The Art of the Paragraph: How to Write Dialogue in Fiction
Paragraph writing in fiction doesn’t follow traditional rules. In this series, we cover how to write a good paragraph by exploring different lengths and kinds of paragraphs—and when to use them. Here, learn how to write dialogue and where to break for paragraphs.
3 Things Fargo (Season 2) Can Teach Us About Writing
I think the general consensus among those writers who teach the craft is that you must read—and read widely—about the craft of writing, particularly those authors who write in your genre. But I think there’s a lot you can learn about writing from other mediums, too. Specifically television. Every other Monday,...
Rewriting the 7 Rules of Dialogue
Understand why and how to break these 7 common rules about writing dialogue, and you’ll write more effective, nuanced and engaging character conversations.
Keep it Simple: Keys to Realistic Dialogue (Part II)
The following is the second in a two part, guest blog post from Eleanore D. Trupkiewicz, whose short story, “Poetry by Keats,” took home the grand prize in WD’s 14th Annual Short Short Story Competition. You can read more about Trupkiewicz in the July/August 2014 issue of Writer’s Digest and in an exclusive extended interview with her online....
Keep it Simple: Keys to Realistic Dialogue (Part I)
The following is a guest blog post from Eleanore D. Trupkiewicz, whose short story, “Poetry by Keats,” took home the grand prize in WD’s 14th Annual Short Short Story Competition. You can read more about Trupkiewicz in the July/August 2014 issue of Writer’s Digest and in an exclusive extended interview with...
Writing Gender-Specific Dialogue
Writing dialogue to suit the gender of your characters is important in any genre, but it becomes even more essential in romance writing. In a romance novel, characters of opposite sexes are often paired up or pitted against each other in relationships with varying degrees of complication. Achieving differentiation in the...
Write Like a Pro! Master The Rules of Dialogue in Writing
Some of this is Grammar 101, but you’ve got to master the rules in this section for an editor to take you seriously. If these rules are elementary to you, skip them. For everyone else, type them up, print them out, and nail them to your computer monitor. Rule #1: When...
7 Tools For Pacing A Novel & Keeping Your Story Moving At The Right Pace
Pacing is a crucial component of fiction writing. After all, it’s important to keep your readers “hooked” throughout your story. Whether you are just getting started in writing or looking to break into fiction writing, you’ll need to know the basics of how to pace a novel. Read today’s tip of...
How to Balance Action, Narrative and Dialogue in Your Novel
Most of the time, we want to balance our scenes using dialogue, action and narrative to engage readers at an emotional level and keep them hooked. Here's how to do that.
by Gloria Kempton
The Life, Art and Business of Fiction
by Gloria Kempton
The Constant Art of Being a Writer
The Life, Art and Business of FictionDialogue As Conversation
In this excerpt from Fiction Writer's Workshop, Second Edition, Josip Novakovich offers a lesson and exercises that teach you how to create distinct, conversational dialogue.
Everything you need to get creative, start writing, and get published!
Writer’s Digest Writing Kit
Everything you need to get creative, start writing, and get published!