[Writing Tip] “Dialogue in a Novel–How Much is Too Much?”
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Here’s a question submitted by Mylow. I thought my answer might be useful for other people, as well, so I thought I’d share it. (Ask your own question here.)
Mylow wrote:
“I submitted my book to a family member for editing. She was an English professor who does a lot of reading. She sent it back to me saying it wasn’t in book form but more like a screenplay because, she said, it had too much dialogue and character interacting. One of the points of my book is to get something out of the interacting (as far as real life is concerned) and the dialogue, I feel, is essential. Funny thing is, I don’t do a lot of reading myself but I write a lot, mostly poetry (this is my first novel). After browsing through a couple of other authors (one is a best seller) I found that there are novels that do have a lot of dialogue. My question is, can a novel be successful if it’s made up primarily of dialogue? Is it just the readers preference?”
My answer:
Yes, the amount of dialogue compared to description, etc., is somewhat a matter of style.
Having said that, however, you do have to add enough sensory details and other information to develop a scene and bring the character to life. Think about a screenplay–it’s for a play or film that depends on the props, facial expressions, tone of voice of the actors, etc. to bring it alive. Few people can get much out of just a screenplay.
So, in a novel, you need to provide the equivalent of what would happen on stage surrounding the dialogue.
I highly suggest you read a lot of novels before you attempt to publish your own.That’s the best way to develop your own “inner ear” for what works.
The best way to become a good writer is to write. A lot. If you haven’t listened to my teleseminar on “Writing Secrets Reealed,” you might want to check it out. I say that because the two exercises I describe and recommend, as well as the books, will do much for helping you become the writer you apparently long to become.
A shortcut (here’s a secret from the masters) is to take portions of works you admire–fiction that feels compatable with your style–and copy them out. By hand. I know one author (Michael Phillips) who flunked English in school, but became a best-selling author by following this method. Try it!