Dialogue can be a tricky component of writing because natural speech often sounds awful or boring, but we don't want our characters to sound artificial.

After you've read this week's article, you might want to take a notebook and find a place to eavesdrop on some conversations. Try sitting with your back to your "victims" - firstly, it makes it less obvious that you're listening to them, and secondly you have to make your imagination work harder to fill in the gestures and body language. When the conversation is over, go back and make up these missing action components.

Have fun!

Writing good dialogue

Fictional dialogue is a careful blend of natural sounding speech and more eloquent lines pre-written for the character, and made to make the most of dramatic effect.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art56395.asp

If you enjoyed the eavesdropping exercise, tell us about it in the forum:

http://forums.bellaonline.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=404129#Post404129

I hope to hear from you sometime soon, either in the forum or in response to this email message. I thrive on your feedback!

Have fun passing this message along to family and friends, because we all love free knowledge!

Elle
Elsa Neal, Fiction Writing Editor
http://fictionwriting.bellaonline.com
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