ADMIN NOTE: This post has been taken from an article originally created by NovelDoctor.com.
Good Dialogue
The things stated below were not written by me. A friend of mine had found this information and thought that it could be useful for writing. I do not know where the information originally originates from, but all credit goes to them. I’m just trying to make the information available to all who will find it useful.
Simplify Attributions – As much as possible, just use “said” and “asked” and their variations in dialogue scenes. Or use nothing at all when the context makes it unquestionably clear who’s talking. People who bark, spit, grunt, or burp their words need to see a doctor. Or a veterinarian. Clever attributions can divert attention from the dialogue to the attribution itself. You don’t want this to happen. “Trust me,” he puked.
Don’t Be a Puppet Master – In real life, people bring assumptions and prior knowledge to a conversation. This is also true for your fictional characters. Don’t force dialogue through your characters’ throats because you need to tell the reader something. If the information wouldn’t naturally be revealed in the context of the conversation, find another way to deliver it. Your characters aren’t puppets; they’re people. Treat them as such.
Maintain Believable Pacing – Most conversations aren’t like a game of ping-pong, despite how convenient it would be to use ping-pong as a visual metaphor. Unlike ping-pong, the back and forth of conversation is uneven, sometimes dominated by one party, sometimes rapid-fire, sometimes languid. Context should always determine who’s talking and what they’re saying. There is a rhythm to good dialogue, but it’s rarely something you can set your metronome to. Don’t force characters to speak just because you’re uncomfortable with their silence. Always let the moment decide its own pacing.
Avoid Long Monologues - I know. One of your characters is a blowhard. He likes the sound of his voice and this is important to the character development or plot. Let him have his way. But don’t make a habit out of long speeches unless the story requires it. Dialogue usually requires two people. And while one may say little while the other says a lot (see pacing, above), giving characters pages of monological diatribes risks boring the reader. And in my experience, long-winded monologues are frequently evidence of a kind of laziness on the part of the writer. Rather than revealing important information contextually and through creative “show, don’t tell” opportunities, they make their characters dump it on the page for them (see puppet note above).
Kill (Most) Adverbs – Do I need to say it again? Only use adverbs when they actually add something to the dialogue. If it’s clear the character is upset and yelling, you don’t need to add that she’s yelling “loudly.” Yelling is, without further qualification, loud. That said, you might actually find use for adverbs in the dialogue itself. Real people use them in conversation (though not as much as you might think). That’s fine. Just don’t staple them willy-nilly to all your attributions.
Use Contractions – Unless you’re writing a period piece or a novel that otherwise demands the stiff-upper-lippedness of contraction-free speech, please use them without apology. They just sound more natural. This, by the way, holds true not only for dialogue, but also for the rest of your narrative. If you want to challenge this advice, that’s fine. Please have your well-thought-out reasoning notarized by at least three editors who agree with you before presenting it to me. Thanks.
Don’t Give Readers Whiplash – “A lot of newbie authors,” he began, turning to look her mascara-streaked face, “suffer from this malady.” He looked down. “They break up a single piece of dialogue,” he continued, “with so many little ‘asides’ that the reader gets whiplash.” He looked up into her eyes again. “Do you know what I mean?”
There’s a time and place for action in the middle of dialogue, and when done right, that action can greatly enhance a scene. A well-timed look or touch can speak volumes. Just don’t use action to distraction.
Use Dialects Sparingly – Some of the best novels ever written are packed with well-defined characters who speak with dialects that by their very nature reveal a certain level of education or perhaps a country (or region) of origin. Characters with unique or easily-recognizable dialects can add a great deal to a story. However, crafting believable characters with any sort of dialect is no easy task. In part, this is because the dialect you see with your eyes (on the page) has a much different “feel” than a dialect you hear with your ears. In some cases, dialect can detract rather than enhance a story. If your character’s speech is hard to understand (and this isn’t due to an intentional plot point), consider dialing back on dialect. And whenever you do use it, just be sure you’re consistent both to the way such a person would speak in real life, and from scene to scene in the story itself. Otherwise your characters will sound like Kevin Costner in…well…any movie where he attempts an accent.
Again, this article was originally created by NovelDoctor.com. You can read the whole article there
How to read people’s minds.
Watch Those Pupils
A persons pupils get bigger when they are aroused, interested and/or receptive. If you look into his or her eyes and see those pupils growing large - it’s looking good for you. Basically big pupils (unless it’s just dark) mean a person likes what they see.
Try this experiment, and you’ll understand how immediate this effect can be. Go right now and look in the mirror at your own eyes. As you look at them, imagine a sexy man or woman you are attracted to - in whatever way would turn you on. You’ll see that your pupils get bigger in just seconds. Actually, if you love to fish, they may get big just thinking about a lake you love. Anything you like to look at can make your pupils bigger.
