In class on Monday, the main topic of conversation was
dialog and how crucial it is for developing your story. As professor Jenkins mentioned, it moves the
story along and provides the reader with information.
When it comes to dialog though you have to be careful
because it’s easy to make mistakes and in class we discussed some of the major
ones. One issue is having too much dialog. While some people remember
monologues, everybody remembers one- liners.
For example, “I’ll be back”. I don’t even have to say what movie or
actor said that because I’m sure you knew, the second your read it.
Another issue is sounding too real and using too much
jargon. With using slang and trying to sound real you can run the risk of
sounding fake. You need to just focus on grammar short cuts and conveying
complete interactions.
Another thing to add to the list of no-no’s is using a name
too often. It’s not natural and it doesn’t sound right. You also have to avoid telling the reader
what they already know. Don’t repeat yourself.
You also need to give your characters distinctive voices or
else you run the risk of having them all sound the same. Consider their
education, culture, accent, regionalism, age, physicality and the list goes on
and on. All of these things can help determine how you want to portray your
characters voices.
And finally, a important and major thing to consider when
writing dialog is making sure to convey the emotion of your characters. Make
sure that the dialog reflects what they are feeling. It helps the reader relate.
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