One area I try to improve on in my fiction is hitting the right balance between exposition and dialogue. So I was thrilled to listen to literary agent Jill Marr's suggestions on how to do that during her "Exposition versus Dialogue" presentation at the All Write Now! Conference.
Here are the ten takeaways I plan to focus on from list she discussed:
* Write it down then go back over the telling part and change to show.
* Start as late as
you can in the plot.
* Lock up back story
and let out only when needed.
* Don’t have two
characters talking about what they already know.
* Don’t use quotes
on an entire page.
* Fold exposition in
like eggs into a batter.
* Don’t give up great heaps
of information.
* Dialogue has to ring true.
* Use italics for interior dialogue.
* Don't use he said/she said if it's obvious who is speaking.
How about you: Do you find any of the above suggestions helpful when writing fiction?
Oh yes, these are great tips! Thanks for sharing - I suddenly have the urge to write some fiction. Complete with dialogue, of course! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Karen,
DeleteOne thing she did stress was that fiction writers should become masters of dialogue.
Just about each one rings true. I think--sometimes--we don't give the reader enough credit. We worry that if they're in a state of disequilibrium, if they're unsure, they won't go along on the ride with us. That's not true. If we hook them, and then give enough hints for them to follow, they'll keep reading to figure out the story.
ReplyDeleteJill Marr's session was great. Thanks for the reminders, Donna.
You're welcome, Sioux. I didn't list all her tips, just the ones that resonated with me.
DeleteGreat checklist! Loved this one: Fold exposition in like eggs into a batter. Thanks for sharing with us, Donna.
ReplyDeleteHi Clara,
DeleteYou're welcome. I liked that one too!
Yes, she gave us some useful guidelines. Don't use quotes on an entire page is a good one.
ReplyDeleteAnd also, if you've gone three pages without dialogue, that's too long. Unless I just imagined that one!
That was another good one, Val. Thanks for reminding me. It's in my notes but I didn't post all my notes on my blog, otherwise it would be a long, long list.
DeleteHelpful advice that I will try to incorporate into my writing!
ReplyDeleteGreat advice from the pros...you're included :)
ReplyDeleteTerrific advice, all. It isn't always easy to nail it, but makes for a great read when it falls together!
ReplyDelete