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Dialogue; Can you have too much of it?
Topic Started: May 8 2009, 09:11 AM (1,324 Views)
messyhead
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I've noticed that all my writing is very dialogue heavy, almost like a script, while most books I read which seem to be description and action punctuated by selected BITS of dialogue. I keep promising myself to change my ways, but I never get around to it.

I keep wondering if it's because we're basing these stories on a TV show - translating a visual medium into print, or is it some kind of ...laziness? Or is there anything wrong with a lot of dialogue?

It makes me think of Alice in Wonderland, who says "What's the good of a book with no pictures or conversation in it?"
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OJFan
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I love dialog, and personally, I think your stories don't overuse it in anyway. I guess it depends on what type of story it is, and what you're trying to get across. Certainly, you need description to set the scene, but without any dialog, I think the writing is boring - for this type of fanfiction. What I find challenging is to make the dialog ring true. You do a good job of that, as your dialog is detailed and flows naturally. I find mine seems somewhat stilted, and it I read it back to myself, I realize no one TALKS that way. Their conversations are usually much longer. No one pops into Oscar's office, says two lines of conversation and then LEAVES.
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messyhead
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OJFan
May 8 2009, 09:31 AM
I find mine seems somewhat stilted, and it I read it back to myself, I realize no one TALKS that way. Their conversations are usually much longer. No one pops into Oscar's office, says two lines of conversation and then LEAVES.

Well that's okay - you're not trying to make an exact replication of real life. It would probably be horribly boring!
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OJFan
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True, all those little side conversations that people have, really have nothing to do with the plot. I also find I probably try to hard to describe motion - "Oscar walked over the couch and sat down, looking at Jaime", or "Jaime crossed the floor to the window where Oscar was standing..." Is that too much - to describe how they "move".
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messyhead
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Oh yeah, I get stuck on that too - Jaime walked, moved, crossed...I'm always trying to get out of it because it always feels awkward!

Yeah, the question of too much detail - facial expression, tiny physical gestures...again I think you want to describe them because you have such a strong visual image of the characters - but when is it too much?

And then of course you can get so tired of your own descriptions "her eyes widened in alarm", "he brushed her cheek with his fingertips", "tears welled in her eyes" yadda yadda yadda!
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OJFan
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That's it exactly - there are only so many ways to describe someone 'averting their gaze", yet I find that it's something that comes into play a lot in my stories. What else do people do when they're nervous or awkward? They look away.

It's those little, subtle gestures that make all the difference to me. That's what make a story rich. They're just so hard to DO. When they say a picture is worth a thousand words, I really think that's true. Think of how long it would take you to describe a detailed picture - especially one with a couple of people in it.
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bionic4ever
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I TALK TOO MUCH! LOL!
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messyhead
May 8 2009, 01:45 PM

And then of course you can get so tired of your own descriptions "her eyes widened in alarm", "he brushed her cheek with his fingertips", "tears welled in her eyes" yadda yadda yadda!

LOL - guilty as charged! 7654h
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messyhead
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bionic4ever
May 8 2009, 04:36 PM
messyhead
May 8 2009, 01:45 PM

And then of course you can get so tired of your own descriptions "her eyes widened in alarm", "he brushed her cheek with his fingertips", "tears welled in her eyes" yadda yadda yadda!

LOL - guilty as charged! 7654h

Me too!

What is that smiley doing with his finger, did we ever figure that out? Is it an "aw shucks" kind of motion? Or is he squishing a bug?
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OJFan
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messyhead
May 8 2009, 05:59 PM
bionic4ever
May 8 2009, 04:36 PM
messyhead
May 8 2009, 01:45 PM

And then of course you can get so tired of your own descriptions "her eyes widened in alarm", "he brushed her cheek with his fingertips", "tears welled in her eyes" yadda yadda yadda!

LOL - guilty as charged! 7654h

Me too!

What is that smiley doing with his finger, did we ever figure that out? Is it an "aw shucks" kind of motion? Or is he squishing a bug?

Just which finger IS that anyway????
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bionic4ever
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I TALK TOO MUCH! LOL!
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I think I need a better blushing smiley! ````
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OJFan
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Oh, I'm just kidding :)
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bionic4ever
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I TALK TOO MUCH! LOL!
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I know...me too! (But that smiley always has looked a little strange...!) 7654h
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bionic4ever
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I TALK TOO MUCH! LOL!
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My next chapter (3) is almost all dialogue. But I don't do that very often....at least, I try not to!
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messyhead
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But WHY do you try not to? Is it bad? That's what I'm trying to figure out.
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bionic4ever
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I TALK TOO MUCH! LOL!
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I usually just try for a balance between dialogue and description, since dialogue moves the story along but description puts the pictures in the readers' heads. Sometimes, though, depending on the story, it becomes necessary to lean on one more heavily than the other.
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