Talk
to Me - Writing Believable Dialogue
Mia Zachary copyright July 2001
All
excerpts and examples are the work of the author unless otherwise
credited
The
grapevine
Go ahead and
eavesdrop! Listen to people in the mall, at family gatherings,
anywhere people are talking. Pay attention to the flow of
conversation, as well as the interruptions and pauses.
"Excuse
me?" Julie's voice rose to a squeak.
"I
said--"
"I
heard what you said. . I simply don't believe it!"
"Well,
believe it because this time--"
"Oh
yeah, this time--"
"Listen!
I'm serious."
Who
are you, really?
'Know your
characters' is the first rule of fiction writing. One goal as a writer
is to be able to isolate lines of unattributed dialogue and have the
reader know who said it. The words the characters use need to reflect
their heritage, upbringing and life experiences.
Jason
scowled. "I want this situation squared away."
"Hey,
Dad, you retired from the Army. Remember?"
"Hit and run, guys." Eileen shouted over the noise in
the ER. "ETA five minutes."
"Trauma
team, stand by." Casey checked the crash cart supplies as
she spoke.
Whither
thou useth dialect
We all love those
Scottish heroes, but frankly, the last time I was in Edinburgh, I
couldn't understand a thing. Like spices in a good recipe, use
the dialect sparingly. The same rule applies to foreign
languages, unless writing for a specific line such as the now defunct
Encanto.
"I
dinna know why I fash myself to reprimand you."
"Y'all
quit that, now. Git on back to work."
"The building on the corner, verdad? Before you get to
Avenida Cortez?"
Him
Tarzan, She is a woman named Jane
Men and woman do not
speak the same language. If you think I'm joking, looks at the
sales figures on self-help books that deal with communication. Here's
my sample:
"You're
a secret agent who's been lying to me since the day we met. When
were you going to tell me, Alex? Or is it Nick? What am I
supposed to call you?"
"Alex is fine. My dad goes by Nick."
"So, you were going to keep lying to me until until when
exactly?" She waved a hand vaguely in the air.
"I didn't lie. You know the real me."
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