The Art of Dialogue

All creative writing courses naturally teach the art of writing, but many omit the art of listening. However, most writers, editors and tutors will say that dialogue is the most challenging part of the story-telling process and the moment where most aspiring writers fail. Listening is necessary to the creation of uniquely compelling and believable characters. It’s what will enable you to create characters who aren’t simply various versions of yourself. Learning to listen like a professional writer will elevate your novel to the next level.

In this day school we’ll begin by discussing examples of excellent dialogue and discovering what makes such dialogues sound both realistic and compelling. We’ll use practical exercises to put ourselves in other people’s shoes and thus learn to write dialogue that sounds different depending on the character. As a result of the day school students will be able to differential good dialogue from bad and be able far more effectively to write dialogue to a professional standard.