This blog, as if you couldn’t tell due to the outdated title name, is about the diction in writing pieces.  Diction is very important to the final product of the book.

First and foremost, it provides the reader with evidence of the setting.  If the diction is outdated or contains allegories to once famous or important things, then the story is obviously from the past.  Also, the references to the famous things provide where exactly the story is taking place (if the author doesn’t come right out and say the place).  For example, if someone mentioned the Statue of Liberty, New York is being talked about.

The diction is prevalent in the reader’s ideas regarding the characters.  If the dialogue is, once again, outdated, then the character is from an older time period.  If the dialogue supports the belief that the character possesses an accent, it provides the reader with the theoretically origin of that character.  If the character’s accent seems to be poorly constructed, then it makes the reader second guess the authenticity of the character’s origin.  Therefore, be specifically consistent when creating the dialogue.

As I mentioned a few blogs before this, diction in children’s books are incredibly important.  You have to write the children’s book so the average children can actually read the book and grasp the concepts.  If the children can’t read the book without getting extremely frustrated, then I can personally guarantee that book is going to get on the shelf of some deteriorating thrift shop and stay there until it is burned for warmth.  If you only use one or two words that the children can’t grasp, then that’s permissible but I would advise to use simpler synonyms if at all possible.  You want to the children to learn something from your book, besides just what certain words mean.

The diction provides the reader with the tone of the writing piece as well.  This sets the mood for the entire book, and it must stay absolutely consistent.  Don’t switch from third person to first person unless acknowledging that you’re actually speaking from various viewpoints.  The tone in the beginning of the book should be the same as the tone in the middle and end.  Without the consistent tone, aspects of your book will be lost to the reader.  Some things that you may want to be taken very seriously may come off as comical, and vice versa.

Therefore, proofread as much as you can in order to maintain proper diction throughout your writing piece.  It’s such a drastic aspect of the piece and affects everything that goes on within the plot.

What’s the color of the shoe you’re wearing?  What color is the sky? Did Mary really have a little lamb?  All of you aspiring authors are probably looking online for some source of inspiration so you can write.  Well, take a look around and observe.  Instigating inspiration is everywhere you look. If your excuse is being blind, then smell! I’m sure you notice more smells and can relate them with other things better than other people.

Do you feel that you have a weird quirk about you?  I’m assuming that you must have one quirk that sets you apart from the majority of others.  You might as well use it to your advantage.  Write about your quirk, even if it can be seen as embarrassing, and make it interesting through a poem.  Or write about a main character who also shares this quirk with you and how they use it to his/her advantage as well in some epic story.

Go anywhere in public.  Anywhere.  Sit down at a coffee shop and, as horrible as it sounds, eavesdrop.  Is there a sentence that some caffeine-consuming fiend says that is downright intriguing and creates an insatiable need for more information?  Supply the information through a writing piece.  If the sentence is long and complex, use it to write a story.  If it’s a simple sentence, use it as a beginning line in a poem.  If you’re not one for coffee shops, then walk around the mall (yes, be one of THOSE people) and listen in on all of the conversations you can hear.  Write about the people within these places, or the aromas permeating through your nostrils in a unique way.

Go to an art gallery.  Even if you aren’t an artist in that form, analyze the art on the wall and translate it on to your paper through wordage.  I can guarantee that no one will see a painting or a drawing the same way that you do, and it will be extremely intriguing for another to read about the art piece.  Maybe they’ll notice something that they haven’t, or begin to understand the artist’s emotions when producing the art.

If you think you can’t write about an object in an interesting way, then choose a different object (although you shouldn’t have to if you’re creative).  Even if you’re confined to a small cubicle all day or stationed in a small white room without dust, talk about it.  Twist the words and use them in your poem.  You can even use foreign words if they’ll create a consistent rhythm for the reader.

Regardless, WRITE, WRITE, AND WRITE SOME MORE!  Write about the gum under your shoe.  Write about the poor raccoon that you hit on the way home.  Write about how your wife or husband is lazy, or how you want them to get in shape.  Just write!

In the majority of situations, you will have to find an illustrator to help with your book.  Not all publishing companies can assist in helping either.  I mostly recommend to the author to not be discouraged by this.  Embrace it, and mold it like clay into a desirable shape.

Brainstorm where you can get an illustrator?  Almost anywhere, you can find someone who would jump to be a published illustrator.  Don’t think you can?  Put up posters around various populated areas that might attract the artist faction.  Go to art stores and put up the posters, with all of your contact information on the poster so they can contact you.  I know it’s silly that I’d even have to state it, but some people would completely forget about it.  Also, put up posters at book stores.  There are books that illustrators buy in order to find places to work, or just for inspiration for new techniques when illustrating.  Even better, being a college student myself, post advertisements at the various colleges near where you live.  If students can count the illustrations they do as an internship, most college students would basically fight over the opportunity.  By using a college student, you can reach into a new generation that has new ideas when it comes to illustrations, and they are the most disciplined (theoretically) in terms of work.  Therefore, they are the most likely to execute an effective layout for the desired illustrations.

The illustrator you find can also advertise the finished product as well.  It’s almost a given that the illustrator’s entire family will buy the product.  Also, the illustrator should, in theory, have many more connections and means to advertise as well.

