10 tips on How to write a story

5) Write Meaningful Dialogue

5) Write Meaningful Dialogue

Make Your readers hear the pauses between the sentences. Let them see characters lean forward, fidget with their cuticles, avert their eyes, uncross their legs.

-Jerome Stern

Dialogue is what your characters say to each other (or to themselves)

Each character gets his/her own paragraph when speaking and the paragraph includes whatever you wish to say about what the character is doing when speaking.

E.g.1.

“Where are you going?” John cracked his knuckles while he looked at the floor. “To the racetrack.” Mary edged toward the door, keeping her eyes on John’s bent head. “Not again” John stood up, flexing his fingers. “We are already maxed out on our credit cards.”

E.g.2.

“Where are you going?” John asked nervously.

“To the racetrack,” Mary said, trying to figure out whether John was too upset to let her get away with it this time.

            “Not again,” said John, wondering how they would make that month’s rent. “We are already maxed out on our credit cards.”

E.g.3.

            “Where are you going?” John cracked his knuckles while he looked at the floor.

            “To the racetrack.” Mary edged toward the door, keeping her eyes on John’s bent head.

            “Not again,” John stood up, flexing his fingers. “ We are already maxed out on our credit cards.”

E.g.4.

            “Where are you going?”

            John cracked his knuckles while he looked at the floor. “To the racetrack.”

            Mary edged toward the door, keeping her eye on John’s bent head. “Not again.”

            John stood up, flexing his fingers. “We are already maxed out on our credit cards.”

Which example would you be more interested to carry on reading? Why?

Jam