As readers, there are probably a lot of craft issues we can look past. We can forgive less than inspired descriptions if the characters win our hearts. Or we can handle slightly flat characters if the plot sizzles with tension. However, if the book or story we’re reading has cliched, dull, or simply lackluster dialogue, it will be hard to keep turning the pages. Every stilted line will remind us we’re reading words on a page and keep us from immersing in the world. But there’s good news, too! More than any other aspect of writing, there are clear and useful rules for creating effective dialogue.

We will explore all the major aspects of dialogue writing: how to avoid the most common mechanical errors, how to let your characters’ voices emerge through dialogue, how to handle interior monologue, and how to craft the best physical beats and descriptions to surround your dialogue. We’ll also pull back to investigate the best ways to craft entire scenes that are dialogue-based.

TAKE THIS CLASS IF: 

You’re writing a novel, short stories, a memoir, or personal essays.
You’ve ever thought “Dialogue is not my forte.”
You’re ever confused by dialogue punctuation and mechanics.
Your dialogue sometimes sounds unnatural or awkward.
You’d like to add more dialogue to your existing scenes.

The deadline to register for this class is Friday, April 26 at 5:00 PM CDT.