4 Tips for Writing Effective Dialogue

Effective dialogue should be realistic, character building, plot-related, and, above all, interesting. With the following tips, you can begin to improve the dialogue in your writing instantly.

1. Think about what your characters are saying. Is this what somebody would say realistically? Listen to conversations when you’re out and about, whether you’re on the bus or in line at the supermarket. Pay attention. This will help you start to think about how people generally communicate with one another.
   
   Listen to the tone of their voices and the kinds of words they use to establish their relationships. Is the average person likely to use a word like ‘tenacious’ in an everyday sentence when a more commonly used word would be ‘stubborn?’
   
   These are all things you need to be thinking about and asking yourself when writing dialogue. Say what you’ve written aloud to ensure it sounds realistic when spoken.


2. So, somebody might say it realistically… but should you really write it into your story? By the same token, going too far in the other direction should be avoided too! People frequently say things like ‘I’m going to the bathroom,’ but it doesn’t make for interesting reading.
   
   For example, if two of your characters are having a conversation, don’t have them interject with things like this. It’s dry and doesn’t help the reader.
Your characters should always be saying something. Long conversations about nothing in particular aren’t at all interesting. The following is an example:

Bob: I’m going to make some coffee.
Bobette: Can I have one too, please?
Bob: Sure. Where have you put the coffee this time?
Bobette: Top shelf. So, today I went to the shop…

And so on and on and on. Everyday conversations that are somewhat mandatory in real life, but dull as dishwater to read about, do not make for effective dialogue.

3. Think to yourself, ‘is this something my character would say?’ A middle aged character is not going to use the same dialogue as their fictional teenage son. Keep asking yourself questions as you write dialogue, and even more so during editing, such as: ‘does this sound like my character? Would my character say this?’ and so on. It might feel like hard work at first, but soon it will become second nature.
   
   
4. Are you furthering the plot? So, you’ve reached the climax of your story. There is chaos everywhere. And your characters start having a conversation about how many trees there are around them.

Okay, this is an unlikely example. But the point is, ensure that your characters are not having discussions that are irrelevant, or speaking for the sake of it. Yes, you need dialogue for the purpose of building your characters, but they must always be furthering the plot at the same time. For this purpose, dialogue is just as important as narrative.

Writing good dialogue takes practise and a great deal of thought. Keep all of the above in mind and you’ll find yourself writing effective dialogue in no time.

Stephanie-Louise Farrell is an up-and-coming authoress who has already published a popular selection of short stories called 'Haunted' and is now engaged on writing a full-length novel. She is represented by Any Subject Books.

3 Creative Ways to Plan Your Short Story or Novel

All writers work differently. Some can create an entire short story or novel in their heads before they even put pen to paper; others open a blank document and plan on-the-go. If you like to have a clear plan before moving into action – either one that is extremely complex and detailed, or just the bare bones – the following tips are for you.

Don't get stuck without a notebook -
you never know when genius will strike.

1. What are the main events in your novel or short story? Choose three or four – beginning, middle and end – and name them, adding brief notes for what happens within each section. Now write these onto flashcards, and stick them up on your wall; preferably somewhere you’ll see them frequently.
   
   This way, not only will you be able to refer to them when you need them, but you’ll see them all the time and find yourself constantly reminded of the important parts of your plot. Your subconscious will process them too, making sure they’re never far from your mind. This will help you to keep a better handle on your ideas.
   
2. This particular method works best for novels. If you’d like a more detailed plan, buy a new notebook – you have an excuse to treat yourself to a really nice one here, it’s important after all! – and use it purely to plan your story.
   
   Divide this notebook into sections – one for your characters, big and small (it pays to plan your smaller characters in detail too), one for your plot and one for your subplots.
   
   Use the characters section for your character profiles, the plot section for detailed plans for each of your chapters, and, for the final section, detailed notes on your subplots and how they fit in parallel to your story.
   
   Keep this notebook with you at all times so you can jot down new ideas as they come to you. If you are very organised by nature, this way of planning will work very well for you.
   
3. Think about the shape and outline of a typical family tree. Sketch one out, but instead of writing the names of your great-great-great grandparents in the boxes, write down the outline of your story instead, from beginning to end. This one is particularly useful if you have a number of subplots, or a number of intertwined stories and characters.

Planning a story, particularly a long one, can be frustrating and tedious, and at worst, you can lose interest. However, making a long plan and having fun with it can keep you motivated, and make you look forward to sitting down and bringing your vision to life.

 

Stephanie-Louise Farrell is an up-and-coming author who is currently working on a new novel to go alongside her anthology of short stories entitled 'Haunted' (published by Any Subject Books). Aside from her writing she loves animals and lives in London.

Tips for managing writer’s block

You’ve just got to the middle of your novel, you’ve been working on it relentlessly, you’re excited and proud of what you have so far; and suddenly, nothing.

