Art and Design

Best Dialog Advice You Ever Received

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I posted an open question on my various social profiles. I asked this: “What’s the best advice you ever got for writing dialog?” Here are the results.
 
Josh Nealis: Dialogue is tough. Generally, on my first draft, the dialogue is more or less kind of a placeholder for kind of what I want the character to say. Once the entire story is written and I know the Arc of the character on the second and third passes you can go back and fix the dialogue to Trend in the way you want it to. Always think about what the character is trying to accomplish in that moment.
 

Anthony Taylor: This: “, he said.”

 
Cully Perlman: Stick as best as you can to “he said” and “she said” for dialogue tags. Be sparse with anything else. Especially adverbs.
 
Ef Deal: Tags are not always necessary. Intersperse dialogue with action instead.
 
Shannon Luchies: Say it aloud. If it sounds wrong, rethink it.
 
Lucy Blue: If you’re not sure, try reading it out loud. Would you say it? If somebody said it to you, would it get the reaction you intended? Remember, people tend not to talk in long, complex sentences even when they “monologue.” You ain’t Shakespeare; you’re writing conversation, not poetry. Dialogue is my favorite thing to write; it comes most easily to me. It’s descriptions that hang me up.
 
Susan H. Roddey: It should always sound natural when spoken aloud.
 
Read the full article:
 
 

https://seanhtaylor.blogspot.com/2023/11/best-dialog-advice-you-ever-received.html

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