They Have to be Able to Talk

As Elmore Leonard wrote of his characters, they have to be able to talk. Writing effective dialogue is an essential skill for any writer. In this workshop you will learn how to write dialogue that establishes relationship dynamics and builds tension while moving the plot forward. You will learn tricks to help you develop an ear for distinctive turns of phrase, grammar and vocabulary, and find out what pitfalls can make a piece of dialogue sound false or clunky. We will do exercises that will show you how to use dialogue as a prompt to start or deepen a story and how to combine various aspects of character development with direct, indirect and summary dialogue.

This two-day workshop takes place from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. both Saturday, September 21 and Sunday, September 22

Host or Publisher Victoria Festival of Authors