WRITERLY WISDOM: Monica Kulling

It's time once again for WRITERLY WISDOM where every Wednesday we will sneak a peek into the world of writing and publication. Dialogue can make or break a story. Author Monica Kulling offers pointers on how to kick things up a notch! Take it away Monica...

Talk To Me! 

by Monica Kulling

I write description in longhand because that's hardest for me and you're closer to the paper when you work by hand, but I use the typewriter for dialogue because people speak like a typewriter works.

— Ernest Hemingway

                Writing story dialogue sounds like it ought to be easy, right? After all, conversation surrounds us, all day long. We might think we know everything there is to know about putting words into a character’s mouth, but it’s helpful to keep in mind a few tips in order to add that extra sparkle.

Story dialogue needs to be doing many things at once, which can sometimes be a challenge to pull off. Here are a few ideas to keep in mind. Conveniently, these all happen to begin with the letter “D.”

Distinguish characters: Each of your characters must have a distinct way of speaking not only so that the reader can tell each one apart, but also so that the character’s personality can be revealed as the narrative unfolds. Each character has something that is most important to him or her and this is revealed in well-crafted dialogue.

Determine emotion: Write your dialogue so that the reader knows exactly what your characters are feeling and what’s important to them. Good story dialogue pays attention to the flow and movement of the words. Dialogue that expresses the sadness felt by a character is markedly different from dialogue that expresses exuberance.

Drive the story forward: Dialogue should be purposeful. It should set the scene, give insight into characterization, advance action, and foreshadow events around the corner. Do not use dialogue simply to convey information. It must move the narrative forward. Writers listen with hearts and minds to their characters’ interactions, and this becomes the backbone of any story we are writing.

Dynamic: Your dialogue ought to sound like an actual conversation, but with the boring bits removed!

Delightful: Write dialogue that not only accomplishes all the above but is also full of life and fun to read. This is possible by giving each character his or her own particular way of expression—his or her own dialogue notes, if you will. Like the color of a character’s hair, the way each character speaks, the idioms he or she uses, reveals something about your characters that description alone can’t cover.

I am by no means an expert on this subject but I have always enjoyed listening to and reading good dialogue. To get a better feel for this element of writing, go to the theatre and see lots of plays. A beautifully written play uses dialogue efficiently, majestically, and impressively. The ring of the words can be heard in your head long after the curtain falls.

Monica Kulling is the author of over forty books for children, including the popular Great Idea series, stories of inventors. In 2012, In the Bag!, the third book in the series, was selected as both a Top Ten Amelia Bloomer Project title and the Simon Wiesenthal Museum of Tolerance Honor Book.