoughts, stories and memoirs. What a great resource of strength, love, hope and unity it would have been.

So, please don't delay, contribute today and leave your story for generations of women to come! No money, No donation...Just a story...Your story!

Kindly visit The Mommy Mentor Project at www.mommymentors.com or contact Barbara Theodosiou directly at 954-309-0992. We are depending on you. Give it a try! You make a difference because you are special, you really, really are!

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Bobbie Christmas is the "Book Doctor" and Author of Write In Style, a triple-award-winning textbook for writers of fiction and nonfiction, available wherever books are sold.

Bobbie loves to receive questions from writers and offer her expert advice. If you have any questions you need answered, please e-mail her at: Bobbie@zebraeditor.com

For the latest Q&A with Bobbie, go to AskTheBookDoctor on the CS4W site.

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If you have any announcements, please e-mail them to: sandy@coolstuff4writers.com

I love to hear from you!

Peace,

Sandy

email: sandy@coolstuff4writers.com

phone: 732-364-3993

web: http://www.coolstuff4writers.com