Now, there are two ways to use this.
1. Mind Reading
For the mind reading part, you can now watch for changing of pupil size to know if someone is interested in you or what you have to say. And yes, shrinking pupils generally do mean the person is not interested. Just be careful to note if light in the persons eyes is causing the shrinking pupils.
In addition to judging the general level of interest and/or receptivity to you, you can use pupil size to go a little
deeper into a person’s mind. For example, during the course of a conversation, you can describe various scenes or delve into different topics, while watching the persons pupils. If their pupils shrank at the mention of skiing, and got huge when you described a beach you like, you can be fairly certain they would like the Bahamas over a ski resort.
The great thing about this little trick is that you can easily test it and refine your technique. Start with a friend whose interests you know already, and watch their pupils as you describe various places or even ideas. See if getting them to visualize, by saying something “Remember how that car of yours looked,” gets a bigger pupil response.
2. Influencing
If you haven’t yet experimented with your own pupils, by watching them in the mirror, go try it now. You’ll find that you can quickly train yourself to change your pupil size at will. Just find a mental image or two that gets them really big, and use these as necessary. Look at a light briefly when you want to shrink your pupils back down. Now, how do you use this?
We all use little clues like pupil size as we interact with people. We are affected by people’s expressions and body language even when we haven’t yet learned to identify it. In other words - the person in front of you will unconsciously pick upon your enlarging pupils. They will unconsciously take this to mean that you like them,
and for many people, this will make them like you more.
Listen. This is the easiest and most effective way to read minds. Just pay attention, ask a few questions and listen to what they say about themselves.
Watch the Posture. Leaning towards indicates that the person is interested and receptive.
Watch For Hair Play. When women play with their hair while talking to you, it is almost always a sign of receptivity.
Watch the Mouth. A slightly open mouth is a sign of curiosity and interest.
Watch the Head. A tilting head, especially if it comes with a smile and eye contact, is a sign that the person likes you.
Watch the Eyes
Here is what people’s minds are doing when they are thinking or asked to remember something. This is true for most right handed people (reverse all this for left-handed people): As you face them, and their eyes go:
Up and to the right - they are remembering a visual image.
Up and to the left - They are constructing a visual image.
To the right - They are remembering sounds or conversation.
To the left - The are constructing sounds or conversations.
Down and to the right - They are in an internal dialog.
Down and to the left - They are accessing kinesthetic feelings, tastes and smells.
How to influence the opposite sex:
Use Mirroring and Matching. Match the speed of your speech to that of the person you’re talking to. Sit like he or she is sitting. Use the words they use. This is a fast way to build rapport. Once there is a “bond” built, you can start to lead the conversation and actions where you want them to go.
Compliment Her or Him. Discover what the person is proud of first, then find a genuine way to compliment them in that area.
Listen. Always show a genuine interest in what the person is saying. Ask appropriate questions, so the person knows you’re paying attention. Use their interests to lead into a direction you want to go.
Make Good First Impressions. Men usually form a quick visual impression in less than 20 seconds, and then make another judgment based on appearance and personality within a couple minutes. Women usually place less immediate emphasis on appearance, and form an “intuitive” first impression in a couple minutes. The lesson? Work fast.
By Steve Gillman. Excerpt from “A Book of Secrets”Great! Now I can easily tell when nobody likes me
List of British words not widely used in the United States.
Lists of words having different meanings in American and British English.
List of American words not widely used in the United Kingdom.OH MY FUCKING GOD. THANK YOU
this is super interesting just to read through
Mother of Eyebrows
you were really cute until that offensive joke spewed out of your mouth: a guide to how to not be my future lover by me.
so much music to listen to
so many books to read
so many films to watch
and my years on this planet are numbered and it makes me so sad that so many songs will go unheard, so many books will go unread and so many films will go unseen and after i am gone, there will be even more i will never get the chance to experience.
some people are so good at talking like they open their mouth and out comes good ideas and perfectly constructed sentences and they have confidence and everyone listens to them talk
but when i talk it’s like hello morning yes butter homework wiggle book good
I just have lots of feelz ok?
This is the greatest thing I have ever read in my life.
Thank you, hoflords.
I REALLY HATE WHEN PEOPLE ARE RUDE TO TEACHERS FOR NO REASON
WOW!!!! A TEACHER WANTS ME TO PAY ATTENTION!!!! HOW CRUEL!!!!!
WHOA!!!!!! A TEACHER WANTS ME TO BE IN UNIFORM!!!!!! WHAT A BITCH!!!!!!!!
OH MAN!!!!!!!!!! A TEACHER WANTS ME TO PUT MY PHONE AWAY!!!!!!!! WHAT AN ASSHOLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GEEZ!!!!!!!!!!!! NOW SHE’S YELLING AT ME!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT THE FUCK DID I EVER DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
