Writing dialogue can be challenging to new and veteran writers alike. However, if you are new to writing there are a few simple things to keep in mind when constructing dialogue for your short story or novel. Here are some things to keep in mind:
What Not to Do When Writing Dialogue Tip #3: Betraying your character
When writing dialogue, you must keep in mind the character you are talking about. I can’t stress enough the importance of keeping your character ‘in character’ as much as possible. Example: If your character is from the1800s, he will not use today’s slang to describe his thoughts and feelings. Now this may seem obvious to some writers, but I can’t count the times I’ve seen such an obvious mistake when reading a story.
Therefore, in order to keep your character ‘in character’, research, outline, and finalize your characters before you start writing. This may take more or less time depending on the type of story you are writing (if a short story only a skeleton is needed, but if a series – a key character development map is a must) , but it will make your writing a bit easier in the long run.
What Not to Do When Writing Dialogue Tip #4: Betraying your reader
Betraying your reader is one of the big no-no’s in writing! Whether you are writing fictional or non-fictional works, if you betray your reader, you are in big trouble. How can a writer betray their reader when writing dialogue? There is a way and that way is by creating dialogue that does not match your story’s plot procession, theme, or distracts a reader unreadily.
This is a tricky balance a writer must work with and be under no illusions – creating the right piece of dialogue and deploying it at the right moment is tough! Dialogue is a form of action and depending on the story can be the most important action your characters undertake (this is especially true for introspective or observational story pieces). Make sure that your dialogue matches your story’s overall themes; Your reader will notice if it does not.
More on Dialogue in the Next Post
If you have any questions, please post them below in the comment section!
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