Just Plain Talk

You can certainly be proud if your use of vocabulary would earn you a top SAT score (adult or not, those tests can be rough), but you don’t need to impress your readers with a litany of multi-syllabic words when you are writing fiction, especially dialogue. What you do need to do is make each written conversation fit each individual character; the author (you) should not be speaking for your characters.

Unless your character is an egocentric snob, he/she would probably talk WITH other characters, not at them, and with a way that would keep those listening at ease. If your speaking character is well-educated then it could be plausible to expect correct grammar, the correct use of terms, and clear communication that seems appropriate for the character’s (book) audience. And just because your character is a high school dropout doesn’t mean that he sounds stupid, he just might not have some of the technical lingo that comes with an advanced higher education.

Dialogue needs to sound as if it is really coming FROM YOUR CHARACTER’S MOUTH!

Consider using a different pattern of speech only when you are placing your setting in a different time period, country, or if the speech pattern is specific to a unique character trait such as someone who doesn’t speak the language well, has a speech impediment or is trying to show off by using fancy words.

Keep your narrative simple as well. Don’t rely on the narrative to describe a character’s emotions – his/her speech and actions should suffice. Be very stingy in using adjectives and adverbs – hurriedly, anxiously, nervously, angrily, happily – are all words that are better assumed by a character’s actions; besides too often these extra words are usually seen as an attempt to have a higher word count. Instead of: “More tea?” She poured the hot water nervously. Use: “More tea?” Her hand shook as she poured the hot water.

If you say that a character is shouting, it is redundant to say ‘shouting loudly’; the same thing applies to whispering quietly, creeping slowly, and other such combinations. If you feel that using an adjective is absolutely necessary, be careful with your placement; use ‘She said nervously’ and not ‘Nervously she said’. Don’t duplicate words in the same sentence such as ‘Nervously she said nervously…’ Always read your words aloud when self-editing and listen to what you’re saying – it should sound normal and flow smoothly.

Adding unnecessary words to your writing can also make your words seem less potent. Sentences like ‘She started to laugh’ have less impact than ‘She laughed’, likewise ‘He had come to the saloon’ versus ‘He came to the saloon’ (He came is a stronger version and makes more impact). Reduce repetitive words – you probably don’t have to keep repeating that your character is doing something like breathing (if it fits and sounds right, then use it) but there is no need to keep finding a different word to say the same thing such as inhaling,  gasping, panting, etc.

Most people use contractions in their everyday speech. It is okay for your character to say “I don’t want” instead of “I do not want”. At the same time be careful that you are using correct contractions and don’t rely just on the sound. A very common mistake is to say “could OF” instead of the correct “could’ve” (for could HAVE). Try not to use slang “contractions” unless that is characteristic of the way your character really talks (like ya know, gonna, gimme, ain’t).

Using a thesaurus and dictionary while you are writing may be helpful,
but the end result shouldn’t sound like it.

Writing exercise: Write a few paragraphs about any subject. Now see if you can re-write each paragraph with no more than one to two sentences (not endless run-on sentences, please). Include all of the pertinent information by cutting out unnecessary descriptive terms and redundancy. Although your final words may sound dry because you are so limited, it is a good way to learn to tighten your thoughts.

Writing prompt: Make a list of the first 10 words you can think of (actions, objects, or emotions) – now look up each word in a thesaurus (or use your word processor’s thesaurus function) and notice how many words you would feel natural replacing the original word with – how many do you think you would never use in normal speech?

Challenge Assignment: You are going to write a scene between 4 to 8 people at a dinner table. Decide WHO these dinner companions are and write a 2 to 3 sentence description (include something about their backgrounds) for each character. Your assignment? Write 2 to 3 pages of DIALOGUE ONLY, use no description of the character(s), no mentions of actions, and no narrative about the scene or setting. When you are finished read this “script” and decide if you really let the individual character’s voice tell who and what he/she is.