Hi,
I've been pondering the art of conversation; or, to be more specific, how to construct conversation within literature without it sounding cheesy. it's something I'm not, truthfully, really that good at, to the point where I've found myself actively avoided scripting dialogue for fear of failing to do the story and the characters justice.
So yeah, I just wondered if any one has any hints / suggestions / methods that they've found useful in writing conversations?
Matt
The key to this, for me, is to know my characters really well. If I know intimate details of a character's life—even more than I would ever put down on the page—then I know what they would and wouldn't say, how they would react to certain situations, how they speak, etc.
To create natural, free-flowing dialogue, it has to come from real characters. Don't allow it to become mechanical, and don't use it just to break up the narrative. Use it to reveal aspects of the character, or the relationship between two or more characters. Use it to put the reader in the moment.
Make it realistic; make it meaningful. If you get stuck, think to yourself, "What would I say in that situation, and how would I say it?" and work from there, adapting to the character you have created.
Saying what you want your characters to say aloud can help. It'll let you get a feel of the character and, as Clum said, get to know them. Saying things aloud also allows you to judge tone, inflection and even simply whether the character would say such a thing. Another good thing is to just have conversations in real life, listen to them and translate them on to paper, or screen. As I've said before, writing is like an exercise in observation.
Practice. Then read it. Make comments of your own. Ask others their opinion.
In a scene with a lot of talking. Not sex related. Give yourself a random purpose with the use of a writing prompt.
Like: Susan decided to attend Phoenix University for her degree in physical science. Arnold, her boyfriend, runs a small music store. The scene is how she breaks the news.
And go. . .
Thank you! Some good advice here. Will try to put it to good use!
In fictional conversations, there is often tension created by what is said and what is left unsaid, what is implied and what is direct, what is "natural" and concise. Dialogue should reflect the character, their motivations, their "machinations," cram as much information as you can in short dialogues while keeping it "natural" to the scene and story. It sounds complex until you do it long enough to be instinctual. It's been said that good dialogue moves the plot, while good narrative moves the story, in which case the plot is what is happening (exterior) and the story is what is happening to the characters (interior).
Try to limit dialogue tags, like 'he said' or 'said Joe' etc.
Try to make it obvious who's saying what without having to resort to tags. When you do use tags add some adverbs or qualify the dialogue in some way.
"I think so," said Pat, tentatively.
"It was all your fault!" exclaimed Joe, harshly.
When you've got three or more characters in a piece of dialogue, avoiding tags becomes more tricky. Again, if you know the character and the narrative has been developed adequately, even here tags might be dispensed with. Practise makes perfect.
Some really interesting points, especially in regards to the use of tags. There is something about not wanting to overburden the text with too much descriptive narrative, a category I suspect these adverbial tags fall into. (On a side note, must use the word "adverbial" more in conversation.) On the other hand, too little, and there's the risk that you may not be able to convey into words how it's sounding in your head.
Hmmm. Much to ponder.
"And just what is a Fiddle Faddle?" he wondered.
A good way to construct a good convo is to actually make it seem realistic. Be sure to include emotion where it is critical. It helps the reader feel it better rather than it being all stale and robotic
"I ‘accidentally’ wrapped my hand over my pitched tent. “Trying to cover it up” I lied to myself. Only to be rewarded by chills rocketing down my spine. Fuck! I needed to cum now! "
"Wasted Time" by