Look at the opportunities that you have if you do have to find your own illustrator.  You can influence the illustrator and have the images that they create through whatever medium to look like the ideal image that you have in your head.  This is at least one of the ways in which you can have a stronger influence over the final product of your published book.  Find an illustrator (if one isn’t provided) and help cultivate great ideas regarding the images within your piece of writing!  Have the two forms of art complement one another!

If you haven’t put yourself in your place, then please, allow me to do so.

What is wrong with you?

Why are you unhappy?  Is it because of something that your publishing company did to you? Doubtful.  Take the blame and suck it up.  You “authors” are absolutely pathetic when it comes to owning up to your mistakes.  You are GROWN individuals who have kids.  Do you blame your issues on your kids?  Is it their fault that you can’t do what you need to in order to effectively sell your books? If you answered, “yes,” excuse yourself. This is only your fault.  It is not their responsibility to simply sit aside and assist you in selling your books.  If you are going to blame your kids for anything, then blame yourself.  You were the reason they are in this world.  And if you regret bearing the children, you are a despicable, pathetic excuse for a human being for blaming them for your poor time management skills.  It was you that “did the deed,” so you are the one responsible, and you were the one that put that act over your dream of being an effective author in the publishing world.

Furthermore, if you are upset that some aspect of your book is unfinished causing the publishing of your piece to be delayed, own up to it.  It is your responsibility to make sure that everything that you turn over to the publishing company is accurate and exactly what the publishing company needs.  The average time it takes for a book to get published and well recognized is two years, so if you have a publishing company that is publishing your piece within a year, you should be ecstatic.  If you have to keep on making changes to your piece because there are errors and the publishing company doesn’t feel like the work is up to par with the other books, maybe you should do some research next time in order to realize that your work is grotesque, littered with unattractive diction and/or poor punctuation.  Research EVERYTHING about what is expected of a published book in order to execute the release date effectively.

Lastly, if you’re blaming ANYTHING at all on the publishing company, check yourself.  YOU came to the publishing company.  More than likely, the publishing company did NOT beg you to let them publish your book.  You chose the publishing company and agreed with their publishing process and, if you did do all of your research like a mature individual, you would not be surprised with any issues that the publishing company may have with your writing piece.  You should be happy that some publishing company took your book on, even if it does take a little time in order to get your book published.  At least it gets your name out there for everyone to know about.

If you disagree, you’re so ignorant or weak that you have to blame someone else rather than take the blame yourself.  May whatever deity you believe in take mercy on your soul.

If you agree, we love you and promise your hard work will pay off one day!

More times than not, your first manuscript that you sent into a publishing company in hopes of getting your work published probably was rejected.  However, don’t take it personally.  There are several ways that a rejection can be explained.  I would first look at whatever notes (if any) there are on your manuscript and look at them as if they are gold.  If you feel they are wrong, don’t push them aside and ignore them.  Try to view your manuscript completely objectively (as if you didn’t write it yourself) and analyze it from a completely different aspect.  Do the characters have flaw with their consistency throughout the story?  Is the plot too complicated to be understood, or is it too simple to be intriguing?  I’m sure you, as the author, understand your story thoroughly.  Realistically, no one knows your fabricated world more than you do.  Therefore, I would take some advice after getting a rejection letter from a publishing company.

First, if you didn’t get any notes back on your manuscript, call and inquire.  It certainly can’t hurt to do that.  See what the editors thought about your manuscript and why it was “unworthy” of being published.

Second, have you met any new acquaintances lately?  Use them.  Sit down with them anywhere and have them read as much of your piece as they want.  Theoretically, they should give you more constructive criticism.  If they have to stop reading to ask you a question about a character, make sure to note the question and revise your writing piece in order to incorporate the answer to the question that the reader has.  If you trust a friend enough to do this, then feel free to have them read it.  I only caution that your friend won’t be honestly harsh enough with what they say regarding your work.  Having anyone look at it is better than having no one look at it.

Third, think about what you can do to make the book better.  Maybe add a character who symbolizes one of the most intriguing ideas or aspects that you can fathom.  Add a scene that creates a more melodramatic climax.  Throw in another subplot that is controversial.  I strongly advise making a statement within your writing piece in some way, so you might as well do it now if your manuscript isn’t getting picked up right now anyways.  If you can, make a character or some pertinent item within the story to symbolize some outside thing in order to make your own statement upon the symbolized aspect.

Lastly, BE CREATIVE.

Keep this in mind with everything else that a publishing company might criticize you for.  If they tell you your cover idea sucks, then it sucks.  If they tell you that your editing sucks, it sucks.  However, keep in mind, this is all subjective.  The publishing company is being subjective in the publishing business, hence why they aren’t teamed up with another publishing company.  I guarantee that most publishing companies look down upon its competitors, meaning that their viewpoints on several things are different.  Therefore, even though some publishing companies may tell you your story is horrendous, others may be fascinated.  The best example I can muster would be the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.  Did you know that the manuscript was rejected 12 times (according to Wikipedia) before it was accepted published?  Use this as inspiration! Try, and try again!