Writing Information |
|
Writing Good Dialogue.
There's nothing that kills a scene like hackneyed dialogue. Just stop and think about the average B-Grade Hollywood Movie. Sure, at times the plot is bad and the characterisation woeful but most of the time, what stops it from being a good movie is the dialogue. Cringe-worthy dialogue. So, how do you write good dialogue? There are a number of factors and the most important one is: don't try too hard. Not every thing out of a character's mouth has to be scintilating. Sometimes, the best dialogue comes about because it's so simple and normal. So relax. You need to let your characters speak. If they are highly educated, they will probably speak with great grammar and have a high vocabulary. If they left school at fourteen and have worked for five years in the local abottoir, their language is likely to be more colourful. If your character is a chatterbox, let them ramble. If they are the strong and silent type, let them be silent. Don't force words into their mouths and don't try to make them conform to your own views of good communication. Good dialogue flows. The characters react to what another character has said. For example: "I went to the show the other day." "Really? Was it any good?" "Not bad. The dogs were cute but the cows were too noisy." "I was talking to George the other day." Huh? How did talk about the show bring George into the conversation? To make it flow, it needs something more like: "I went to the show the other day." "Really? Was it any good?" "Not bad. The dogs were cute but the cows were too noisy." "Speaking of dogs, I was talking to George the other day..." If you aren't sure if your dialogue flows, the classic way to test it is to read it aloud. You'll hear any problems, just like you do in the bad Hollywood movies. Better still, get your family and friends to act it out for you. It gets them involved in your writing and you can stand back and really observe and listen to what is going on. The other thing dialogue needs is connection to the action of the story. Stop and think about the conversations you have. They are always related somehow to the action of your day, whether it's a conversation you're having as you catch the bus to work or a conversation with a work colleague or catching up with your partner at the end of the day. Keep the dialogue connected to the characters, the setting and the plot by surrounding it with action. The example above is quite bland. But surround it with action and it comes alive. Carrie sat down, opened the sugar packet and sprinkled it in her tea and then stirred it. "I went to the show the other day." "Really?" Sophie took a long sip of her coffee. "Was it any good?" Carrie shrugged. "Not bad. The dogs were cute but the cows were too noisy." She poured milk into her tea. Sophie put her coffee cup down and leant forward, eyes sparkling. "Speaking of dogs, I was talking to George the other day..." Now the dialogue seems real, because we can picture the characters and their setting. We also get an idea of how they're feeling. Carrie's shrug tells us the show didn't really thrill her. Sophie's sparkling eyes tell us she's got something exciting to say. So spend a bit of time developing your dialogue, and your stories will be much more successful. About The Author Nicole R Murphy is a writer and copyeditor. You can take advantage of a free trial of her copyediting by visiting www.yourbestwork.com.
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The Run-on Sentence: From Here To Eternity If you find your sentences filled with commas, and they wend from one topic to another, then you, like many people, may be guilty of writing run-on sentences. Getting To Know Your Characters Interesting characters that readers care about are the most important 'ingredients' in your novel. How to Have an Effective Reading Group Writing leads to reading. Therefore, it's only fair to supply my readers with sufficient information on creating an effective reading group, since the last article was based on writing groups. Editing Editing To Outline Or Not To Outline Ah, the age-old writer's debate--to outline or not to outline? 6 Ways to Jump-Start Your Writing Day 1. PLAY A GAME LIKE SOLITAIRE 3 Quick and Easy Ways to Generate Story Ideas There are many ways you can generate ideas you can use for your stories, articles and other creative pieces. Start with the three ways given below: Whats in a Name? Giving Birth to your Characters So you've got your plot outlined, a title lined up and the research is done. You're ready to start writing your novel. But wait. Now comes the fun part: creating names for your characters. One of the best things about being a writer-besides the innate ability to create imaginary worlds-is giving birth to a character and then bestowing a name upon him or her. True, you didn't carry the character in your womb for nine months (especially if you're male). But he or she could've been in your head for nine months?or nine years. So choosing a name for your characters seems almost as important as the one you would give your own child. A Single Technique Writing is hard work, and like all hard work, one tries to avoid it if possible. Yet writers feel the urge to write, the need to write, and the inspiration to write, but these are not what produces. The writer must have a technique for writing. Reasons for Recording Your Life Story 1. No one else will do it for you. A Few Keys to Writing Effective Dialogue Every writer expends a great deal of creative energy developing a story line and limning well-balanced prose with evocative sentences. That's what writing is all about, after all. But fiction writers have an additional aspect to creation--effective dialogue. Very few stories, novellas or novels are without dialogue, and for some writers, this can be a stumbling block. How New Authors Can Keep Their Manuscripts Coherent In large publishing houses, many manuscripts penned by first-time authors, never make it past the "first reader" who for all practical purposes is a gatekeeper of sorts. This person's job is to weed out manuscripts that do not fit certain established submission criteria. However, many never make it to the editor's desk, simply because they are badly disorganized and downright incoherent. Review of A Classic: Finneys Invasion of The Body Snatchers To keep it simple and basic: Jack Finney's Invasion of The Body Snatchers succeeds first and foremost because it's a great story. If there was nothing else to be said about it, just that it's a great story, that should be more than enough to keep it on the bookshelves for the next generation to enjoy as much as the last. How to Create Stories that Sizzle How to Start Your Story with a Bang Open a Vein If you want to be a writer, you must write and that requires sitting at your typewriter or computer and writing although it may not be easy. That also means avoiding all distractions that will keep one from writing-visitors, friends, relatives, television, radio, and anything that will keep the writer from concentrating on the task. Proofreading for Profits How to avoid mistakes that undermine your credibility How To Identify Your Own Style Of Writing This article is to help identify which style, technique or strategy of writing that one may use. I will also help to understand the method in the way a writer writes and help in determinining which aproach may suite your needs. Ghostwriting - Making Money by Being Invisible My bookcase take up one whole wall in the family room, from floor to ceiling. It shows my eclectic reading tastes... fiction, non-fiction, Harry Potter next to murder mysteries and metaphysical literature. Also there are books I've written for the business sector - on negotiation, writing letters, communication skills, real estate sales and a lot more. The business books, however, have other people's names on them. I'm merely the ghostwriter. Bring Out the Natural Writer in You Think you can't write a book that will sell? You aren't a natural writer? In fact, you don't really like to write? What Nationally Published Columnist, Cindy Laferle Has To Say About Writing & Journalism Today Norm Goldman, Editor of sketchandtravel and bookpleasures is honored to have as a guest, the nationally published newspaper columnist and author, Cindy LaFerle. Cindy recently published a book entitled, Writing Home, a collection of essays focusing on home, family and motherhood. |
home | site map |
© 2005 |