• Helpful Pointers on How to Write Dialogue

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    Whether in fiction or nonfiction, characters play a large role in driving a story along. Granted, they can’t do so if they remain quiet, and that is where conversations, or dialogue, come into play. Learning how to write dialogue between two or more characters throughout a story helps further the plot, develop the characters’ personalities, and make a story more believable to a reader, thus making the story that much more enjoyable. If you’re wondering how to write dialogue for your book, these tips can help guide you through the process. For some writers, dialogue can flow very naturally; for…

  • The do's and don'ts of writing character dialogue.

    The Do’s and Don’ts of Dialogue

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    From an early age, we’re taught that good description is the key to excellent writing. I’d argue that well-written dialogue is the true key to writing. A description will never move your story forward in the same way dialogue can. It’s not as hard to write dialogue as you might think. Plus, once you’ve mastered it, the rest of your book will fall into place. The pacing will increase and you’ll find yourself clicking away on your keyboard to keep up with your characters’ conversations. The Do’s and Don’ts Do use quotation marks at the beginning and end of a…

  • Creating Steady Flow in Dialogue

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    People like to talk, and if you listen to some everyday conversations you will hear some common patterns: lots of “like” and “um”, pointless repetition, interjections of completely unrelated topics, and unfinished or incomplete sentences. This is all fine in real life but would never work in your writing—and this is the core of why capturing dialogue that feels authentic but completes its purpose is so difficult. Whether you are writing your memoir or a fictional novel, these tips will help your dialogue flow and feel more finished. 1. Cut Out the Day-to-Day All dialogue must move the story forward,…