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Whoa, that convo would never take place!
Ever read a novel and have that thought come to mind while perusing the dialogue? That situation happened to me this week. Twice, in fact. One incident involved a YA novel. As an educator, I hear enough teen talk to know what's real and what's phony as a $3 bill. The other time I was critiquing a short story. Everything flowed in the piece, except the dialogue. Nothing like stealing that "feel good" feeling from a great piece of literature. (Insert frown here.)
Writers need to keep dialogue real; otherwise, readers will tune out. What are the best ways to pump up the reality volume of what your characters are saying? These tips will help you fine tune your characters' messages:
- Listen and Learn Unless you isolate yourself from the outside world, conversations that you can learn from take place all the time. Call if eavesdropping, but if you just sit and listen to people talk, you'll learn to pick up speech patterns, key words, phrasing, and rhythm - all which will help you write a realistic scene. For example, I attended a comedy show last night and paid attention to the comedian riff with an audience member. The comedian used timing to his advantage, creating this natural conversation with the guy in the front row. As the dialogue continued, even the audience member seemed to pick up on the established rhythm the comedian employed. It was a perfect example of listening and learning how individuals talk and respond to each other. One of the best methods for improving dialogue technique may require popcorn. Watch a movie and discover how each character treats the dialogue. It's more than words. Dialogue also means you're creating a mood, setting up a reaction, and propelling a character into new situations.
- Precision Trumps Surplus Once you've mastered listening, put your skills to the test. Dialogue shouldn't provide full disclosure. Instead, writers need to discern which information should be offered through dialogue. Info overload makes dialogue sound stilted. What's the best advice? Precision. Precision. Precision. A character's dialogue should make a point. Otherwise, it sounds fake.
- The Rule of Three Repetition can be a writer's best tool to drive home a point. When writing stand up comedy, you give two examples and then bam! hit the audience with a twist the third time. It's the same "rule of three" idea with fiction. Writers employ a key word or phrase three times in a row to emphasize a point. Moderation is the key with the rule of three. Too much of a good thing makes dialogue sound phony.
- Speak Up Once you've completed a scene, read it aloud. Do the words match the intended tone and message? Or does the conversation sound bogus? Sometimes I'll record a scene as a .wav or MP3 file, play it back, and hear where changes are needed. If you're part of a critique group, read snippets of dialogue to group members and use their input to decide whether or not the words flow or if the conversation needs to be rewritten.
Perhaps Alfred Hitchcock summed up realistic dialogue when he said, "Dialogue should simply be a sound among other sounds, just something that comes out of the mouths of people whose eyes tell the story in visual term
It’s very rare for me to find a teen novel based in Hawaii that reflects a realistic perspective on racial tension and gay issues in Hawaii, without being culturally generic or watered down. Clays Way by Blair Mastbaum is an honest and gritty depiction of a portion of teen life on Oahu. The story revolves around Sam a pale, skinny, 15 year old, punk-skateboarder who abhors, but at the same time wants to fit into a culture that worships tanned muscular surfers. Sam is an only child and has trouble relating to his bourgeois parents, who try to ignore him as much as possible. One day Sam meets Clay a local surfer at a skate shop and they bond after smoking pot. After a crazy night of drugs and alcohol Sam and Clay hook up. Sam then becomes obsessed with Clay and pursues him with a first loves intensity. However, Clay is not ready to declare he is gay and is torn between being a macho surfer, and admitting that he is in love with Sam. After a Lord of the Flies like experience in the Kauai jungle Clay and Sam have a lover’s spat, which results in Clays almost near self-destruction. The book snowballs into a dramatic ending leaving both Clay and Sam broken, but changed forever.
At first glance, both Sam and Clay are unlikeable characters because they are self-centered, angry, and destructive. However, one must remember that they are two gay teen boys trying to find themselves in a nihilistic way. (Hence, the reason why they listen to a lot of Punk rock throughout the book.) Based on some on-line reviews I found that people either hated or loved this book. And I agree, that this book is not for everyone and a lot of people may find the teen angst and explicit gay sex scenes extremely raunchy and tiresome. In addition, the characters are not positive role models nor is there any apparent moral to the story. However, upon close inspection this novel reveals a truth about human nature, in that all we really want is to be loved and accepted by others. In addition, non-native readers may have a hard time identifying with the local terminology. Hence, a glossary of terms at the end of the book might have been helpful for non-native readers. Also, librarians may be reluctant to recommend this title to younger teens due to the graphic sex scenes, drugs, and a plethora of swear words. However, this book might be helpful for older teens who are going through an identity crisis or who are dealing with gay issues.
*Just a side note: Mastbaum’s appears on the cover. He’s the one smoking.
Thank you for the tips...I tend to read my dialogue out loud. I need to "hear" the conversation taking place to make sure it sounds like a realistic discussion...and it helps a lot. Thanks again.