Dialogue is not CONVERSATION. It’s a FUNCTION OF CHARACTER.

Let us look at dialogue, how characters express themselves verbally. It’s probably the most prominent part of any story.

While it may create the illusion of conversation, it is selected, ordered and purposeful. It must be crafted to create the illusion that this is what those characters would say within the context of the story. It must convey important elements of the plot but still work as dialogue and create the illusion of conversation.

Conversations in real life are full of awkward pauses, poor word choices and phrasing, and pointless repetitions; they seldom make a point or achieve closure. Dialogue in a fictional reality must have the swing of everyday talk but content well above normal. It requires compression and economy and must say the maximum in the fewest possible words.

Dialogue is more stylized than everyday conversation. It is punchier, slicker, and more dynamic. Dialogue must be crafted to create the illusion that this is what those characters would say within the context of the story.

One of the biggest flaws in writing is the overuse of dialogue.  Too often, the dialogue tells the audience what they already know or have no need to know about the characters and the plot.

We watch a FILM. We hear a PLAY. We read a BOOK.

In THE WRITE JOURNEY course we fully explore 10 functions of Dialogue, how to convey exposition in your story, crafting functional subtext, and you will write scenes with dialogue that your coach will evaluate.