TIPS FOR WRITERS

Try these techniques to enhance your writing skills

Write, write, write. If you want to be a writer, just write.


Some tips for creating DIALOGUE

Develop an 'ear' for dialogue--listen to the way in which people speak, the words and phrases they use, the tone of voice, the body language and gestures they make. File these observations away and use them for your characters.

Whatever way you want to use dialogue in your fiction, it's useful to start by listening to the characteristics of real speech. If you want to mimic real speech in your dialogue, you'll know what to imitate. And if you want to use dialogue in an unrealistic way, the patterns of real speech will give you a starting point. What are the characteristics of real speech? From listening closely to almost any real speech, we could list these qualities:

  • sentences are sometimes left unfinished
  • it's sometimes ungrammatical
  • it needs physical gestures to make the meaning clear
  • it's sometimes rambling
  • it's sometimes repetitious


    • Speech works in real life but it might not work as dialogue on the page. In its written out form, its problems might be:

  • there's no focus, so it's hard to follow;
  • there are dull parts between the interesting parts;
  • it assumes knowledge that the reader mightn't have and uses a kind of  shorthand;
  • some of it makes no sense without the gesture or tone of voice or facial expression that went with it.

    • Dialogue can be part of a story or it can inspire a story. Dialogue is an optional extra, if you decide to use it you should ask yourself what purpose it's filling in the story. Dialogue is a kind of music: You have to trust your ear and your instinct.

    From Round Table Writing  [Erin Heffernan, Frances Barnes, Sharon Rundle]


    Join a Writers' Group to help with motivation and writing fellowship. If you can't find a group locally, why not start a writing group?

    Don't know how to start a writing group?

    Round Table Magic -- A workbook for writers and writing groups will show you how to form your own writing group and provides workshops and exercises to challenge and inspire your imagination and creativity.

    For more Information on Round Table Magic go to: BOOKS

    Happy Writing,
    Sharon



                                                    

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