Reference guide: Dialogue in stories

[Babypants]

51 minutes ago, EmmyTheMushroom said:

Thanks for posting this! As I am new to sharing my content writer, this is great. So many sources online make it so complicated. I always struggle with creating exciting dialogues. Sometimes, internal thought when in the first person seems easier.  Thanks!

Let me add one thing here.  Blocking particles work best when you start by defining the character of the person speaking, and pick verbs that are consistent with the personality in question.  So, Cindy the bubbly sorority girl in my Homage and Aardvark stories yells, screams, shrieks, screeches-- but the introspective psychiatrist Rita is much more likely to observe, muse, or consider.  I have gazillions of characters in my stories, and everyone of them has a backstory and personality profile.  This makes it easy to change pace and to open up the vocabulary playbook to get all the way to the trick plays on the last page.  

Here's another rule I like to follow.  When your character is in a lazy situation, choose verbs that slow things down.  When the character is rushing around like the proverbial chicken with its head cut off, choose verbs that speed up the action.  The one character strolls while the other races.   Choosing the right verb is a question of personality / setting.

Fun discussion, this.  Glad to see that it's still live.