WRITING GREAT DIALOGUE

To all my email subscribers: Click on Writing Great Dialogue above for full blog and color.

Playing Around with a Story Line in Different Literary Genres and Literary Modes

Hi Writers out there,

Dialogue is the fastest way to get your reader to connect with your characters.  It’s immediate.

A good thing for us writers to do is to tune into people talking; the cadence of their voice, the way they put words together, the emotions they evoke.  But to recapture on the page what people actually say we have to edit out the “uhs” and any words that don’t add to the flow of the plot. That’s our little writer’s secret on how to make dialogue read authentically.

We can’t be sneaky and try and use dialogue to give the poor reader extra information.  Instead, include the information in little beats, the action narrative you write in between the dialogue.

And we can’t let those seductive adverbs ruin our writing.  As in, she said graciously, lovingly, stupidly.  They distract as all seductresses do and they make editors sigh, amateur.  Adverbs may tempt you.  Show gumption!  Strangle them.

Story Line

 Moments, made up or real

Here’s mine.  It’s real.

     Sarah dropped her ski pole off the lift into the deep, rocky snow-covered gully below.  She and her little friend YiPei leaned way over in the chair and giggled.  YiPei dropped hers too.  More giggling.

     “Hey, you girls!  What the heck do you think you are doing?  Todd yelled at them from the chair behind.  He was trying to be their ski instructor.  “Cut that out!”

     “We’re sorry Toddie.”  Giggles.

     Two little girls in puffy snowsuits, wool hats with pom-poms and bibs that said “Snow Puppies” turned around and laughed.  

     “Let’s drop the other pole too,” Sarah said.

    Down went their second poles onto the trails below accompanied by giggles, giggles, giggles.

    “I’m warning you two,” Todd called out from behind.  He shook his ski pole at them.  “You’re not funny.”

     “O.K. We’re sorry Toddie.”

     Cascades of giggles.

     At the top of the mountain they skied off the lift.

     “O.K. wiseguys.  Get your smart-ass behinds back down the mountain.  Now!”

     Sarah and YiPei assumed their favorite tandem position, Sarah in front, skis in snowplow position, YiPei behind holding on to her waist, skis in snowplow position.  They took off down the mountain, leaving a trail of giggles.

     “No hot chocolate!  That’s for sure!  Todd yelled after them.

     ***

Very Happy Writing All,

LINKING THE ARTS

Sarah and YiPei having fun being naughty.

A Good Word

I love the word naughty.  As in spunky.

The Incredible Toni Morrison

writes dialogue like nobody else.

Just read through Beloved and you’ll see.