Hello John,
Since you've already paid, it's not to late for you to begin with lesson one and make your way through them. Even if I have to extend my time so you can finish, I'm willing. Do let me know if you want to do this so I can let Sol know which way you choose.
And to answer your question specifically, I haven't discussed another dialogue course with Sol. Although I do have interest in doing more, and maybe even repeating this one, there isn't anything currently planned.
Hi LA:
You want us to pick a different scene, not the one we used in lesson four, right?
Wyatt
Any scene you wish--but keep it short, and please, take your time. I don't expect to see anything until mid-week because it takes time to practice it. Good luck!
The lesson is up http://www.thenextbigwriter.com/posting … cter-21972
Enjoy and have a great weekend!
http://www.thenextbigwriter.com/publish-posting-21997/
Hold the door! The old man is coming in with a load. I have revised for a 3rd time. I may be old but I keep going until it is done... maybe!
Best regards,
Wyatt
You make me smile, Wyatt. I read it. It's much improved, but there are some punctuation errors that I want you to find this time. 
Hi LA,
Much easier to look at someone's work other than my own:) Will keep at it!
So true! If only we could bottle that critical eye we have for others work to use on our own. Think of the possibilities!
Edited this to add: The more you do it, the better you get. It's like any muscle--it needs training.
The upcoming lesson, without a doubt, is the toughest. It isn’t beginner material. If I were concentrating solely on beginner lessons for creating believable dialogue, the list would look something like this:
• Listen to how people talk
• Give each character a distinct voice
• Read widely—emulate those you envy
• Don’t info dump—ever
• Use your mantra points
• Don’t overuse tags, slang, or idiom
• Control your pacing
• Don’t use perfect grammar
• Do away with pleasantries
• Make it active
• Subtext, subtext and more subtext
But as correct as that list is, it doesn’t go the extra mile in helping you develop methods that will actually improve the believability of your dialogue. So instead, I’ve chosen to devote almost the entire lesson on imparting a usable method—my version of show, don’t tell, if you will.
Because of this, I’ve also decided to do something a little unconventional and post this lesson early. Doing so will give you the longest possible time to digest and begin teaching yourself how to put the content into practice.
I chose the route of imparting a method because I found that if you pass this info along to writers who are at the start of their writing career, it can be transformative to how they develop their skill moving forward. If you earnestly invest in the process presented in lesson five—I guarantee that over time it will have a profound impact on the authenticity of your dialogue.
In my face-to-face course, we perform physical exercises as a means to illustrate. And I devote several lessons to this subject alone. Since we obviously can’t do that here, I have posted a link in the body of the lesson that goes into a little more specific method detail than I could devote in the lesson. It is written by the fantastic writing educator, Robert Eversz. Please take the time to read it.
So, lesson five will be going up tomorrow. Don’t rush to get your writing samples posted. It’s a big undertaking, so I want you to take the entire weekend, and most of next week to tinker. I’ll be popping back in on Monday to check in and answer any questions.
Hey LA,
revised and reposted:
http://www.thenextbigwriter.com/posting … sion-21994Boy that was liberating- using your lessons I think the updated version is 100% better! Thanks for the class!
I'm excited to do the rewriting now.CJ
You've just made my day in a very big way. Thank you!
I'm still working on revising my submission, but have to head out for the evening. Here's where I'm at at this time:
http://www.thenextbigwriter.com/posting … our--21977
That's fine. Nudge me again when you've completed it.
Randy, I just wanted to pop in and commend you for your critique on CJ's writing example. Tremendous job finding and pointing out some of the lesson 4 techniques she employed!! Now--turn that wonderful eye of yours at your own example and look at it objectively from a reviewers point of view. I think you'll be amazed at the result.
Thanks CJ, comments left.
Thank you Wyatt. And for everyone, please remember that reviewing the submission of others is mandatory for this lesson. Looking for, and spotting good and not so good areas in other people's work will help you spot it in your own.
I've left you both comments on your postings. Don't be disheartened by the work you still have left to do--not only is it the only way for you to learn, when you're finished, your work will shine! Let me know if you have any questions.
Lesson four is up and can be found here: http://www.thenextbigwriter.com/posting … ogue-21880
Enjoy!
Hey all!
