How to Cut Dialogue in Fiction Writing
Edit Unnecessary Conversations Between Characters in Books & Stories
Sep 17, 2009
While dialogue is one of the most important parts of fiction in terms of pacing and characterization, too much dialogue that has little meaning can become tiresome and pace-slowing.
Cutting the opening and closing to conversations is one of the most useful things writers can do to keep dialogue fresh and keep the plot moving.
Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Dialogue
Dialogue can increase the pacing of a plot or become a part readers skip, all depending how engaging the dialogue is and which parts are left out. When reading through the dialogue you have written ask yourself these questions?
- Does the dialogue have a purpose?
- Could the dialogue be summed up in a paragraph without sacrificing something important?
- Can the dialogue between characters begin later and/or end sooner?
- Do the characters say more than the obvious?
- Do they imply things or avoid topics?
Dialogue can work wonders in writing. It can develop characters, speed up the pacing of the story and say things the narration can't. Dialogue can be fun to work with, when making characters say more than the words they speak or when working with characters who aren't listening to one another. Remember that if you get bored reading and writing your dialogue, readers don't stand a chance in staying interested.
Sample Dialogue Before & After Cutting
Novice writers tend to write ping-pong dialogue that bounces back and forth between two characters who aren't saying much. Skip that part; you can sum it up in a sentence or two. Instead of the dialogue:
"Hey," Joanne said, answering the phone.
"Hey," Sara said. "How's it going?"
"Good. What's up?"
"Just sitting here wondering what the plans are for Friday."
"I don't know; what were you thinking?"
(Etc, etc, etc. There might actually be some good dialogue in here somewhere but readers might miss it from boredom with the dialogue surrounding it...)
"Well, I can't wait to see you Friday," Sara said. "We haven't hung out in forever and by then I'll surely have a good Rachel-John joke for you."
"I know!" Joanne replied. "It's gonna be fun."
"Alright see ya then. Bye!"
"Bye, Sara."
Instead of these opening and closing bits that don't convey much information, jump straight into the heart of the conversation after summing up the opening and closing mundane bits.
After discussing Friday night plans with Sara and playing with the fact that she knew something Sara didn't, Joanne couldn't contain herself any longer.
"Rachel proposed to John!"
Sara was silent for a moment. "I hope she at least got down on one knee with a diamond ring."
"I know, right? But seriously, who would have thought she would propose to him?"
"Maybe he'll take her name."
"Hey, you don't even know if he said yes."
But the truth was that if anyone in the relationship were to say "no" it would have been Rachel. Joanne and Sara joked about John being the stay-at-home dad and Rachel cheating on him while on business trips. And after joking the shock and slight jealousy from their systems, they finalized their Friday night plans and said goodbye.
By opening and closing with narration, you can save lots of page space and keep readers from skipping through parts.
Edit for Even Parts of Dialogue and Narration
A good rule of writing and editing is to keep about equal parts dialogue to narration. Without dialogue, fiction becomes more like an essay, and the characters are far less lifelike. Allow the characters to say what you as the narrator want to say. Reading their opinions is more believable than reading the narrator's.
Dialogue tends to be easier reading and livens up a story, so break up the narration with dialogue, just be sure it's the good stuff you're keeping and/or adding.
 |
 |
 |
