Writing a novel.

[x-darshee.livejournal.com]

Hello! (:
First, I’d like to say thank you to the creator of this community! Creating this community was an excellent idea, because I think
writers can communicate with other writers and definitely learn new things to improve their writing skills. Kudos, my friend.

Okay, now to introduce myself.
My name is Darshee, fifteen, from Malaysia. I'm currently half-way through finishing a fantasy-genre novel. However, I myself have noticed that I have problems with grammar and similar ballparks. In where I'm living, they don't teach us stuff like this, so I rely on dictionaries and reading. Therefore, please excuse my wrong usage of language. I'm still learning! Hahaha.

What I really want to know, right now, is the main and most important rules on writing a novel.

For example:

"Thank you." He said?
"Thank you," he said with a smile?

I'm confused, and was hoping someone could explain the whole concept to me.
Thank you so much!

Darshee.

Comments

[nozomi-chan.livejournal.com]

In your example, the second is correct.

As for anything else...it really depends on where your problem areas are. It's a little hard to just recite all the grammar rules of the English language, even for a native-speaker.

[rosalinda-143.livejournal.com]

Well welcome to the comm! Glad to have you here!

I'm still a learner myself (even if they do teach grammer and spelling at my school, lol ^.^) but I've learned from the best here so I think I could help you to an extent... although I don't really know what your asking in your example. I know that one of my betas have told me about your example but I'm kind of confused at what your asking. So if you could elaborate a little more I think I could help you out. Unless of course someone else tells you before I can.

Well welcom again! Hope to read future stuff from you (and help out as best as I can) or maybe short stories that doesn't have to do with the book your working on because I would know the how you'd feel about posting your book here because someone could copy right, right? I too am writing a book - sorry I'm rambling! ^.^

peace.love.happiness.

- Rosie

[starlight83.livejournal.com]

For some reason, a lot of native speakers have issues with this, too.

Anytime you use he said/she whispered/he yelled/etc. you'll want to use a comma to separate it from the speech. So:

"Good morning," she said.

"Good morning," she grumbled as she poured herself some coffee.

Use a full stop if you're actually starting a whole new sentence and not just saying WHO your speaker is.

"Good morning." She smiled.

Note that when you use something like, "she smiled" you need to use a full stop since a person can't actually smile dialogue. This is a mistake a lot of native English speakers make.

You can inject the "he said" stuff into the middle of your dialogue, too. In that case, you use commas if you're not at the end of the sentence in your dialogue, and a full stop if you are. Examples:

"Good morning. The meeting will begin," she said and checked her watch, "at eleven o'clock."

"Good morning," she said. "The meeting will begin at eleven o'clock."

I hope that helps. I'm not generally a very good teacher, so if you need clarification on any of that, I'd be happy to take another shot.

*comment edited multiple times because I'm an idiot.