Writing Fanfics

Plot Development

Character Development

Dialogue

Sex Scenes

Writing the Fic

And finally...

Dialogue

• How do I get them to talk? Here is the basic practice in writing dialogue:

  • Separate each speaker with a new paragraph.

  • Always use “ marks at the beginning and end of a person’s statements. I’ve seen people use – marks, and that can be confusing, especially if it doesn’t lay out for the reader exactly the way it lays out for the author.

  • There is nothing wrong with the word ‘said.’ Okay, so it CAN get repetitive if you use it and only it, but if your character is just simply saying something… ‘said’ is best way to go.

  • Punctuation usually goes inside the “ marks.

• Would I say that? Dialogue can be tricky. Here is a quick test to see if it makes sense: say it aloud. If it is something that you would say, go for it. If it rings hollow, re-write it. After all, dialogue is just people talking. If it doesn’t sound natural to your ears, it won’t to others.

• Let your characters speak.Your characters need to have their own voice. People are all individuals and they don’t all sound alike. And they definitely don’t all sound like YOU, the author. Listen to people around you – how to they speak? Is it formal and stilted or relaxed and full of slang? Are you writing about a specific Boy? Do they have a particular way of talking? A phrase they use a lot? Try and use that in your fic. After all, it’s really great when you can read dialogue and know who's speaking without being told.

• Oy! You barmy or summat? Yes, it is always neat to have your characters speak with an accent, but don’t do it too much. You want your reader to understand what you are saying, after all. Same goes for slang. Remember that your reader could be from another part of the world and may not recognize every slang saying that is popular in your neck of the woods. Try and stick to the more commonly used sayings, or explain the ones that you use.

  Dialogue Pet Peeves

  • Lindsey comments:
    • 'Said' is actually a great tool for not letting the descriptions of what people say get in the way of the words they are saying. Read any newspaper article in the English speaking world and every quote and paraphrase ends with 'said whomever.'
    • Also, you can't really use, for example, 'Oh, what biceps,' she flirted, because "flirting" is a spoken form. You can say 'she said coyly,' or 'she said in a flirtatious manner.'
  • Amanda writes:
    • If you are trying to make the person sound sarcastic, don't say: 'That's a nice shirt(!?)." Just say it. 'That's a nice shirt,' Sarah said sarcastically.
  • Leesha adds:
    • Something that drives me absolutely crazy is when a writer has a character say something and then tells what action the character was doing while saying it. An example: "Tonight's going to be fun!" Suzy said. She bounced like a bunny. A less choppy way would be this: "Tonight's going to be fun!" Suzy bounced like a bunny.
    • "I hate it when a writer will write the story in script format. (e.g. Suzy: Tonight's going to be fun! / Joe: No kidding!) It's just too confusing."
  • Lizzie says:
    • "I hate it when people forget to make a paragraph when each new person talks." For example,
      

      "What are you doing today?" Brian questioned, picking up the newspaper from the counter and flopping onto a kitchen chair. "I'm not sure yet," Kristin answered, shrugging. ~~~ BAD WAY

      "What are you doing today?" Brian questioned, picking up the newspaper from the counter and flopping onto a kitchen chair.
      "I'm not sure yet," Kristin answered, shrugging. ~~~ GOOD WAY