Talk to me
Dialogue. It’s what moves the story at a faster pace. It’s what drags the reader into the world of the character and breathes life into the scene you’ve created.
Can I talk to anyone in real life? YES.
Am I ever at a loss for words? HARDLY EVER!
But when it comes to my writing, I love my narratives and my descriptions and even those inner dialogues my characters have with themselves (hey, if I can talk to myself, why can’t they? 
) - it just seems when I get those two people together on the page – I stop dead.
I’ll labor over those important words for DAYS. I’ll stare at the open quote mark and bang my head on the desk. If only my characters could all be telepathic mutes – I’d be fine
And the kicker? I struggle days over my dialogue and my crit partners comment how sparkling and easy it appears on the page. HAHAHA. Thanks girls for the boost – just don’t ask how long those few lines of dialogue took me to write or how much blood was spilled for that one stinking scene. You really don’t want to know!
At my recent local RWA meeting, I got some ideas that I plan to try this week – because as always, I’ve been staring at my hero’s blank response for just a little too long!
It was suggested I talk it out – yes, out loud. Okay, I talk to myself constantly…this should not be a problem. Why hadn’t I thought of this before?
Another suggestion was to write out the narrative and then convert as much as possible to dialogue (of course, without it being telling or an info-dump!) Another great suggestion – especially since I love my narratives.
What really surprised me is that some writers actually write the dialogue first. I almost passed out. Of course it got me thinking about this and I wonder how many writers either struggle with dialogue or love it? What techniques do they employ to get that dialogue sounding real and in abundance?
This inquiring writer needs to know.
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LOVE dialogue. I usually start witht that too, then sprinkle in story details later. LOL
It helps me to repeat it out loud when I re-read it. Jennifer Shirk(Quote) (Reply)
I like the ideas from your group. I found my historical needed a lot my description vs the contemporary I’m now working on. My new ms has a ton more dialogue. I may be able to put these idea’s to work.
Rachel(Quote) (Reply)
Dialogue comes easy to me, it’s the rest I struggle with.
Silke(Quote) (Reply)
Maybe because those characters just never shut up in my head.
Never.
They yap, all day long, arguing with each other, consoling each other, making fun of each other… it’s endless chatter in my brain. Sometimes I wish I could turn them off, it gets so distracting. (Yes, I “hear voices”.)
Unfortunately you have to fill in the space between the dialogue with… description. Narrative. Action.
Eek.
So I’m the polar opposite to Deb in this respect.
Description? I dunno how you do it, that’s where I bleed and sweat.
I think I should write screenplays. Dialogue is easy for me. If I could not write narrative, I’d be thrilled. It’s everything else I struggle with. I don’t think I could explain how I do it. I just write what they say. Unlike descriptions and narrative, I don’t think about it and just treat it as if I was talking to that character or my daughter or someone in a similar capacity. I think it’s beneficial that my writing style is already conversational.
Jennifer Bianco(Quote) (Reply)
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