Unblocking tool

The truth is, there is no easy way to manage writer’s block. It’s a nasty experience for a writer, and techniques that work for some to move past it might not work for others. To start with, here are three ways to make yourself feel better about the entire experience: 

1. Don’t be hard on yourself. This is the worst thing you can do. You’ll just feel bad and you might even lose your motivation to write altogether. Thoughts like ‘well, it wasn’t that good anyway, I might as well just give up’ are not allowed. Remember how excited you were about it, and how well it was going. Once you move past the block those feelings will come back.
2. The phrase ‘you can’t rush art’ might sound like a pretentious cliché that only people in black turtle-necks and berets would use, but it’s true. Unless you have an official deadline set in stone by a publishing company, don’t set deadlines for yourself. You’ll find yourself forcing ideas and they either won’t come at all, or the ones that do will not be up to standard. Let your ideas come naturally. By saying ‘I must have this chapter done by 5pm by tomorrow and not a minute later’ you put unnecessary pressure on yourself; you won’t feel creative anymore and you won’t produce the best standard of work. Be patient.
3. Minimise the block in your mind. Feeling stuck might make you feel a bit rubbish but don’t let it appear to you as any bigger than it is. It is merely a minor hurdle in the creative process that you can and will move past.

Don't quit

Feeling better? Now here are five practical ways to combat the block and move on:

1. Forget about what you’re writing. Step away from it and do something else. If you’re working on another project, go and do that for a while. This will give you a sense of achievement and, if you’re lucky, the break might get your ideas flowing again. Cleaning is a very good task for this. It doesn’t require any brainpower, leaving your head free for idle thoughts which may lead to new ideas. Which brings me to my next point…
2. Clear your workspace. If your desk, sofa, snug etc is cluttered then how do you expect to write? If you have old cups of coffee lying around which appear to be growing penicillin get rid of them, fast. Organise yourself. Tidy away those books and pens. You’ll feel more relaxed within a clear working space.
3. Go for a walk. Be mindful. Take in your surroundings. Concentrate on what you see; it might inspire you, or free up your mind for new ideas.
4. Read a dictionary. Seriously.
5. Talk to a friend who is a writer and spend an hour or so discussing your project with them. Bounce some ideas around. Even if nothing you can use comes out of it, you may find you see your writing in a whole new light. You’ll at least have things to reflect on and think about, which may get you moving again. And an outside input helps any creative process.

Blocks are something all writers experience, but even the nastiest of them can be overcome. Keep positive.

 

Stephanie-Louise Farrell is an up-and-coming author who is currently working on a new novel to go alongside her anthology of short stories entitled 'Haunted' (published by Any Subject Books). Aside from her writing she loves animals and lives in London.

How to Effectively Build Characters

Your characters are the most important part of your story - yes, even more important than the plot!

You can still create a well-written, meaningful piece of fiction without a large and complex narrative, but you can't have a good story without well-built and realistic characters to drive it. The people in your story must be multi dimensional, have their own unique histories and interests, make mistakes and most importantly, appear to be just like somebody you could meet in real life. Here are some tips on how to make your characters as believable as possible.

Watch and understand people

Observe, always observe

In order to build well-rounded characters, you must have a good understanding of human nature and what drives people to do the things they do. Go to the park and and 'people-watch.' Study how they interact. Pick up on their little quirks, listen to the funny things they say. Pick fragments of them, and of people you know; you can mix them up and put them all together to create a character.

It is not always necessary for your characters to be likeable

Obviously this goes without saying if your character is a serial killer or similar, but even if not, remember your main character doesn't always have to be likeable, nor do they always have to do the right thing. We meet people we dislike all the time in everyday life. We are all human and make mistakes, and it is good to reflect this in your writing. Stories with an unlikeable protagonist(s) can sometimes provide a more interesting narrative, and give the reader a thought-provoking experience.

Know your characters

Write extensively, for your own use, about your characters history, their best and worst traits, even little things that might seem silly - their favourite foods, for example! Create this, memorise it, get to know your characters and let this knowledge drive you as you lead them through the story. You don't have to share the small details, or even their history if you don't want to - how much you tell your reader about them is up to you, and sometimes it can be more effective to keep details about the character secret. Know your characters inside out and let that knowledge drive them.



Keep that eye open!

DO YOUR RESEARCH

This is so important. It's not just the plot that needs research behind it to look authentic; your characters need it too. If one of your characters has an illness you know nothing about, read up on it! Find stories of personal experience to help you add that personal touch. Get that authenticity.

Understand how your characters relate to one another

In real life, even the best of friends do not get along all the time. Not everybody likes everything about everyone and people have different opinions. Let this feed into your interactions between characters, their conversations, and the ways in which they relate to one another; it will make for more effective, realistic seeming characters.

About the writer

This great advice was written by one of our authors, Stephanie-Louise Farrell, who, like me, is a keen advocate of observing people and using that experience in her writing. She's put together an excellent collection of her short stories called 'Haunted - Four Tales Of Obsession And Horror' which, as you can see from her reviews, have been very well received. The anthology's definitely a walk on the dark side and is extremely well written - I can definitely recommend it. She's currently working on her next book and I hope that us here at ASB will be handling its publication.