After our little discussion on character building a few days ago, the topic of dialogue has come up again and I think it needs a little more exploration. So, let's continue our so-I-think-I'm-a-writer-101 and let's talk about dialogue.
At its most basic, dialogue is nothing more than what your characters say to each other. There are so many schools of thought and techniques regarding dialogue, and I'll be honest upfront and say I've studied a LOT of them, that I would hazard to say that there are as many ideas about the best ways to write dialogue as there are people banging away on keyboards. Some people believe you should write dialogue along formal rules, others say that you should keep them sounding like real people. As I've stated a few times on this blog, I am a huge fan of writer/actor/director/genius in action Kevin Smith. One of the reasons I like the man's work is that it's distinctive in the way he treats dialogue on the whole. In a Q&A session a few years ago, Mr. Smith referred to his method of creating dialogue as making his characters speak as he thinks people ought to speak, profanity included. He referred to it as a ratcheted up version of reality. I've never heard anything before that I felt was so very, very dead on point from another writer.
Here's my simple guide to writing dialogue. First, remember the world in which your characters reside. Do they sound like they belong there? For example, are you writing a fantasy story but for some reason everyone sounds like an extra from Sex and the City? Unless you are doing this on purpose for effect, which is sort of like trying the advanced stuff out of the Kama Sutra without a spotter, you're probably going to end up with a mess on your hands. Your dialogue must keep your characters grounded in your world, thus keeping your readers' willing suspension of disbelief in working order and allowing them to enjoy the story.
Just a quick side note on 'your world.' Whether you realize it or not, everything you scribble on paper or screen is created inside of a world. Whether you choose to show two people sitting on a dark stage in a screenplay or you think you're the next Tolkien or Martin and are creating an entire fantasy world, you are creating a place for your characters to play in. (By the way, every writer's group and lit professor will tell you not to even bother trying to outdo Tolkien on world creation. Screw them! If you're up for it and willing to dedicate yourself to the task, go for it.) Even if you are setting your story in the daily world you inhabit in a very real place, the story still takes place in your 'take' on that world. It's categorically impossible to write 100% reality, in my very less than humble opinion. Even journalists can't do it! Don't believe me? Why in the world do you think there are so many libel and slander suits every year?
Next, do they sound like they are actually speaking to each other? I made a reference in the characterization discussion to dialogue that sounds like bad actors trying to dry read Shakespeare. Again this is only my opinion, but my advice is to stick with what you know. My dialogue usually comes out as idealized versions of how someone I know speaks. I'm forever picking up on things someone says or how they say them and it inevitably finds its way into my writing. I'll give you an example: 'oh dear.' My friend Meghan says this on a regular basis. No matter how hard I tried, I've ended up with a character in the new book who says it about four times. I mentioned in the characterization post that I have a character that says 'dude' too much when drunk. That came directly from someone who was a very close friend at the time as well. What you are going for when you are creating conversations is that they are natural above and beyond anything else. The test I put all my dialogue through is very simple: could I have just plausibly overheard it or does it sound manufactured?
Now let me caution you very seriously on one note. Be careful where you pull parts and pieces from as you assemble your characters and dialogue. The first thing you have to consider is a legal term called likeness rights. If you craft a character that is too close to someone in real life, you could find yourself owing them a portion of any money you make from the piece. In worst case, you may even find yourself getting sued if they object to your use. That's the major reason I will never use any one person, or anything that can be tied to one person, as a character. The other thing you have to be careful with is what stories you use for your work. It's okay to use a great story from college as fodder for your work, just don't make it so that any one person is identifiable. You never know when someone you know may end up having to have an uncomfortable conversation with their spouse over an old story you used in a book. Remember, that great sex scene you just wrote that you based on a crazy night in high school could lead to major issues when your tumble partner's husband finds out that in fact they weren't a virgin on their wedding night!
One last note on dialogue, and this one I mean with all my heart, has to do with profanity. I believe very strongly that profanity is an art form and when used correctly can give a reader awesome insight into a character. When used poorly, however, profanity not only makes your character look like an idiot but really cheapens your work and makes it amateurish in tone. I say this with full knowledge that I use the F word literally in the first line of my new book. Is it there for a purpose? Hell yes. Is it absolutely necessary to use it there? No, BUT I made a conscious choice to use it there. I use it to not only show the moral bankruptcy of my character from the outset but also to show the depth of the problem he's discussing. Using 'damn' or 'freaking' in the same spot just wouldn't have the same effect. Also, be careful who you allow to use profanity and make sure it fits their character, unless it is totally against character on purpose. Remember, there are few things funnier than a cussing nun!
Well, that's about all I've got on dialogue. My advice is pretty basic: make it fit, make it sound real, and swear only when it's a good fit. Good luck!
Thanks again to Shannon as well as the Proud Failures Writing Group for some material for this discussion.
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