heywriters:lady-feral: justsycrets: So I just started my short story writing class! These are dialo

heywriters:

lady-feral:

justsycrets:

So I just started my short story writing class! These are dialogue tips

reference later

These are good tips.

Notice they are not labeled “rules.” For instance, I would have to take issue with #3 if it was a “rule.” There are times, especially in media like film or podcast, where dialogue is the best way to slip a morsel of exposition in and still feel authentic. Instead of a paragraph long explanation of something, sometimes a character may just ask “Why?” and another answer “Because reasons.” Voila, a little exposition in an easy to swallow capsule. Just don’t do it often.

Likewise, #5 sounds too strict until you get to #6. There is a definite time and a place for adverbs and modifiers, but 5 & 6 are there to help you balance show vs tell. “Said” tells us a character spoke. “Using an action” shows us how that character felt while speaking. Both are necessary. Adverbs and modifiers are the quickest shortcut between the two, but in a good narrative readers don’t want shortcuts we want immersion and character building. So keep your shortcuts handy, but don’t cut corners on storytelling.