Recently I have been getting some feedback on dialogue that has me wondering. What are the rules that you follow? I've been told that good dialogue should be like a tennis match or a ping-pong game. It should be swift, back and forth and short and sweet. I'd like to hear what my friends out in blogosphere say:
Just how do you create your dialogue?
Do you follow any rules?
Where does the monologue fit in and when do you give it the axe?
Does your dialogue dance like a tennis match?
How do you deal with a character who is a wind-bag?
I haven't answered these questions with good reason. I'd like to see what you think and what, if any, is the consensus on good dialogue. I hope you will take a moment to jot down your thoughts and thank you for sharing!
A good rule of thumb for stories is the good guy isn't supposed to know what the bad guy is thinking and vicea versa. When the story is told in the first person its easier to enjoy unless like science fiction mind readers are part of the fun!
ReplyDeleteHmm...Mind readers would solve all the problems! But one would be enough to fill in the holes. Thanks for your input.
DeleteGood dialogue doesn't suck when read out loud.
ReplyDeleteThank God I have great test readers who help with this, as I haven't gotten to the point of doing that the first time around.
Alex: It seems after awhile, it all sounds good - that must mean I'm too tired to read aloud. Time to put it down for a rest. I like the idea of test readers. What store can I find them at?
DeleteI read mine outloud and trim those dialogue tags. I also reread and reread to make sure the dialogue has a purpose and moves the story forward.
ReplyDeleteSusan: It's important to be necessary. If it doesn't move the story forward we're wasting time. Thanks for that important addition to this discussion.
DeleteListen to people speak. Eavesdrop. Take notes and observe. One, a lack of using names when talking to each other.
ReplyDeleteI have a windbag character, but keep it in character and don't use it as a means to info dump.
But like everything else, you'll find your own style and what suits the story. That should be rule number one.
The speakers have to answer each other. What one says, the person answering must answer what is said.
Hope you're enjoying your class, Karen.
I talk out loud to myself. A lot. And I do it in a (bad) British accent because my characters have British accents. Dialogue does need to have a flow and speaking it out loud to make sure it has the right sound works wonders for me.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I like what Susan said about dialogue tags.