This is all very helpful, and I’m still wondering what I can do (if anything) to save a terrible “bonding” scene I’ve written between my adult protagonist and a teenaged girl she coaches. Everything about the dialogue just feels… Wrong.
“Greetings, Vorun the Viking, who last year slew with my help the dragon Faron.” LMAO. Love the GAPS idea and how one word –self-hypnosis– can deflate the drama.
How short can the monologue be? When dialogue goes back and forth, there is expository information delivered, yes?, especially when requested? Good lesson. Enjoyed it!
Thanks Daniel. Great lesson on Dialogue! I needed the one on 95% standard English – since both my WIPs are set in non-western settings – was having a hard time trying to balance dialect and authenticity vs. reader expectations – though there is still an issue to address: – a book set in non-western setting (India for e.g.) for non-western readers vs a western audience – comparing Arundhati Roy’s God of Small things (western readers might find many irritants language wise) vs. Junot Diaz’ Brief Wondrous life of Oscar Wao (with its crazily enjoyable footnotes!) – do either of these flout or meet your dialogue norms??
This is all very helpful, and I’m still wondering what I can do (if anything) to save a terrible “bonding” scene I’ve written between my adult protagonist and a teenaged girl she coaches. Everything about the dialogue just feels… Wrong.
Try Tom Leveen’s How to Write Awesome Dialogue or watch one of his webinars. Excellent.
Daniel, this was a very helpful lesson on dialogue. Very practical. Thanks!
Thank you, Dennis!
“Greetings, Vorun the Viking, who last year slew with my help the dragon Faron.” LMAO. Love the GAPS idea and how one word –self-hypnosis– can deflate the drama.
How short can the monologue be? When dialogue goes back and forth, there is expository information delivered, yes?, especially when requested? Good lesson. Enjoyed it!
Thanks Daniel. Great lesson on Dialogue! I needed the one on 95% standard English – since both my WIPs are set in non-western settings – was having a hard time trying to balance dialect and authenticity vs. reader expectations – though there is still an issue to address: – a book set in non-western setting (India for e.g.) for non-western readers vs a western audience – comparing Arundhati Roy’s God of Small things (western readers might find many irritants language wise) vs. Junot Diaz’ Brief Wondrous life of Oscar Wao (with its crazily enjoyable footnotes!) – do either of these flout or meet your dialogue norms??