How to write good dialogue

AnonyMouse is correct. If you are using the UK convention of primary quoting with single quotes, then use double quotes for the inner quotes.

More than one level of nesting is not recommended.

Please see: He said, she said - Mechanics of Dialogue

 

So I'm writing dialogue that will eventually be performed. When reading dialogue back to myself (aloud) I say it in a terrible faux American accent. Is acting important when reading back your own dialogue, or is it enough that I hear the words spoken aloud?

Or perhaps I can't 'become' the character because my dialogue is weak? Any advice?

 

I was doing some reading online and I found a few articles on Scene and Sequel and the 3Act structure.

They basically said that every novel has 3 acts: opening, body, and closing. In the opening, the main character is normal but some force pushes him to change his course of action. The Body is the bulk of the story until the climax. In general, the closing contains the main characters life changing revelation, then the plot climax and finally the resolution.

But they also said that it should all be done in scene and sequal. Scene being a longer chunk in which action happens, and sequel being the brief section in which the protagonist reacts [has a mental revelation, does some soul searching or what have you]. Those scenes could be chapters or maybe not. But beyond that every Small chunk [couple paragraphs] needs to be in smaller Scene/Sequel units. For example the scene might be one sentence like "the tiger lunge towards jack." and the sequel would be the following paragraph describing how Jack reacts to the tiger lunging at him.

Does anyone know how to do this when dialogue is involved? Also general tips and incite into writing this way is appreciated. everything I read on it said all writing outside of scene and sequel is junk... leaving little room for creativity or scene establishment...

 

What You described last (in bold) is what's called Motivation/Reaction and in that specific case I would advice to just write the story without thinking much about it and when you're done check that the motivation precedes the action and that there is a motivation for the things the character does. About scenes and sequels, I think it's a good way of driving the story forward, but as the previous example I don't think much about it while writing, just keep it present in the back of my head. After an intense action filled scene it's good to have a low-action scene where the character reflects on things that has happened and decide what to do next. it also controls the pace of the story, sometimes the reader needs to rest from the action for a while. it doesn't need to be long, Maybe you can start the new chapter with the sequel and then continue with the scene. or you can add it in the end of the previous chapter and maybe raise questions that the reader will want to have answered in the next.

 

Hey there everyone, just found this place and look forward to getting some feedback and contributing my own ideas to this community! But first i could use a little help...

So I come up with a lot of interesting ideas. These can be setting or characters, or elements of those things, but everyone who's seen my work has expressed general interest and usually goes on about how interesting/cool/awesome a lot of things i come up with are. I've diagnosed myself with a few problems however:

1. It's hard for me to focus on one thing at a time. If i'm coming up with something i'm all over the place and when i can't figure certain key points out i either move to another project and play with that, or i give up. For example, i think of an awesome idea such as the personification of elements like death, order, chaos, good, evil. Then i get stuck for months on what they should be talking about, or where they should be doing it. Or if i come up with an idea, another one will negate it instead of play off it then i'm back to square one.

2. VERY hard for me to make characters interesting, I can do dialogue once i get going with something, but when and where that dialogue should be happening and why is problematic. I can essentially think of a characters starting point and ending point but the middle is hard for me to navigate. Honestly, i feel overburdened with possibilities and can never DECIDE.

I'm new to writing in general but am interested in writing short stories, or scripts for games/movies. I've got a few completed short stories and a small play, but these problems i'm having have left me with nothing completed since i got out of class in may.

Any help with organizing or molding my thoughts would be helpful, how to keep them in the same general direction, things like that. ANYTHING really lol any resources that can be linked that i can read up on too for those who don't like to type would be awesome too!

