The Secret to Writing Dialog
Tuesday, January 26th, 2010
by John Bowers
During my first year in college (which was also my last year in college) I took a creative writing course; only three of those enrolled were regular day students - the rest were older people with families and jobs. It was an informal class in which we talked a lot about writing and everyone shared stories and chapters, which were read aloud. I expected my writing to be a big hit, but I had a surprise in store.
“I’m amazed at your dialog!” one man told me. “It sounds so natural.”
“What’s your secret?” another lady asked.
Secret? I didn’t know there was a secret. I was telling a story, the characters spoke, and I wrote it down. I was more amazed than they were, that anyone would have trouble writing dialog.
But apparently some people do. So what’s the “secret”? (more…)
