Dialogue Problems.

Chatterbox: Inkwell

Dialogue Problems.

Dialogue Problems.

Does anyone else have trouble with certain parts of dialogue? My writing always slows down when it comes time to give a tangible explanation of the events that have happened to the MC.

Take my latest story, for instance. A kidnapper is telling his captives about why he did it, what he is going to do, etc. and I just get so... slow. Eventually I am gong to get bored ad forget about it, therefore leaving another story unsatifyingly unfinished.

Does anyone else have a similar problem? If so, how do you fix it? Help! 

submitted by Katie, age 13, outside looking
(January 20, 2011 - 1:29 pm)

back to the Inkwell

Whenever that happens to me, I either ask my family for help, or I write out the whole explanation, then revise it and cut out the things I don't need! 

submitted by Choco, age 12, here
(January 20, 2011 - 3:53 pm)

If it were my story, I would insert snarky comments from the kidnappees, because all my characters are epic snarkers. But I've read your excerpts and I don't believe this is the feel you're going for. Try injecting more of his personality into the speech? Break it up with the kidnappees saying/thinking things about it? But if this is boring you so much that you might not finish the story because of it, then skip it. Go on to a more interesting part, and come back and write this in later. 

submitted by ZNZ, age 13, Thulcandra
(January 20, 2011 - 7:52 pm)

I haven't had that problem yet. But when a story gets to a hard part for me to write in general, or I can't think of what to do to the characters next, I might back away from it for a while and try and write on something else I haven't written in a while. Or read! 

Peacing out for now,

Hannah :) :) 

submitted by Hannah, age 15, Grimmauld Place
(January 21, 2011 - 10:44 am)

I think when narrating a story in dialogue, it is a good idea to have the person being talked to answer a lot of questions. It helps move it along. But don't forget to have them guess wrong sometimes.

submitted by Emily L., age 15, WA
(January 22, 2011 - 12:59 am)

Thanks, everyone!

submitted by Katie, age 13, outside looking
(January 27, 2011 - 4:22 pm)

Oops, I mean to have them ASK a lot of questions!

submitted by Emily L., age 15, WA
(January 28, 2011 - 11:14 pm)