First Word

" The dialogue is enticing yet real, which Michelle uses to bring more depth to her characters than initially meets the eye ." ~ Ziggy Soto, New Book Review Today's topic du jour: the importance of writing great dialogue and its value to the storytelling process. What Ziggy caught and mentioned in that book review is a dead-on perception of what I did with the dialogue in California Girl Chronicles . It's nice when readers get it . Another reviewer on Amazon made mention of the use of the dialogue, too. She referred to it as pedestrian, which means commonplace. So let me make some points about the value and importance of great dialogue when telling a compelling, grounded and realistic story that feels authentic and real.  Keeping it real . First, great one-liners are always memorable, yes. As I more than posted here on the blog, one-liners become completely unforgettable in both film and books. Great dialogue becomes just as memorable, but also it grounds the ...

Here is a new review of California Girl Chronicles reposted from Ziggy Soto's blog . Ms. Soto does book reviews for a number of mainstream book review sites as well as her own. I would like to personally thank her for taking her valuable time to read the book and write her critique. Thank you! Book 1 of Michelle Gamble-Risley’s California Girl Chronicles is not what you’d expect—it sure wasn’t what I expected anyway. And I’ll admit I wasn’t disappointed at all. Everyone loves an entertaining, escape-for-awhile novel, and that is exactly what Brea & the City of Plastic is. Book 1 takes us through Brea Harper’s journey of moving to Los Angeles to make it as a screenwriter, while going through some fun, sexy, humiliating, and heartbreaking moments along the way. In a world where business and professional lines are blurred, this novel is more than appropriately titled, and there’s never a dull moment. While Brea may be a born-and-raised Cali girl, women everywhere can relate ...