Real dialogue for realistic characters

The title of today's blog is "Real dialogue for realistic characters" -- but a better title for me would be "Shut up and listen!"

Unrealistic (or more often, uncharacteristic) dialogue is one of the top reasons why I get stuck while writing a book. It means I don't feel comfortable with the scene that I'm writing, and if I'm not comfortable, my characters aren't comfortable. All this discomfort boils down to one thing -- I'm writing the wrong scene for the wrong time, or the scene doesn't belong in the book. Period. And the only thing force-feeding words into my characters' mouths is going to get me is more bogged down.

But what if you know it's the right scene at the right time, and the words still aren't flowing? When I'm in "the zone" it's like I'm eavesdropping on my characters and typing what they're saying as fast as I can. It's like the "runner's high" for writers. It's those brief flashes of magic that get us through the boggy swamp parts (and believe me, there's plenty of those). To get into the zone, I have to do two things -- shut up and listen. I'm a bit of a control freak and that control seeps onto the page/screen. It sounds like such a simple thing, but it ain't easy to do. Writers on a deadline want to control the direction the book takes, the pace at which it is written, and the schedule we want it to stick to. I'm on my fourth book, and it's just now starting to sink through my thick skull that I really don't have much control over these things, and I never will. A book is a creative work, and creativity refuses to punch a time clock.

The solution for me to getting the words flowing is to sit quietly (and not to freak out because I'm wasting precious writing minutes), and put your character(s) into the scene. I've been with my characters a long time and I know them well. I ask myself, "Okay, this is the situation Raine is in -- she knows how she feels about it and ain't shy about telling everyone precisely what she thinks. Listen and write it down (knowing that I can edit out any excessive four-letter words later). ; )

And you will find that in getting to know and truly listening to your characters is that none of them express themselves in the same way, be it physical mannerisms or speech. For example, Raine is straightforward and doesn't mince words; she uses short sentences to get her message across to others. Sarad Nukpana is formal, uses longer words, longer sentences, and more elegant turns of phrase.

The key to writing real dialogue is to get to know your characters just as well as you know "real" people. You know what your wife/husband/significant other/best friend would say or do in any given situation -- because you know them that well. Apply the same principles to your characters and the magic will happen.

Some of what's coming in the two weeks:

• How to keep a story believable
• Say no to "info dump"
  
• Start with a hook, end with a cliffhanger
  
• Let every scene advance the plot
  
• Never stop learning
  

Next Friday (the day after Thanksgiving here in the US), I'll post another snippet from The Trouble with Demons. And this time I'm taking requests. Which character would you like to see featured in the snippet?

And this Saturday, I'll post the new TTWD postcards and bookmarks that are now being printed.

Lisa