Also worth mentioning, I'm really partial to stories such as that in Metal Gear Solid where a lot of underlying themes are occurring. I think that level of complication weighs me down too heavily as i think about things that i "shouldn't be" too early on. I've been trying to work back to basics and simplify my ideas so i can build a solid foundation and get to know my own style but i can't seem to do it lol

 

I have troubles focusing too. Have many ideas flying around and never properly work on any of them. There are several things I try - sometimes they work a bit, sometimes they don't. Maybe some will help you too:

1) Choose one story/idea to work on at a time. If any other appear in the meantime, just jot them down and forget about them for a while.

2) To think something through, don't sit at a computer. Do something that lets your mind wander. Go fo a walk, alone, and let the story unfold in your head - but don't push it. Do a brainless chore, one that keeps your hand occupied but not the mind. Take a longish shower - that's especially fruitful for me, for some reason: often I get out of a shower with a new idea or a paragraph almost complete in my head.

3) If you think you should start/continue actually writing but there are so many choices that you get distracted before deciding for the first word or sentence, leave the computer again, take a notebook and sit in a quiet corner. Write something.

4) If you can't get through a difficult bit but know what should come next, just skip the bit. Write what you know already. It's better to write something that might have to change later than to just sit there and write nothing at all. When the next part is written, it might be easier to return and bridge the gap.

 

Self-discipline, to stay focused on one story and see it through to the end. You have to be able to get yourself to do this. Organize those ideas for the story and write. Ideas ofr other stories, jot them down, keep them in a file for each story idea, and be willing to come back to them. Some people use outlines to organize their ideas, others prefer to write without any planning. For me, having a plan helps me to keep focused and the story moving forward. It avoids getting stuck or writing myself into a corner. It lessens the amount editing and revision after the first draft.

The best way to learn to write, such as creating interesting characters is to read, but not read for enjoyment, but study the works. Find a couple of authors and re-read their novels, paying attention to things like characterization, how and when they used direct and indirect characterization, what actions, dialogue, dress, thoughts, etc. helped you--the reader--to form the image of characters. Then apply what you learn to your writing style and project. This works for learning about pacing, dialogue, writing action scenes, etc. Yes, there are 'how to' books out there, but novels that have been successful are the 'best how' to books, I think.

 

Exactly. There is no magic focus technique. You have to keep yourself motivated, and you hqave to keep at it even when you are not feeling very motivated.

And you will feel unmotivated, especially on your fifth proofreading pass, or when the weather outside is just too awesome to stay cooped up inside. You can set yourself a "vacation quota", just like any other job, but you have to discipline yourself to stick to it.

 

I realize this is an old forum, but I really wanted to comment on Amy Holt's posts. I completely agree with you, Amy. I'm a proofreader, and I've never turned a writer away because of grammatical errors. Isn't that what I'm here for? Amy is completely right--a writer's first and most important job is to write the story. And if the writer is engrossed in the story, there are bound to be some missed mistakes and maybe an ignored rule here and there. It's incredibly hard to proofread your own work. Every single writer I've worked with so far has needed a rule or two explained to him or her. I do my best to explain my corrections so that these writers can improve their writing for next time, and they always appreciate it and learn from my comments.

Oh, and I actually prefer "No!" he yelled. With a comma instead of the exclamation point, I read No normally, and once I see he yelled, I have to go back and reread it the way the author intended. I completely agree with what JSLCampbell said in this case. Wouldn't it be easier for everyone if the exclamation point was used? It's not hurting anybody. I'm finding it difficult to find a rule on this, though, so I think I'll just end up deferring to the author's style in these cases.

 

I struggle to imagine any dialogue that would be improved by the addition of the word "agitatedly".

 

Do you struggle to cogitate it contemplatively?

 

Something like that.

 

Hi guys, I'm writing an adventure; sf & f and sometimes think I have too much dialogue (there are four main characters on the journey with different groups trying to sabatage them from afar as well as the challenges they meet on the adventure), Guessing I would imagine I have 65/35% dialogue/decription

I am also reading King's Salem's Lot and I find he has little dialogue, maybe 30% but can sometimes drone on for pages about stuff not even closely relative to the main story. I may be wrong but I am tending to skip 2/3 pages at a time and don't seem to be missing much.

