#writetip Do you think your dialogue is stilted?
Here’s a quick tip. Look for dialogue where you don’t use contractions and rewrite with a contraction.
“I can not find my rain gear.”
Or
“I can’t find my rain gear.”
Which one sounds less stilted to you?
How to write good dialogue is a popular topic for blogs this week. #writetip There is great advice out there.
Jody Hedlund describes Seven Ways to Develop Dazzling Dialogue.
Girls with Pens writes about 5 Basics About Dialogue You Need to Know.
But how do you know it’s good? You need to hear it. Grab a digital recorder and read the dialogue to yourself. This works for me. If I stumble over words I’m reading, I know it’s not right.
You get two shots at it. Once when reading, and once when playing the dialogue back to yourself on the recorder.
Repeat until you’re happy with how it sounds.
Kristina Stanley 