Tools for Writers: the Art of Dialogue

Dialogue is one of the most useful tools that writers have at their disposal as long as it is used effectively. Here are some overall guidelines to keep your dialogue lean, mean, and tough.

Dialogue should...

1. Have originality
2. Contain writer's unique voice
3. Avoid cliches
4. Sound different for each character
5. Sound natural
6. Be broken up because in real life people don't always speak in complete sentences
7. Have subtext because in real life people don't necessarily state through dialogue their real intentions
8. Needs to have some punch to it
9. Be interesting, surprising, and keep audiences off guard by taking unexpected turns
10. Be written from your Gut

Good dialogue gives a sense of story setting, and reveals characters motives and opposing agendas while also communicating the story's theme. Dialogue should always come from your gut and nto your head. Never try to force your characters to say what you as the author wants them to say: this will lead to artificial and stilted dialogue.

Instead, listen to your characters and hear what they are saying to you. As an exercise next time you're at a restaraurant listen to how people communicate, listen to the diversity of their voices, and always remember that less dialogue is more.

Don't ever let dialogue direct the scene. It is a tool for moving the plot and characterization forward, and for providing background information. It may also be used for building tension among characters and creating conflict.

One of the best pieces of advice I received in a writing class is to avoid talking heads. When your characters speak to one another make them do it over a racket ball game or perhaps in line for a concert. That way they don't come off as fake causing the action and narrative to suffer.

Dialogue should be paced according to the rhythm that you want the scenes to have. Fast action scenes should be followed by slower reflective ones.

In relation to voice, dialogue conveys

1. Text
2. Subtext
3. Vocabulary
4. Grammar and syntax
5. Slang
6. Accent
7. Rhythm and sentence length
8. Professional jargon

As a beginning writer it is important to develop good habits earlier on, thus establishing tools of the trade to further your dialogue skills.

Here are some tools:

1. Pocket Notebook - Carry this with you at all times, jotting down anything that strikes your interest

2. Camera - Do you see anything that is interesting that could be used to strike up a conversation? Take a snapshot so later on you will have a perfect memory of it preserved in a photograph.

3. Video Camera - A great way to remember people, places, or events is to film them when they happen. Later on you can watch the video and take elements you need for dialogue from it.

4. Recorder - A recorder is a useful tool as it serves the same purpose as the pocket notebook. However you can capture sound faster then writing it down in a notebook, so your ideas will be conveyed more clearly.

Dialogue requires talent that will be developed as your skills improved. Always keep a firm foundation on what dialogue is and what it is used for. Combine this knowledge with daily practice of character interaction through this medium. Do this and you will go far in your writing career.