The Art of Dialogue
Good dialogue is unmistakable. It can electrify a piece of writing and bring an otherwise listless story to life. It can create tension from nothing, advance a stalling plot, reveal hidden motives, and add depth through subtext. Yet many writers—even those with years of experience—struggle with it. Why? Because crafting realistic dialogue is not the same as crafting compelling dialogue.
This week, to highlight the upcoming WLT workshop “He Said, She Said: The Art of Dialogue in Fiction,” write two pages of dialogue. Find your characters from a prior daily interaction you witnessed; an elderly couple in the market, two strangers at the bank, a cashier and teenager at the gas station. Try to focus on the dialogue, versus painting the scene. Allow two new voices to guide the writing, the freedom may take you to a place you would not have arrived out with out them!
Also, don’t forget to sign up for the December 8th workshop, “He Said, She Said: The Art of Dialogue in Fiction,” with the lovely Sara Kocek.
