After all the interest in writing realistic dialogue, I thought I would open up about some of my method, even though, honestly, I am going to feel really silly about this.
First, though, a quick disclaimer. There are many different kinds of dialogue, and this discussion will really be geared toward snappy, realistic dialogue per se. Dialogue can also be expositional, lyrical, or staged, or take on a number of other qualities, depending on your story, your style, and your purpose. Each kind of dialogue needs to be approached mainly on its own terms.
Alright, well, my approach to writing dialogue (among other things) is undoubtedly influenced by my youthful turns with roleplaying games, my time as a voice actor, and my general tendency to externalize my imagination in order to understand it. That said, I think even without those things in your background, you might be able to adopt some of this for your own use.
If you're okay with being crazy.
See, here are two of my keys:
- Very often, I say my dialogue out loud while I'm writing it. I'm not reading it. I'm saying it. This helps give a fairly natural flow and syntax. Doing it at the same time, rather than saying and then writing, helps constrain most of the verbal pauses and other little glitches that might otherwise infiltrate my speech.
- I practice dialogue, by which I mean that I will sometimes (usually when I'm driving), just start talking out loud as if I'm two different people. This helps me get used to exchanges and personality. By hearing it out loud, it also helps me learn some of the pitfalls of what's annoying or cumbersome. This is not dialogue from a book and usually not characters from something I'm writing. The idea is not to rehearse for writing; it's just to make dialogue natural. For most of us, talking as ourselves is natural, but talking as two different people is not. When you're writing dialogue, you're talking as two or more people. That's something that must be learned to be comfortable.
- After I've written dialogue, or sometimes during the revision process, I read it out loud. This is not a narrative reading, but as if it were a script. It's a performance. I typically assume a different voice for each person I'm reading. It doesn't matter if you're any good at doing voices. What matters is that by doing that, you are adding a check: do the words really fit two different people, and is each one consistently the same?
Okay, that's probably enough for you to chew on. I know it's silly and embarrassing, but I think it's helpful!
.Nevets.
Thats a really good idea, taking on the different roles aloud. I do that with my girls in their books. When I read aloud to them I try to make my self play each part of the dialogue. It sounded funny to me at first and I felt odd doing it but my kids enjoyed it and now I do it all the time with them.
ReplyDeleteI don't think you're crazy at all. I do this sort of thing all the time.
ReplyDeleteCD
I think you have to read the dialogue outloud to get a sense of what your character is feeling. Typically, I write the dialogue first and then go back and add the "what I am feeling as I'm hearing these words".
ReplyDeleteI think if you can make yourself feel emotions by your words (laughter, sadness, etc.) you've succeeded.
Great blog!
Nevets, these are all great methods. You're only just a bit crazy. ;) Lots of times my story idea starts with some random dialogue that popped into my head.
ReplyDelete@Deb - Popped into your head. These pop out of my mouth. Definitely crazier. lol
ReplyDelete@Lori - Great point. It is a very good way to test whether your words convey the emotions.
@Clarissa - Awesome!
@Summer - So you're all practiced at it already! Now you just need to try it with your own writing. :)
I say things out loud a lot--I've been known to talk to myself. :P I also find that saying things out loud is helpful in getting the dialogue right.
ReplyDelete@G'Eagle - Yeah, I talk to myself, too. I think it comes from having a lot of imaginary friends when I was a kid.
ReplyDeleteAnd, no, Domey, if you read this, there was no baseball player with a 1970's mustache or a six-foot tall frog. The tiger cub, though... But his name wasn't Mix.
These sound like excellent ways to improve your dialogue.
ReplyDeleteI really like the concept middle bullet and will have to try it... when I'm alone in the car and the other drivers think I'm on bluetooth :)
ReplyDelete