Dialogue as Action, Not Conversation

Dialogue in fiction must serve numerous purposes—enhance characterization, advance the plot, provide information, suggest subtext—all of which demonstrate the fundamental truth that dialogue is not mere conversation. It is action. In this hour long workshop, award-winning author David Corbett (The Art of Character, The Compass of Character) will guide students in an exploration of how to root dialogue in the core objectives and obstacles within the scene, how to reveal through conflict, how to create and balance multiple voices in a scene, and how to escape the Tit-for-Tat Pitfall, Narrative-as-Dialogue, Run-on Speeches, “Colorful” Speech Tags, and other common shortcomings. The class will also explore the limits of verisimilitude, knowing what to cut, and the mechanics of getting your dialogue right on the page.