TECH: And don't talk back
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writercisesOriginal posting 8 March 2009
Yakkity-yack
Writer's Digest, April 2006, Fiction Essentials column by James Scott Bell pages 20 and 21 talks about dialogue. It's not just for talking! In the writer's hand, it can set moods, change the pace, and make theme deeper. So how do you make your character's dialogue really work.
First, use the dialogue to set and support the mood. "Dialogue that's consistent with the mood of the novel can help pull readers into emotional moments and deepen the reading experience." Look at the dialogue independently of the action beats and description -- what mood does it set? Now revise so that the tone of the dialogue complements the action.
Second, use dialogue to speed up or slow things down. Short verbal exchanges with few action beats read fast. Use that to speed things up. Or if you want to slow things down, add in action beats, thoughts and reactions, and descriptions. Or of course you can make the dialogue longer. Aunt Sally's rambling version could slow down anything! Just make sure that it's true to the character.
And third, dialogue can reflect the theme. The characters are thinking about things -- and they talk to each other about it. We, the reader, get to think about it too. To get thematic dialogue, take it in three steps. First, as you write the novel, think about the theme that is emerging. Don't try to force one into your novel, just to see what is coming out naturally. Second, let several characters talk to each other about that theme. Go ahead and write too much -- you can always cut the extra dialogue out. And third, edit the dialogue, so that the characters explore and touch on the theme from the edge. Don't let them preach to the readers either.
Dialogue is probably one of the strongest tools in the fiction writer's hands. Think about how you're using it. Add in the mood, pacing, and theme so that your dialogue adds layers to the story. Now that's meaningful dialogue.
Write?
Yakkity-yack
Writer's Digest, April 2006, Fiction Essentials column by James Scott Bell pages 20 and 21 talks about dialogue. It's not just for talking! In the writer's hand, it can set moods, change the pace, and make theme deeper. So how do you make your character's dialogue really work.
First, use the dialogue to set and support the mood. "Dialogue that's consistent with the mood of the novel can help pull readers into emotional moments and deepen the reading experience." Look at the dialogue independently of the action beats and description -- what mood does it set? Now revise so that the tone of the dialogue complements the action.
Second, use dialogue to speed up or slow things down. Short verbal exchanges with few action beats read fast. Use that to speed things up. Or if you want to slow things down, add in action beats, thoughts and reactions, and descriptions. Or of course you can make the dialogue longer. Aunt Sally's rambling version could slow down anything! Just make sure that it's true to the character.
And third, dialogue can reflect the theme. The characters are thinking about things -- and they talk to each other about it. We, the reader, get to think about it too. To get thematic dialogue, take it in three steps. First, as you write the novel, think about the theme that is emerging. Don't try to force one into your novel, just to see what is coming out naturally. Second, let several characters talk to each other about that theme. Go ahead and write too much -- you can always cut the extra dialogue out. And third, edit the dialogue, so that the characters explore and touch on the theme from the edge. Don't let them preach to the readers either.
Dialogue is probably one of the strongest tools in the fiction writer's hands. Think about how you're using it. Add in the mood, pacing, and theme so that your dialogue adds layers to the story. Now that's meaningful dialogue.
Write?
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