Product Description

How do some writers craft conversation so authentic that it feels as if they've been eavesdropping? What's the secret behind getting characters to talk to each other? How can writers make their dialogue sing? Answers to all of these questions and more can be found in this in-depth look at this crucial component of fiction. Readers will learn how to create dialogue that sizzles, with tips on: Creating dialogue for specific genres; Bringing characters to life with revealing dialogue; Identifying and fixing common dialogue problems; Each chapter features numerous examples of successful dialogue drawn from best-selling novels and chapter-ending exercises help readers apply the lessons learned. This is one book that will get readers talking!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #43191 in Books
• Published on: 2004-12-31
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

About the Author
A former trial lawyer, James Scott Bell is an award-winning author and frequent speaker at writing conferences.

Customer Reviews

A whole book, when one chapter would do.
Although this book has some gems on how to write dialogue, I found it too long for the job that it had to do. There is too much repetition and really this should not be a whole book, but merely one chapter of a book on creative writing.
I found Gloria Kempton's style a little irritating, where she used too much first person narrative: 'I like this...'. 'I do this...', 'I see new writers make a lot of mistakes when it comes to writing emotional dialogue...' etc.

Buy it, if you are an anspiring author
This is a superb set of books for the aspiring author, written not just in an informative way, but also fun to read and the content easy to remember. The book teaches all you need to know to start or improve your writing, with plenty of examples to illustrate each concept. You won't find any pompous tuition or comments in these books, the text is intended for your benefit, and not for the author to show off. In that respect it doesn't matter if this is the first time you are trying to write anything, or you just want to improve on your past experience. And apart from teaching prose, I find these books packed with many fascinating insights into humanity and the way people interact with each other, and also the world around them. Another good point is that the chapters are long enough to make a point, but not long enough to bore the pants off you. As I said, the text is written for 'you,' and to encourage you. It certainly encourages me!

MANY PAGES, LITTLE SUBSTANCE
This book belongs to a very interesting series, but is not at the same level as "Plot & Structure" and "Revision and Self-editing".
The author uses plenty of pages to explain few useful - but not new - concepts, making exercises a pure repetition of the content of the chapter; the same can be said for the grey pages with practical tips. The same ideas would fit in one third of the pages.