Dialog

Surprising as this may seem, dialog comes last in the writing process. For one good reason: a funny comment or smart line can hide a bad scene.

Therefore, as you construct your story, don’t hesitate to use dialog intentions: “he explains why he has to go with her…” or “she told him she was going out that evening…” Once your story is well constructed you will be free to develop each scene and add more life with dialog.

This doesn’t mean you can’t write any dialog at all until the story is totally structured. The aim is to find a balance and above all to not let yourself be trapped by lines you’d hate to give up and that force you to unwittingly keep bad scenes.

When you start writing dialog, don’t forget it must move action forward and characterize the person saying the lines. Make sure you carefully choose the way each character speaks. Write short dialog; don’t make your characters recite long monologues. No useless chatting, no thesis or message; your characters aren’t encyclopedias or press articles; they are just getting on with their lives. Make sure each line is clear and comprehensible.