Two Tips for Writing Fiction
We do book coaching here at 3L Publishing. We see manuscripts in the early stages, and we see common mistakes. Here are some of the most common.
Exposition and storytelling via dialog. Have you ever heard the phrase show don't tell? New writers often use dialog to tell their stories vs. telling the story. They will give their characters paragraph-long speeches. How often do you talk to someone in paragraphs? I would suggest most conversations go back and forth -- that is a more natural flow. And it's far more compelling and interesting to read the story told via narrative not dialog.
Formalism in dialog. These days have you ever heard a generic conversation sound formal? Probably not. Most people use idioms, slang and colloquial expressions. If you are telling a story about certain age groups of people, go out and listen to how those people really talk to each other. Use dialog to develop your characters and show who they are; don't use it as a storytelling device, but rather a part of the story.
Want a great book coach? Contact us at 3L Publishing at 916-300-8012 or send an email to info@3LPublishing.com.
Exposition and storytelling via dialog. Have you ever heard the phrase show don't tell? New writers often use dialog to tell their stories vs. telling the story. They will give their characters paragraph-long speeches. How often do you talk to someone in paragraphs? I would suggest most conversations go back and forth -- that is a more natural flow. And it's far more compelling and interesting to read the story told via narrative not dialog.
Formalism in dialog. These days have you ever heard a generic conversation sound formal? Probably not. Most people use idioms, slang and colloquial expressions. If you are telling a story about certain age groups of people, go out and listen to how those people really talk to each other. Use dialog to develop your characters and show who they are; don't use it as a storytelling device, but rather a part of the story.
Want a great book coach? Contact us at 3L Publishing at 916-300-8012 or send an email to info@3LPublishing.com.
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