Writing arguments is an important part of
fiction but creating them is a deft art. Here are some thoughts:
They shouldn’t have repetitive elements. Unlike real arguments, which go in circles for ages
They shouldn’t
be boring. Written arguments are there to forward the
plot along. They should reveal something about a relationship between two
people or give the reader information about a problem
There should be
some sort of immediate outcome from the argument, unlike in real life
Remember how
rules of conversation work
* A
lot of the time, we do not speak in correct sentences/we often use short sharp
phrases.
* Keep
your dialogue crisp - we can tell a lot about a person in a short snap of
conversation.
* We
interrupt a lot.
* We
assume a lot. Not ‘Your brother has been
murdered.’
‘What, my brother Brian?’
‘Yes, that’s him. Your only brother. The younger one.
With the red hair’
Keep
it realistic.
*
Dialogue must take the story on. Only write small talk if you need to, ie
showing how tedious a person can be. If you don’t need
it, don’t write it. Make sure each
word does a job.
* Do
not pack dialogue with extraneous information
John
Dean
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