Dialogue is such a handy little technique that we sometimes try to force it to carry more of a load than it should. One of the loads dialogue should never have to bear is the weight of info dumps. When characters start telling each other things they already know, just to keep the poor ignorant […]
June 9, 2010 by 37 Comments DialogueWho Said What? – Identifying Dialogue Speakers
Dialogue is one of the most interesting and useful parts of any story. As readers, we all love a witty conversation, but what we don’t love is when we have no idea which character is saying what. Why Failing in Identifying Dialogue Speakers Is Sure to Give Readers a Headache Having just finished a memoir in […]
December 20, 2009 by 34 Comments DialogueDialogue Mistakes: Are Your Characters Talking Heads?
Good dialogue is one of the most enjoyable parts of any story—both for the reader and the author. But dialogue alone isn’t enough to make a scene. Perhaps you’ll recognize the following dialogue mistakes from your own reading—or maybe even (gasp) your work-in-progress: “John, where have you been?” “Oh, just… out.” “Out where?” “You know, […]
