Book description
Craft Compelling Dialogue
When should your character talk, what should (or shouldn't) he say, and when should he say it? How do you know when dialogue--or the lack thereof--is dragging down your scene? How do you fix a character who speaks without the laconic wit of the Terminator?
Write Great…
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Why read it?
2 authors picked Dialogue as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
I enjoyed this book because it made me re-examine how I write dialogue. Kempton emphasizes how dialogue should reveal rather than state, which I found a helpful reminder.
There are many exercises which I found extremely useful and the author frequently refers to her own experience as a writing coach, dealing with the real problems faced by writers, so I loved its practicality.
From Rib's list on making you a great writer of dialogue.
I find her goal of showing dialogue as a natural extension of breathing and talking both provocative and crucial. Writers need to become the characters they are writing about and Kempton shows how dialogue can set a mood, intensify story conflict, reveal character motives, and develop setting and background. She provides challenging dialogue-writing exercises at the end of each chapter.
From William's list on writing provocative, dramatic dialogue.
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