Dominic Carter has more than a few words well worth listening to about dialog and the writing thereof. This is the kind of article many old pros wish had been around for them back in the Dark Ages.
by Dominic Carter
I was chatting with a fellow writer the other day and she mentioned how difficult she found writing dialogue. It was easy to empathise with her as it was an area I struggled with for years.
Great dialogue comes with practice. There are numerous ways you can learn how to write authentic dialogue and what follows is just one way. I’m not claiming it’s the best, just that it worked for me and might help some of you to improve your dialogue and even your characters.
OBSERVATION:
The best way to learn most things is by observing them in progress. Dialogue is no exception. Regularly go to public places – a coffee shop or a pub are the best – get yourself a drink, sit down with a notebook and listen to people talking and make notes. Yes, I am suggesting you eavesdrop on others and record not only how they speak but the language they use and the topics they discuss. The more you can do this the greater diversity of voices you’ll learn to recognise.
Listen out and take note of the following…
- RHYTHM OF SPEECH – How fast or slow do people speak? Do they speed up or slow down when talking about different subjects? Do they slow down or speed up during a sentence and why?
- VOLUME – Do they speak loudly or do they talk in hushed tones? Are there certain words they whisper or shout? What does the volume your character talks at say about them, their background and their job?…
