If there's one thing I love about writing, it's dialogue. It moves the story. It's engaging. It's relatable (if done right). Crafting book conversations is an art form. To me, it's the difference between an instrumental piece of music verses having a vocalist. The description in a book is like the orchestra or band. It makes the story have tempo and sculpts the mood, but when the dialogue comes in the story can go anywhere! The words of a character can change everything! The direction, flow, and balance. Now, this can also be done with well crafted description, but I'm partial to character dialogue, so let's look at how we can make ours better. Know your charactersLike an instrumentalist must know their instrument, you must understand your fictional people. Knowing who your characters are is key to writing believable content. A delicate, sweet, five year old girl is not going to tell you how she welds metal underwater, unless you've built up her background enough to show the reader who she is and how she acquired this knowledge. Some things to consider are:
Caution: If you write something "out of character" for a fictional person, then you'd better have a plausible and believable solution as to why they'd behave that way. Either they aren't who they say they are, or they're possessed, but breaking character is a big issue for readers and can become a real sticking point if not explained well. Write a scriptYou can't hope to master an instrument without practice. Like any skill, it must be honed. Writing a script will help you practice your dialogue skills. A story can be mostly description, but a script is practically all dialogue. You have to know how to have those in-depth conversations if you want to get an idea across. This skill is fantastic, not only for your writing, but also for your ability to express ideas more fluently. Communicating ideas by speech is difficult on the fly, but the opportunity to role play can allow you to fill in gaps you may never have thought of. So, write a play. It can involve your current characters or another story all together. It's the exercise of trying to create real conversations you're driving at. Remember to critically question the deliverance of the lines and visit how descriptors help us visualize the scene, much like a good actor conveys a part. Support dialogue with plausible descriptionEver hear free form Jazz? Hate it, right? You're always waiting for it to resolve. Trying to understand it. It's frustrating. Because people can't see the characters, we rely on description to give us an intimate view into the conversation, thoughts, and actions of people. Without it, readers must make up the difference in their heads and it can lead them towards the wrong conclusion. Example without description: "I hate you." "Well, I loathe you." "You do, huh?" "Yeah." "Figures." With Description: Tammy tipped Kip's hat and playfully checked his shoulder. Laughing, he readjusted the cap so he could see. "I hate you." "Well, I loathe you." She walked backwards in front of him, batting at his hands until their fingers interlocked. He stopped and pulled her close. "You do, huh?" "Yeah" She teased. Shaking the hair away from her face, her eyes now locked with his. "Figures." Kip leaned down, rubbing her nose with his. The description can make all the difference in how a scene is conveyed. Our envisioning of the moment must be communicated fully in order for our readers to grasp it. Feel the Rhythm"What's the rhythm of the scene?" Dialogue has a rhythm to it. Sometimes it's slow and calculated, fast and contentious, metered and funny... It all depends on the scene. Here's an example: He held the door and tipped the brim of his hat as she passed. "Ma'am." "Thank you." She smiled, glancing his way. "It's nice to be treated like a lady." He breathed, speaking in a low drawl. "A rose amongst the briars should be considered a rarity, and respected." "As should a gentleman amongst wolves." She eyed the men of the saloon reproachfully as they in turn scowled with their cards and whiskey. "A rarity indeed, sir. I assure you." You can see here how slow this conversation is. How deliberate the characters were in their deliverance. We get that he's a gentleman, not from the area. She is accustomed to being treated poorly by the local men. He appreciates her beauty. She appreciates his chivalry. Move the plotClassical Music is separated into movements. One part can be light and punchy, the next dark and broody, until the climactic end piece. Popular music is the same. It introduces you to a concept (Verse), tells you the main theme (chorus), delves deeper into the topic (verse 2)... You get the idea. The point is, it moves you along a designed path. If your dialogue isn't moving along the plot or character development in some way, it's missing it's purpose. No one wants to read or listen to trivial conversations. It has to convey some meaning if it's to be relevant. Even if it starts off obscurely or seemingly void, you can in an instant turn the tables with the right dialogue at the right time. Example: Gene asked, "See the game last night?" "Yeah," I shrugged. "I was there." "See Jessica Harper?" He leaned forward across the table, raising his eyebrows like a deranged Groucho Marx. "She was practically falling out of her top." "I guess." It didn't interest me. Jessica wasn't my type. She was always flirting. Too blonde. "I thought Hinkle was gonna lose it." He snickered. I froze. Dave Hinkle wasn't supposed to be there. He'd been suspended last week for bringing a knife to chem class. "He was there?" "Yeah. So?" He eyed me up and down. "Hanging out behind the bleachers." As you can see, at first the conversation starts trivial. The stuff of teenage boyhood, but we learn something important from in then next moment which potentially moves the plot. Read it out loudLike singing in front of an audience is the test of good music, reading your work aloud to yourself or others can help us by challenging its content. If you're new to creating engaging conversations, ask a couple of friends act out the scene and see if it's plausible. Ask them how they felt about the characters or what they think about the dialogue. If you're by yourself, you can read it to yourself too. I do this often to make sure the dialogue sounds as authentic as it can. But be warned! We're not always the best critics of our own work. Quite often, we're a little too close to be objective. Effective book dialogue can be tricky depending on the scene. When I find this to be true, I resort to my first suggestion and find someone else to read or act it out with me and get their opinion. Have FUN with it!Writing and Music are art forms, designed to entertain. Make us laugh or cry. They can move our souls. Dialogue is the best time to ask, "What if..." It's the chance to experiment with people the way we never would be able to in real life. So get crazy! This is your story. Have fun! You're the master of this world you've created. No one knows the outcome or the fate of the characters but you. Be crafty, be evil, be amazingly good, be crazy! But keep it interesting and love what you do. If you enjoyed this blog post, or would like me to cover another topic, let me know in the comments. I've enjoyed this and hope to see you again! Ciao! - Amy Writing dialogue tips, Effective book dialogue, Creating engaging conversations, Book dialogue techniques, Dialogue writing advice, Crafting book conversations, Mastering character dialogue, Dialogues in fiction, Author's guide to dialogue, Great book dialogues, How to write great dialogue for a book, Tips for crafting engaging dialogue in novels, Techniques for creating realistic character conversations in a novel, The art of writing effective dialogue in fiction, Mastering the dialogue in your book: A writer's guide, Improving your book's dialogue: Expert advice for authors, Creating memorable character interactions in your novel, Writing natural and authentic conversations in your book, Dialogues that captivate readers: A writer's manual, Secrets to crafting compelling dialogues in your novel
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