tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5873256532772708160.post7895629927833060762..comments2023-08-10T08:59:48.131-07:00Comments on What She Wrote: Dialogue 101: 5 Things You Definitely Want to AvoidRachel Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00991463819733034833noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5873256532772708160.post-84943725336731374732015-10-20T21:56:16.270-07:002015-10-20T21:56:16.270-07:00You pretty much nailed it down. Cut down on banter...You pretty much nailed it down. Cut down on banter, cut down on exposition; be vague if you must for dialogue to sound natural, and fill in the blanks in your character's inner dialogue or in the description or action. They should all work together in accord to propel the story OR character development (which is really part of the story if the story is good).<br />There's this thing called context that allows people to actually say much less than everything really involved in the matter they are discussing. By following this simple principle of previous understanding between characters, you're much more likely to convey depth of character and story; as long as you actually know what the context and what the understanding is so that you can be consistent, that is.<br /><br />I do a lot of this instinctively, so it's hard to put down as a 101, but I think part of nailing down someone's voice lies in knowing in what manner the character relates to the outside world (and I'm borrowing a lot here from Socionics, which I've never really grasped in detail but find very helpful as a principle). Do they take it in, or do they act upon it (do they act or react)? Do they deal with people's feelings, or their more material and situational needs? Do they deal with the here and now, or think more in a big picture kind of way? Do they focus on details and individuality, or systems and principles? That would all have an effect on the way they lead a conversation (or are led). And thinking those things at least a little bit through, even if mostly instinctively as I do, also helps make the dialogue more relevant to the story and character development, because you can then have each character play the role that suits them and propels the story in a particular direction.Hana - Marmotahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03532515160608083460noreply@blogger.com