Tuesday 2 September 2014

VIve le difference in dialogue

Dialogue is crucial to good storytelling but characters should not sound like each other. Not in speech and not in thought. That confuses the reader., So how do you make characters sound different?

Well, for a start, use different words Characters can have their own slang, favourite expressions, favourite profanities. Or use different sentence patterns. Let one character use short sentences, another longer ones.

Perhaps allow one character to use clipped speech or incomplete thoughts. Maybe create characters who take forever to say what they need to say. Rambling speech or thought can bore the reader, so be judicious with its use. But do use it if it fits a character.

If you can write humour, let one character be the lighter one.

Or have characters pay attention to different things—some will note their surroundings, some will not. Use what they notice to differentiate characters.

Whatever you do, celebrate the differences in them.

John Dean

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