Comments on: The Novelist–He said, She said: Using Dialogue

By: sfgirl

sfgirl — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 05:30:00 +0000

Squirrels, eh?… LOL! Glad to be helpful…

By: blackburn1

blackburn1 — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 04:46:00 +0000

Good to know. The squirrels and I would benefit from your suggestions. =]

By: sfgirl

sfgirl — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 18:43:00 +0000

Glad you were able to take something away from this, Blackburn. Yes, the “talking heads” thing and associated lack of setting is often a problem with writers. Achieving that fine balance between too much and too little exposition between (or even in) dialogue is the challenge.

I will shortly be publishing a book on practical writing tips, some of which have appeared here.

By: blackburn1

blackburn1 — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:31:00 +0000

Hi SFgirl,

This is right on. I spend more time tweaking dialogue than almost anything else. I usually start with the "son of the most feared gangster in town" and watch it diminish to the bare minimum. I look forward to the dialogue parts, and can sometimes hear it click when the exchange feels authentic. Ironic how important communication is and how casual conversation is often so sparse.

I do have to watch the 'talking heads' at times, and confusing cues for who is talking have been pointed out to me more than once.

Another great tip. =]

By: sfgirl

sfgirl — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 23:51:00 +0000

Thanks.Hope they are useful, Jean-luc! I have found that when a writer gets dialogue right, they are usually well on their way with everything else. The key is to strike the balance between realistic dialogue and of being boring or mundane (like most of our real dialogue is… LOL!)

By: Jean-Luc Picard

Jean-Luc Picard — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 11:47:00 +0000

More great writing lessons! They are practical and simple for any budding writer.