How to Craft Killer Dialogue for Fiction & Creative Non-Fiction

Book excerpt: GREAT DIALOGUE CAN MEAN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BESTSELLER AND A BOMB! Sharpen your storytelling by learning How to Craft Killer Dialogue. Ever wondered what techniques Elmore Leonard and Quentin Tarantino use to conjure the dialogue for their slick and highly quotable crime stories? Want to create the same heart-warming introspection found in the minds of characters by Judy Blume? Or would you prefer to plumb the depths of layered subtext as powerfully displayed in the works of artists like Toni Morrison? With this comprehensive guide, you will accomplish all those goals and master these techniques: Enhancing characterization through vivid dialogue Employing dialogue to create tension and advance the plot Representing accents and dialects effectively Incorporating aspects of the setting into dialogue Utilizing dialogue to establish tone and build subtext Developing a unique style and cadence for each characterization Recognizing the difference between direct and indirect dialogue . . . and so much more! Whether you’re writing screenplays, short fiction, long fiction, creative non-fiction, or something in between, How to Craft Killer Dialogue is your go-to guide for drafting, revising, and perfecting conversations that readers will quote for years to come. From the author of How to Craft a Killer Cozy Mystery and Mastering the Art of Suspense.