“All Dialogue is Conflict!”
Author Jacqueline Lichtenberg’s battle call perfectly encapsulates my feelings about dialogue.
I’d recently finished two science fiction romance books as well as one novella, and am currently in the middle of an awesome steampunk story. What they all have in common is dialogue that pops off the page. In other words, dialogue that isn’t afraid to get its hands dirty with a lot of conflict—hence this post.
Dialogue is a crucial element to many stories. It’s difficult to do well and easy to fumble. I’m generally a plot gal, but if the dialogue sparkles, I can often forgive a low key plot or even story flaws.
I’m a big fan of conflict-laden dialogue in films, too, and sometimes I wonder how much that medium has influenced how I read/evaluate dialogue in books. Probably quite a bit (“Why am I Mr. Pink?”*). If dialogue is competent, at the least it becomes an invisible part of the process. At that point, I focus more on the story. But if superior fare dances before my eyes, it just makes the experience that much more compelling.
Dialogue is conflict, and great dialogue is infinitely seductive.
Now I’d like to point you to a few intensive posts about dialogue, brought to you by a few of the authors at Alien Romances:
“You don’t understand!” She shouted angrily… (Linnea Sinclair)
Expletive-Deleted & Tender Romance (Jacqueline Lichtenberg)
Speaking and Swearing in Alien Tongues: Reprise (Linnea Sinclair)
Screams of the Vegetables (Margaret Carter)
Verisimilitude VS Reality (Jacqueline Lichtenberg)
Joyfully yours,
Heather
* Quentin Tarantino's RESERVOIR DOGS
6 comments:
I've read all those, I think.
I was instantly attracted to the cover art of Agent of Change. The woman isn't Hollywood beautiful and it made me instantly assume the story had substance. I had to go read the blurb at Amazon.com and I think I'd better get it. That's what a bazillion Romance novel covers with mostly naked and perfectly beautiful lovers on the front will do to a reader.
I love writing dialogue so much that I often have to go back and put all the other stuff in...like, you know, the plot and stuff.
Fave movie for dialogue - Miller's Crossing. Brilliant!
Kimber An, yes, that cover was a nice change. It conveys warmth without going over the top. Val Con man titty? Heaven forbid! Miri might feel differently, dunno....
Hi, Z! Miller's Crossing, eh? Must remember that one. I had to look it up at imdb, and found that Steve Buscemi's in it! I'm sold.
FARGO had great dialogue, too. Basically any movie with Steve Buscemi has good dialogue, come to think of it. Steve Buscemi man titty? Now we're talking!
But seriously, I really enjoyed the dialogue in AGENT OF CHANGE and NAKED IN DEATH. It's so good in places that I had to stop and re-read the lines. Truly clever dialogue--not clever that's trying too hard.
Rowena Cherry has a lot of very sly and clever dialogue in her books. She has fun with it and it shows.
You can't go wrong with good dialogue.
Great links, Heather! As a writer used to writing historicals, I found the articles to be very helpful as I construct my first ever SFR.
Wow, those links were sooo good. -C
Glad the links helped you, Susan and Carole! And to think, it's all there for free. That says a lot about the authors there.
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