Workshop Your WIP: Peer to Peer Dialogue Deepdives | 1.15.25 - 1.22.25
Happening now and all week long in Jo's Community Corner
Hey Forever Workshoppers, how’re you doing?
There were freakin’ HUNDREDS of you over on our first Community Corner post which was glorious to see!
So many writers. So many stories. So much common ground and familiar writerly struggles. And sooo many fascinating and broad experiences to share.
What a great start for a community, huh?
It also sounded like a lot of you were looking for similar things:
peer-to-peer feedback on your writing
a little accountability to keep you going
a place to learn and share writing knowledge
Which is totally what The Forever Workshop and this lil’ Community Corner is all about.
So let’s give it a try…
Let’s Talk Dialogue
January’s workshop is all about ‘How REAL Humans Talk’ - with expert dialogue tips from screenwriter Lauren Veloski.
If you haven’t already taken a look, it is well worth your time, no matter whether you’re writing a script, a novel, short fiction, or even non fiction. (After all, humans gonna talk, right?)
And, using all the great advice to be found there, here’s this week’s Community Corner discussion jumping off point:
What kind of dialogue do you like writing best?
A particular genre/style? (Eg: comedic, dark ‘n’ broody, a historical voice?)
A particular type of character? (Eg: argumentative, flirty, evasive, straight-talking?)
Or - on the flipside - what kind of dialogue do you find more difficult?
And why do you think this is?
Comment with your thoughts, a little info about your WIP, a cry for help, or even a snippet of your favourite dialogue lines!
And in the spirit of community, see if you can reply to at least one other writer to keep the conversation going :)
Get more tips on writing realistic dialogue over at How REAL Humans Talk!
Dialog is so hard for me. I tend to write CNF/memoir pieces and I prefer just using italics to say what people are saying but that doesn't work for more than a sentence or so. It's the punctuation marks that feel like they are slowing me down so much. I loved one of the tips in the dialog followup that suggested starting in the middle and/or ending before the end. That is a wonderful idea to show the way the reader has dropped into the story/action.
I've been LOVING How Real Humans Talk. I'm so glad I signed up for the email-based lessons: I got the first email while I was at my daughter's piano lesson, so I could immediately read and begin my "Urban Safari." I overheard a great conversation between two baristas, one of whom was waxing about "Nosferatu" to his coworker who was being very polite but Not. Interested. It made me think of all the times I have tried my best to be extra polite as a young woman, *especially* at work, especially to a male superior (no offense, men!). There were so many interesting ways to take that conversation/situation and it was kind of fun to let my imagination run with it :)
I am trying to incorporate these dialogue tricks into a short story WIP, which is coming along about as well as yanking out a wisdom tooth... I know my character's inner conflict and what they will "disguise" it with, but actually writing it in a way where that nuance comes across? Tricky!!!