With some of the more advanced beginner lessons upon us, I'm creating these pre-lesson threads so you know what to expect. Lesson 4 is probably one of the most challenging & significant lessons because it covers topics and tricks that, if absorbed & applied well, can absolutely transform your dialogue.
It also covers areas that all three of you have mentioned wanting to address.
With this lesson, we will also begin working on the writing you are actively engaged in currently. And by this I mean, the examples you supplied prior to the start of class. My advice to you is to look over those examples now, and begin applying some of the previous lessons to them: adjust the dialogue to best reflect the mantra points from lesson one. Fix any punctuation errors according to the guidelines from lesson two. Make adjustments to tags and movement from lesson three. Then you should be ready to begin the serious tinkering prompted by lesson four.
Also, the upcoming lesson is one (and any others you might be struggling with) that you might want to consider copying to your own computer. The toolbox tips especially, are some that I still have hanging on the wall above my writing computer. They serve as a constant reminder to always strive for more dynamic choices when creating dialogue.
Have a great weekend!
Hey CJ
If you are looking for a hard and fast rule that says you can't do that, you won't find one. And I can't, in good conscience, advise you against following your gut. There is, however, an adage in the traditional publishing industry that suggests only proven authors can successfully buck convention. The assumption of course being that only experienced authors know enough about the 'rules' to break them effectively. While I agree with this in general, I don't believe you have to reach proven author status to qualify.
How concerned you should be, I guess, depends on what route you’re looking to go with your writing. If the traditional route is your primary goal, then I’d suggest reading up on the importance and weight of a novel’s opening and approach your decision from a place of researched diligence. If self-publishing is your cup of tea, you could probably go with your gut and ignore the naysayers.
Bottom line is if your story is strong and appealing, and the writing mechanics solid, you’ll have little trouble attracting interest.
Okay, now that you've had the lesson, do you better understand how tags often play more roles than the primary function? While identifying the speaker is paramount, so is creating rhythms & beats so your dialogue flows more naturally, and adding action so your speaking characters don't become talking heads.
However, there is a VERY fine line to how much life you want to bring into tags. Too much can easily overshadow the spoken word. The dialogue should always carry the greatest burden of (here comes the mantra!) 1. Moving your story forward. 2. Deepening characterization, not the tag. Also, overdoing tags and/or adding too much fussy movement can easily disrupt your overall pacing, which is never a good thing. Pick your moments with care.
A trick I use ALL the time is to read a passage to myself. The brain will magically inform you if you ever lose track of who is speaking. If that happens, I add a tag of some sort. THEN, I read it again, out loud. Not only will I catch additional stumble spots this way, but the act of reading both dialogue and tags aloud tells me when I've gone overboard and added too much color. You'll know when this happens because you will verbally stumble as your brain tries to get your mouth to bypass any problem areas.
Any questions about this lesson?
Thanks everyone! I'll be leaving a question over in the other lesson three thread.
Lesson three is posted here: http://www.thenextbigwriter.com/posting … ment-21875
Enjoy!
LAMackey wrote:Excellent Wyatt! And what specific role or roles can the tag play? In other words, what's the function of the tag?
To show who or whom is doing or saying what. Is that correct?
Yes!
Randy, you've correctly identified the primary reason for a dialogue tag. And you've added a great example of how movement can be used, and why it's important. Excellent job!
Excellent Wyatt! And what specific role or roles can the tag play? In other words, what's the function of the tag?
Thanks guys. I posted a request in a new thread--check it out if you get a moment.
Our next topic of study will be Dialogue tags & Character movement. If you have a moment before Monday's lesson goes up, would you be willing to post your understanding of tags, and the role of character movement/description as it pertains to dialogue? It doesn't have to be fancy, or long-winded. All I ask is that you don't google for your answers. Just a brief explanation of your understanding of the subject as it stands now, before the lesson.
The reason I'm asking for this is I think it will be a fun exercise to revisit the posts together after the lesson.
Hi all,
Didn't see this or know how to do the links. Hope this works
Homework
http://www.thenextbigwriter.com/posting … w-l2-21907Sample exercise.
http://www.thenextbigwriter.com/posting … mple-21908
They were reversed, but otherwise worked perfectly. Thanks so much for taking the time to do that! Comments were left on both. Hurry back to us when you can!
