Category Archives: Dialogue
The Ins And Outs Of Backstory, Part 3
Learning to handle backstory correctly is vital. Some agents and editors talk about it as the element that shows an author is either a competent professional or still in the “learning” stage. Consequently, I’d like to take a closer look … Continue reading
Filed under Backstory, Dialogue, Internal Monologue
The Ins And Outs Of Backstory, Part 2
As we established in part one of this short series, backstory should be used sparingly, sprinkled throughout the novel, but rarely included in the opening. Super agent and writing instructor Donald Maass explains: Backstory is the bane of virtually all … Continue reading
Subtext In Dialogue
One of the hallmarks of a good writer is a dialog rich in subtext. So says R. Kayne in an article entitled “What Is Subtext?” at the WiseGeek. Certainly other writing professionals concur. Author K. M. Weiland says We spend … Continue reading
Filed under Dialogue
Redundancy: The Path To Boredom
As an editor and a critique partner, I’ve been know to be a repetition hunter. For some reason, I have an ear for words that crop up more than once in a paragraph. Unless it’s intentional, used for emphasis, it … Continue reading
Filed under Dialogue, Internal Monologue, Writing Style
Good Stories, Day 3
In my opinion, good stories put the reader into the made-up world the author has created. Not literally. But as I read a good story, I feel like I am on the spot, observing, feeling what the point of view … Continue reading
Filed under Characters, Dialogue, Story
Who Are These People? – Making Characters Come Alive, Part 2
What else besides proper motivation makes a fictitious character seem real? One important element is dialogue. Any number of writing instruction books deal with the basics of dialogue, from speaker attribution to subtexting. And as important as those aspects of … Continue reading
Filed under Characters, Dialogue
