Snappy Dialogue by Mar Preston
· If you have trouble with dialogue, read your piece aloud. Then quiet yourself. Fall into a daze of non-thought, then listen within to your characters talking to each other. See if you can “hear” them. What kind of words do they use with each other? Are they slangy? Terse? Colloquial? Profane? · Imagine everyday conversation. How do they talk about needing new tires for the car? A kid’s bad spelling test? You can learn about them by “listening” to them in quiet moments within yourself. After all, that’s where they live, isn’t it? They are you. They aren’t you. · Charge right into a passage of dialogue. You don’t need greetings, chitchat, comment on the weather, or compliments. · Supporting characters can show doubt or disbelief about your main chara...