writing dialogue

How much dialogue should a writer use, in your opinion? I tend to use a lot of dialogue, even my non-bookworm friends have noticed. When writing dialogue, how should it be arranged paragraph-wise? I just wing it, but I'm never sure exactly what to do with it.

For dialouge--always start a new paragraph when a different person begins to speak is the rule, I believe. One of you grammar Nazis around here, correct me if I'm wrong.

I tend to use more dialouge, but that's because I, personally, can't stand a plethora of description. When I'm reading novels, sometimes, if I'm getting bored, I'll skip straight ahead to the dialouge. So I tend to have more of it in my own writing!

Hope I helped!

yay, i thought i was the only one. i tend to skip ahead as well...then i get really confused and have to go back. gracias.

Max McKali wrote:i tend to skip ahead as well...then i get really confused and have to go back.

Ditto.

hee I'm following your posts, Cass!

I think she covered the format of Dialogue.

I think it should be used in proportion. I forget was the actual 'proportion' of dialogue to the rest of your writing. It should be about 6 parts dialog to 4 parts everything else, I think. And even there it depends on the story. Dialog is a good way to get rid of Info dumps, and it (if done right) brings life to your characters and depends them. But don't over use it, because sometimes dialog gets really boring. You have to know that if you're writing reflection dialogue, or dialog that repeats itself its boring. Example:

"Hi marry!"
"Oh, hi jen! Are you going to the dance?"
"Huh, what dance?"
"oh, you know, the school one."
"Oh yeah! I forgot the school was having a dance. I'm not sure I'm going."

Yeah, this is a real conversation someone might have, but its boring in fiction. instead, try something like this:

"Hi marry,"
"Hey, you going to the dance?"
"Oh, I'm not sure I'm going..."

I know it sounds like it should be obvious but some people don't always recognize it.

Remember that everything you write has to push something of your story forward no sitting ducks!

I suppose you just have to make it clear which character is talking by making sure that you start a new line etc which is a bit obvious. I confuse my readers by writing my dialogue in blocks and not having any movement inbetween....... So yeah, I've learnt to space it out and define who's talking..........