So in essence - what kind of ratio dialogue / description do you prefer or is there an industry standard?

 

there is no standard... what works, works... period!

 

Don't get hung up on the ratio. I have an entire chapter (an arbitrary distinction as I don't use chapter breaks) that is pretty much just dialogue and an inane conversation at that. But I got a lot of mileage out of that chapter and without it the response would have been "meh, another death" and not "OMG! Why did SHE have to die?"

 

Ditto what Maia said!

 

The more important thing is whether the dialogue/description is doing what it is intended to do. If the readers start thinking 'hey, there are too much dialogues or too much descriptions' in the middle of a chapter, than the writer has already lost it.

 

thank you for the advice - I'll continue happy

 

Screw the ratio. Some people love little to no dialogue. Some love almost all dialogue. There's no way to please anybody. Work towards whatever works best for your story.

 

I think I agree with what works, works.

For me I always try and ensure that what I write, whether dialogue or description, is relevant to the story. Anything not relevant will possibly become boring for you to write and therefore boring to read. So, if your dialogue is interesting and entertaining to you and pertinent to the story, more than likely readers will feel the same way.

Hope that helps

 

there's something else to consider... sometimes dialog that seems irrelevant to the plot/story is used effectively to give the reader an insight into the character of a character... works better than burdening the reader with characters' thoughts...

 

It is up to you as a writer to decide how much dialogue is necessary. Different readers like different things, so there is no gold standard. As long as the dialogue advances the narrative in some way (even if we're just gaining subtle insight on a character) and you are happy with the results, then let the characters speak to their heart's content.

 

Gosh I struggle with that.
I tend to flesh out the conversation when it moves the plot forward, bring new information about the character or the plot and gloss over conversation when it doesn't. In that case I will say things such as "They discussed the choice of restaurant briefly as they navigated the crowded downtown sidewalks."
But I get called on it by my editor and beta-reader.
I'm told that if there is an exchange between character worth mentioning then it should be showed as a dialogue as it is more active and interesting to read.
I'm not sure if I agree...or if I'm just lazy..

 

They are mostly right. You're hinting that there is something happening with a potential for conflict, but then take a u-turn and leave the reader dangling. If you introduce something like that it has to propell the story in some way. You can have that example sentence in the story, but then something needs to change over the short scene. If they have been talking amicably and made jokes before and you tell the reader that she's huffing in annoyance and he's somewhat unsure about their evening out after the discussion, it is ok, even if dialogue would have been the better tool to transport the change. If there is no change, leave it out. If you hint at action and don't follow through, at least show a result, but it would be even better to have your characters act out the change.

 

I agree with your editor and reader. What's the purpose of the mention of the discussion? If it's to fill a time gap, I'd say just skip over that time gap:

John shook his head. "Not happening. It's just not happening."
"Yeah, yeah." Jane locked the door and tucked her keys away before looking at him. "Let's talk. Dinner."
He shrugged. "Fine. As long as it's Chinese."
Ninety minutes and twelve cream cheese wontons later, his manner had thawed. "Explain it again. In detail."

If the conversation itself is meaningful, it should be meaningful:

John shook his head. "Not happening. It's just not happening."
"Yeah, yeah." Jane locked the door and tucked her keys away before looking at him. "Let's talk. Dinner."
He shrugged. "Fine. As long as it's Chinese."
She headed for the elevator and pushed the Down button. "There's a new German place on Fourth and Arbor."
"There's an old Chinese place three blocks down from that."

Or if it's summarized, the summary should communicate something.

They debated the choice of restaurant through fourteen elevator stops out of sixteen floors, and then through eight blocks of stop-and-start traffic. She started out determined to eat at Le Maison de la Casa House, but somehow found herself getting out of the cab with him at Royal Palace.