creative-writing | Christine DeSmet: Author

Dialogue can do things that description and action can’t do.

There’s an intimacy with dialogue because we “hear” it as we read or we step into the character roles and emotions. Magic! What a feeling!

Dialogue draws attention—even offers a “rest stop” for our eyes—because of the white space around it in your novel, script, memoir, or short story.

Dialogue helps pacing for reasons including those mentioned above.

Ineffective dialogue—including with punctuation errors or the over-usage or inappropriate substitutes for “said/says”—can kill your prose style and storytelling goal.

Sometimes a project receiving multiple passes can be saved if only the writer would work on the dialogue. This post is about how to start.

Writers I’ve worked with and other authors I admire who have been successful know dialogue does at least three things:

Reveals character,
Moves plot forward, and
Tells the reader or audience something new or needed

How does dialogue do those things? Does it do them at all and consistently?

Employ any or all of these 6 tricks or skills to flesh out a story for readers:

1) Power and power plays

Who is in charge of the scene or chapter? How do we know? Who speaks early on with intention? Does somebody ask a question—always a great technique?

2) Attitude

Allow a character to express worry or any emotion through word choices and the cadence of their words.

“Worry” propels story because, after all, plot is about a problem or goal needing attention. Readers are drawn to those who are worrying; we’re empathetic and sympathetic creatures. Humor also draws attention, try being funny—you are funnier than you first think.

3) New stuff flying at us all the time

Stories excel after a character reveals new information. Bring in the “new” through dialogue constantly. Have you fallen into too much chatting? Repeating things? Find a way for a character to announce surprising information.

4) Passion

How deep is the character’s conviction for what they’re saying? How do we know? Can you improve word choices?

Would using questions help? Instead of swear words (often a cheap trick), try shaping a question or statement with something profound or a confession. Or reveal a secret about their personality or problem.

5) Sex and other basic needs

Relationships, romance, love, sex, money needs, food and housing needs—talk of such things never fails to engage readers.

Do you have a character willing to nudge or force another character to talk about those aspects? Sympathy and empathy are powerful tools. Sometimes a writer needs to add a character like a grandma or friendly shopkeeper who can ask about important needs in a mentor-like way.

6) Subtext

Subtext is the meaning beneath the words. Try having characters occasionally speak in ways to get what they want by not talking about it directly. If a child says, “Cake shouldn’t be left out for a second day or it spoils,” the child’s subtext is perhaps “Can I have another piece of cake right now, Dad?”

Subtext operates like a “hint.” A character might say “I’m all right” but your description or action portrays them as a mess. Subtext works in humorous exchanges, too, and in horror. Criminals will talk “nice” but the unspoken meaning is “You’re in trouble.”

There you have it—the dialogue “3 and 6.” Your task:

Examine your project. How are you utilizing the 3-and-6? Is there at least one page where you can improve dialogue?

How do your opening pages stack up with “3-and-6” techniques?

Is something’s wrong with your manuscript but you can’t put your finger on it?

You’ve done everything. Solid plot. Interesting characters. Each scene has “goal/conflict/cliffhanger.” Stellar setting. Details fascinate your critique group. Yet, publishers or agents lack enthusiasm. They might even say your writing is competent and interesting but they pass! So what’s the problem?

Often, I find writers miss something mighty simple: “the plan.”

Not your plan as a writer. Your character’s plan!

How does your character THINK?

Frontline characters need to operate by hatching plans constantly and using those plans.

A big enough story to fill a book, a script, or a memoir involves layers of plans.

A “plan” means a character cares enough to worry, think, fear something, want something, and they are willing to put forth effort to PLAN to get it.

Characters conjure many plans during a story, never just one plan.

The big plan could be the plotline, such as how to commit the biggest heist in history, or your character has to tell somebody they love them by the end of the story. But…

Novel pages are nests for the hatching of many small plans that entertain readers.

To reach the end of any plot, your characters must have a series of plans. They voice plans in their head, through dialogue, and certainly through action.

Let your character think about “Step one, step two, step three that I need to do.” Let them fear some steps, change some steps, mess up their plan.

Novels such as A MAN CALLED OVE by Fredrik Backman (mainstream fiction) and THE LEMON MAN by Keith Bruton (comic gritty suspense) prove the point. Each protagonist creates one plan after another; they often backfire; at all times the plans propel the protagonist forward to the next phase of his plot (and growth).

By the way, effective romance novels, horror stories, fantasy, YA novels—or any genre or type you read or write in—will have stellar standouts with a plan always operating to make things interesting.

We read partially to see if the plan even works. There lies the tension that makes reading a sublime activity.

Look again at your opening pages of each scene and each chapter opener.

Does your character express they need a plan? Are they in the middle of a plan—and more importantly, does the reader know that? If you’re at a loss as to how to do this, have them think in words such as “I need to get/do X, but that will mean I need this and that. It might also mean I’ll get busted/fail.”

Have the character need to do at least two steps next. Why two? Because taking two steps propels your character AND THE READERS (who might be agents/publishers) forward.

Readers like “plans.” We love being “in on the plan.”

Let a plan backfire now and then, too, as happens in all good stories. Obstacles should abound.

Finally, a plan is almost always physical, too. How does your character think ahead? Do they write things down? Do they mumble their plans to their plants? Dog? Friend? Do they go out and buy stuff for the plan? Do they visit a psychic or a priest? Do they bulk up their muscles over months of time? Etc.

Plans = pacing, plot, and sales.

Creating plans on most pages is a simple quick fix.

Posts Tagged With: creative-writing

Dialogue should do 3 things because readers want 6 things