: Re: How to handle dialogue? I have difficulties to write more than simple dialogue that still works and is readable. So, I have two options here: Try harder, read more books with lots of dialogue

I struggled with writing dialogue for a long time, it bothered me that I could never make it sound like real conversation. As I've previously written I don't like to solve problems by seeing how other's have resolved them i.e. by reading how other's approach dialogue

My resolution was to realise that you don't need to make it sound like real conversation, you are using characters speech to convey story concepts. With that thought speech becomes a literary device that you employ in the appropriate situations to move your story along.

I started off with a desription of what I wanted them to say 'Julie talked to Mark about the train times' and put together a small exchange to convey that information.

Although there are also a number of novels that have relied on reported speech, so if that works for you, and the end product feels more comfortable, then perhaps that is better for you.

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: Re: How to handle dialogue? I have difficulties to write more than simple dialogue that still works and is readable. So, I have two options here: Try harder, read more books with lots of dialogue

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: How to find the balance between research and the obvious I'm embarking on writing my first popular science book on a controversial subject. For sure the writing must be rational, coherent with

: I need to smash a wrist in a grocery store One of my lead characters has to do community service at a grocery store. She has magical powers that will allow her to escape easily, but they

: It depends, but probably you want the distributed approach where the chapter on X tells you everything you need to know about X, even if some of that is only relevant if you're using feature

: How many names in a book are too many? It seems to me there is a relative limit for commercial fiction regarding the number of named characters. This makes sense, of course. Readers get confused;

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