Dialogue in writing is not a recording of actual speech...

Let's ask an author of 13 books and editor-in-chief of Stein and Day Publishers for 27 years, Sol Stein, his thoughts on dialogue.

 "Talk is repetitive, full of rambling, incomplete, or run-on sentences, and usually contains a lot of unnecessary words. Most answers contain echoes of the question. Our speech is full of such echoes. Dialogue, contrary to popular view, is not a recording of actual speech; it is a semblance of speech, an invented language of exchanges that build in tempo or content toward climaxes. Some people mistakenly believe that all a writer has to do is turn on a tape recorder to capture dialogue. What he'd be capturing is the same boring speech patterns the poor court reporter has to record verbatim. Learning the new language of dialogue is as complex as learning any new language." (Sol Stein, Stein on Writing. St. Martin's Griffin, 1995)

When we talk about dialogue we don't just mean spoken words, inner dialogue (thought) is also vital to help the reader understand and know your character.

​Making the dialogue suit your character, add depth to the scene, and show emotion is an important part of making your character believable. It doesn't matter how well a novel is plotted or how exciting the action is, if the dialogue is flat or forced you lose your reader.
 
Learning to write dialogue is a major challenge. Nothing can kill a character faster than the words they speak. Dialogue is one of the main ways a reader gets to know a character.
 
Come and learn how to make sure you get it right.
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​Saturday July 22nd. 10am to 3pm
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​Writing believable dialogue: with Elaine Ouston 

 
Book now on the workshop page or phone 54 399 038 to book. http://www.gondorwriterscentre.com/workshops.html​

THINKING OF SELF-PUBLISHING? Self-publlshed but not sure about marketing?

August 5th:10am to 3pm Self-publishing with a musical edge: with Chris Collin

Chris will take us step by step through his journey, from leaving a well-paying job and jumping into self-publishing picture books, to how he sold 30,000 of books in just a few years. 

He will also include how and why he set his books to music. If you are a writer who is contemplating self-publishing, this workshop is not to be missed.

Book now on the workshop page or phone 54 399 038 to book. http://www.gondorwriterscentre.com/workshops.html

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