Read Online How to Write a Brilliant Romance: The Easy, Step-By-Step Method of Crafting a Powerful Romance (Go! Write Something Brilliant) by Susan May Warren - Free Book Online Page A

functions:
Warm the Reader (Reveal characters)
     
    Dialoguerevealscharacter,butonlyasmuchasthecharacterwantstoberevealed.Ittellsthekind ofpersonalitytheyare,howtheyfeelaboutthepeoplethey’reconversingwith,wherethey’refrom, theireducation,theirprofession.Yourreadershouldknowwhoisspeakingwithoutanydialogue tags.Dialoguetagsareusedtoenhancetheemotionsofthescene.
    Keepinmindthemotivationsofyourcharacters.Nobodylaysitallontheline,andthey’llbe protectingtheirgoalsandtheirvaluesandeventheirmotivationsinwhattheysayandhowthey respond.Oftencharactersdon’tanswerthequestion,theyposeanother,oranswersomethingelse. Buthiddeninsidetheirwordsissomesortoftruth.
Build the fire (Move the plot forward)
     
    Dialoguemovesthestoryalongbyrevealinginformationandraisingnewquestions.Ifyouwanta fastscene,insertalotofdialogue.Ifyouwantaslowerscene,havefewerpeopletotalkto.Ifyou wantarevealingscene,havethemsaysomethingoutoftheordinary—evenexplosive—andsee whathappens.It’sthenuggetoftruththatisthepurposeforthedialogue.
    WhichmeansmoreConflict.
     
    3. Create Coals (Build the foundation of thestory)
    Untilyoureachthehappilyeverafter(HEA),alldialogueshoulddeepentheconflict,createinner dissonanceinthecharacters,anddistancethemfromplotgoals.Evenifitisasweet,romantic scene,dialoguewillmakethemlongtobetogether,whenweknowtheycan’tbe.Iftheheroand heroineareperfectforeachother,buttheheroknowsthere’sareasontheycan’tbetogether,then thatwillcreateinnerdissonance.
    4. To Illuminate (Inform and prepare for anEpiphany)
    Dialogueisagreatdevicetoleadthecharacterintoadeeperunderstandingofhimself,and eventuallyleadtohisEpiphanymoment.Tidbitsoftruth,droppedandrevealedalongtheway,will begatheredtogetherlikebreadcrumbstohelphimunderstandhimself,andleadhimtothe A ha! moment!
    Let’s take a closerlook athow tocraft dialogue:
    ConversationversusDialogue,what’sthedifference?ConversationiswhatyouandIhaveevery day.Herearesomerecentsnippetsfromourhouse:
    Mom:Hi,honey,howwasschool?
    Daughter:Boring.
    Mom:Didanythingexcitinghappentoday?
    Daughter:No.What’sforsupper?
    Mom: Hotdogs.
    Daughter:Seriously?
    Mom:Seriously.
    Daughter:Ihavehomework.
    Okay,notrivetingstuff.Exceptifyou’rein Grey’s Anatomy . Howaboutmyhusband’srecentconversationwithhisfriend?
     
    DH:Areyourecordingthegame?
    Friend:Yeah.Butitstartsateighto’clock.Don’tforgetthechips. DH:IthinkI’llcomestraightfromwork.Whoelsedidyouinvite?
    Friend:Dan.Isthatokay?
    DH:Maybehecanbringchipstoo.
    Mostconversationhappensaboutunimportant,everydaythings.Andit’sboring.Gooddialogue only seems likerealspeech.Dialogueisconversationwithalltheboringstuffdeleted—leavingonly theessential,theemotional,themostdramaticwords.
    Thelastthingyouwanttodoistowriteboringdialogue.Youwantittoaddfireforthereader, makeherturnpages,makeherwantanotherconfrontation.Howdoyoumakeyourdialogue not boring?Addtension!It’stheheartofsuccessfuldialogue.Conflictdoesn’thavetobeovert.Conflict canevenoccurinpoliteconversationbutbeintheactivitybehindthedialogue.I’mgoingtoshow youhowtodothisinjustamoment.
    Mostearlywritersputconversationintotheirfirstdrafts.Why?Becausetheywantthereadertoget toknowthecharacters,theywanttosetthescene,andtheythinkit’stooearlyforconflict. Wrong. Everyscene,everydialoguecanincludeconflictor,likeImentionedearlier,Sizzle.
    Itmakesforahandyacronym,too. Everyconversationshouldhave:
    S--ubtexting
    I–nternalmonologue(includestoneofvoice)-- Attitude
    Z –ingers–wordsthatgetrighttothe point.
    Z-eal–orthepassionofeachcharacter
    L – anguage, as in body language – Mannerisms
    E–xternalactivitythatmatters
    Allthesecomponentsworktogether,butI’mgoingtostartwith Zeal ,orthepurposeforbeingin thescene.Somemayrefertoitasthecharacter’sgoals.
    Zeal:Threekindsofcharactergoals
    Plot goals –Everysceneisgoingtohaveplotgoals.Andofcourse,you’llhavebroken downyournovelintochapters,eachwithagoal,andfromthere,scenes,alsowithagoal. Andineachscenetheplayersinthesceneswillalsohavegoals,andthesegoalswill come across