IMPROVE OUR FICTION
As you all know, I have been working on rewrites of a novella, "Trusting Strangers." In doing this, I have shared with my students the process, the trials and angst of attempting to make this manuscript the best I can make it. One of the things I tell them I have tried to do is use some dramatic techniques. make sure I "show" as much of the characters, the interaction, the setting as possible.
We have all heard that using dialogue is an excellent way to "show" what our characters are doing. But writers have to be careful when using dialogue or thoughts in this attempt. Yes, we can use both of these techniques, but not to the extent that we, the author, show up giving out information. You want to show the action, for the most part, as it happens and allow the reader to be a part of the story--the writer needs to butt out. You can do this well with dialogue but, for the most part, it should be a current event, not a "looking back" at the happening.
I went to some books at random to find examples of show and tell. I enjoy some narative but when I see the dialogue interspersed with this description, it livens up or dramatizes the passage. You can dramatize with lots of dialogue; we humans talk a lot, so that's acceptable. We are also picky readers; very often we read the dialogue and skip the narration. Make sure your dialogue gives the reader a true understanding of the characters and, if two or more are involved in the exchange, show the relationship between characters. Let's not give readers a chance to skip the best parts of our writing.
Don't always use "said" as a tag. Show the readers a gesture or some small action to reinforce the dialogue.
I spoke of some readers shipping the long passages of description. Some writers get carried away (I loved James Mitchner's books but skipped a lot of description), and others don't give us enough. Try to reach that happy middle ground--put in enough color for readers to see the scene, the setting, or the characters. It takes practice to know how much is sufficient.
Writers can't dramatize every scene in the book or they will create tomes no one will publish, or read. The more important a scene is to the plot, to moving the story along, the more you want to "show" directly everything in what is happening. It is also your choice if you feel some shorter scenes need to be "plumped" up in order for readers to pick up on something they need to know to enhance the story, figure out the mysery, or understand the endng. Just don't choose to do this with every scene as we said before.
Show, don't tell. Use dramatic techniques to bring your stories to life. Readers will love it.
We have all heard that using dialogue is an excellent way to "show" what our characters are doing. But writers have to be careful when using dialogue or thoughts in this attempt. Yes, we can use both of these techniques, but not to the extent that we, the author, show up giving out information. You want to show the action, for the most part, as it happens and allow the reader to be a part of the story--the writer needs to butt out. You can do this well with dialogue but, for the most part, it should be a current event, not a "looking back" at the happening.
I went to some books at random to find examples of show and tell. I enjoy some narative but when I see the dialogue interspersed with this description, it livens up or dramatizes the passage. You can dramatize with lots of dialogue; we humans talk a lot, so that's acceptable. We are also picky readers; very often we read the dialogue and skip the narration. Make sure your dialogue gives the reader a true understanding of the characters and, if two or more are involved in the exchange, show the relationship between characters. Let's not give readers a chance to skip the best parts of our writing.
Don't always use "said" as a tag. Show the readers a gesture or some small action to reinforce the dialogue.
I spoke of some readers shipping the long passages of description. Some writers get carried away (I loved James Mitchner's books but skipped a lot of description), and others don't give us enough. Try to reach that happy middle ground--put in enough color for readers to see the scene, the setting, or the characters. It takes practice to know how much is sufficient.
Writers can't dramatize every scene in the book or they will create tomes no one will publish, or read. The more important a scene is to the plot, to moving the story along, the more you want to "show" directly everything in what is happening. It is also your choice if you feel some shorter scenes need to be "plumped" up in order for readers to pick up on something they need to know to enhance the story, figure out the mysery, or understand the endng. Just don't choose to do this with every scene as we said before.
Show, don't tell. Use dramatic techniques to bring your stories to life. Readers will love it.
Labels: Dialogue, Dramatization, fiction, Writing
posted by Barb | 7:30 PM
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