They shouldn’t have repetitive elements Unlike real arguments which go in circles for ages, fictionalised ones are short and sharp
They shouldn’t be boring Written arguments are there to forward the plot along. They
should reveal something about a relationship between two people or give the
reader information about a problem
There should be some sort of immediate
outcome from the argument Arguments are a great way to provide conflict
and tension to a manuscript but make they aren’t as unfocused and pointless in
print as the verbal variety
Remember how rules of conversation work
* A
lot of the time, we do not speak in correct sentences/we often use short sharp
phrases
* Keep
your dialogue crisp - we can tell a lot about a person in a short snap of
conversation
* We
interrupt a lot
* We
assume a lot. Not ‘Your brother has been
murdered.’
‘What, my brother Brian?’
‘Yes, that’s him. Your only brother. The younger one.
With the long hair’ Keep it realistic.
*
Dialogue must take the story on. Only write small talk if you need to, ie
showing how tedious a person can be. If you don’t need
it, don’t write it. Make sure each
word does a job.
* Do
not pack dialogue with extraneous information
John Dean
