This week I took an online seminar from Writer’s Digest University on How to Write Compelling, Authentic Dialogue given by Kerri Majors. Kerri is the Editor and Founder of YARN, the Young Adult Review Network, an award-winning YA Literary journal and the author of This Is Not a Writing Manual.
Kerri gave some basic attributes of dialogue. It is part of the piece, not a decorative afterthought. It’s a tool to help you develop your character and story and drive the action. Dialogue is a scene in which two or more characters talk to each other, usually surrounded by quotes, but not always. Dialogue can include exposition or tags to identify who is speaking.
When your characters are talking to each other, what they say should be natural, tension filled, attractive, smooth and authentic.
Terrie also told us how to use today’s technology in our story. This includes email, instant messages, text messages and Facebook and Twitter comments. In E.L. James’s Fifty Shades of Gray, Christian and Anastasia exchange emails.
When using accents, dialects, and words from other languages, F-bombs, rap-a-logue and other colorful language, ask yourself if this dialogue is essential for describing and developing your characters.
How to write great dialogue? Eavesdrop, then listen for what is unspoken, know your characters and what they would say, keep a dialogue journal and practice, practice, practice. Terri also pointed out the saying, “You can’t fix what you haven’t written.” You don’t need your dialogue to be perfect in the first draft.
Hope this helps you in your writing!
Kathy
author of the Mackenzie Scott Mysteries
and award-winning children’s stories.
From Junior Journalist to Mystery Writer 