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Teri's avatar

Dialog is so hard for me. I tend to write CNF/memoir pieces and I prefer just using italics to say what people are saying but that doesn't work for more than a sentence or so. It's the punctuation marks that feel like they are slowing me down so much. I loved one of the tips in the dialog followup that suggested starting in the middle and/or ending before the end. That is a wonderful idea to show the way the reader has dropped into the story/action.

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Mandy's avatar

I've been LOVING How Real Humans Talk. I'm so glad I signed up for the email-based lessons: I got the first email while I was at my daughter's piano lesson, so I could immediately read and begin my "Urban Safari." I overheard a great conversation between two baristas, one of whom was waxing about "Nosferatu" to his coworker who was being very polite but Not. Interested. It made me think of all the times I have tried my best to be extra polite as a young woman, *especially* at work, especially to a male superior (no offense, men!). There were so many interesting ways to take that conversation/situation and it was kind of fun to let my imagination run with it :)

I am trying to incorporate these dialogue tricks into a short story WIP, which is coming along about as well as yanking out a wisdom tooth... I know my character's inner conflict and what they will "disguise" it with, but actually writing it in a way where that nuance comes across? Tricky!!!

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