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Developing Dialogue that Speaks Presented by the Center for Writing
Excellence 2013 Center for Writing Excellence
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www.instructionalexcellence.netwww.instructionalexcellence.net A
bit about Janie Freelance Writer Newspapers Magazines Published
book: Do You Call Yourself a Writer? Available at Lulu PressLulu
Press Online for multiple sites Trainer Curriculum Specialist
Educator Writing online for several years
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Talking Characters Get your characters to talk to each other Good,
realistic dialogue Adds reader believability Not always easy to do
Adds so much to the story Cant afford to leave it out
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Eavesdrop Carry a notebook and pen everywhere Jot down interesting
comments you overhear Note things like graffiti, advertisements
Listen to voice inflections and note them Watch body language,
write it down Listen to conversations
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the Boring Parts Not everything you hear will be scintillating
conversation Use narrative to cover missing, dull conversation Dont
need to relate every word, every gesture.
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Stuck? Ask what if? Make up the details Add some interest to the
background Change the circumstances Have something happen
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Trust your Characters They will tell you what they want you to know
Sometimes they will surprise you Pay attention to them Trust
them
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Dialect? Dialect gives a lot of information to the reader Use it
carefully Too much and your reader wont understand Use descriptors
instead of actual dialect
Slide 10
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it Aloud Listen to the words Have someone else read it aloud Listen
again
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Listen When listening to conversations, pay attention Hear the
words Discover the meaning behind the words Turn what you hear into
a story with rich dialogue
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Dialogue Scenes in Plays Plays are great resources for finding out
about dialogue
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Avoid Deliberate Cruelty If modeling your characters after someone
you know Change enough so your reader does not figure it out
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About Dialogue Crafting Realistic Dialogue by Bonnie Way
http://www.fictionfactor.com/guests/realistic- dialogue.html
http://www.fictionfactor.com/guests/realistic- dialogue.html
Writing Dialogue by Siobhain M Cullen
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art4688.asp
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art4688.asp
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Center for Writing Excellence Keep in Touch Contact information
Janie Sullivan: [email protected]@gmail.com
Twitter: @janiewrites Facebook: Janie Sullivan SKYPE:
janie.sullivan1 Center for Writing Excellence: www.janiewrites.com
www.janiewrites.com Dialog: Breathing Life Into Writing
http://www.janiewrites.com/workshops-2/online- workshops/dialogue/
http://www.janiewrites.com/workshops-2/online-
workshops/dialogue/