"I want to write about dialogue today."
"It's your blog. You can write about whatever you choose."
"What, you have a problem with that topic?"
"No, no problem at all."
"You don't have your 'no problem' look on your face."
"I have a 'no problem' look?"
"Well, not at the moment, but yeah, you do."
"I see."
"Well, I don't. So out with it."
"If you insist."
"I do."
"All right, then. You've been writing scenes that are full of snappy dialogue."
"I like to think so."
"And I'd like you to consider the possibility of wit fatigue."
"What?"
"Wit fatigue. That's what happens when all of your characters speak snappy dialogue, all of the time."
"But these are fabulous people. They're witty."
"Real people aren't witty every hour of the day, no matter how fabulous they are. They're not bon mot machines. Even Oscar Wilde wasn't constantly witty."
"But I like witty dialogue."
"Of course you do. I'd like you to consider the possibility that you're writing all of this banter because it makes you feel clever, not because it serves the story or provides characterization."
"Maybe."
"There's something else you should consider..."
"Giving up writing and resigning myself to the salaried life of a cubicle dweller?"
"Hardly."
"See, now you've got your 'Stop being a smartass and listen to what I'm saying' look on your face."
"I'm sure that I do. Can we return to the topic at hand?"
"OK, shoot."
"If everyone in your story is always witty, always ready with a snappy quip, then they all start to sound alike. There's no differentiation."
"Huh. Didn't think about that."
"Try this: edit one of your witty conversational scenes by removing everything but the dialogue. No descriptions, no dialogue tags. Would you be able to tell which character was speaking?"
"Of course."
"This only works if you're honest in your self-assessment."
"OK, fine. Maybe some of my dialogue sounds the same."
"Right, and it shouldn't. Your character's voice is a powerful tool, and you can use it to create a more vivid portrait of that person as an individual. Pay close attention to the rhythms of their phrasing and the words that they choose. Your readers should be able to tell who's speaking based solely on what they're saying and how they're saying it."
"What, like the conversation we're having right now?"
"Precisely. It's a subtle thing, but crafting your dialogue in this fashion will add layers of characterization and complexity to the tale."
"It's your blog. You can write about whatever you choose."
"What, you have a problem with that topic?"
"No, no problem at all."
"You don't have your 'no problem' look on your face."
"I have a 'no problem' look?"
"Well, not at the moment, but yeah, you do."
"I see."
"Well, I don't. So out with it."
"If you insist."
"I do."
"All right, then. You've been writing scenes that are full of snappy dialogue."
"I like to think so."
"And I'd like you to consider the possibility of wit fatigue."
"What?"
"Wit fatigue. That's what happens when all of your characters speak snappy dialogue, all of the time."
"But these are fabulous people. They're witty."
"Real people aren't witty every hour of the day, no matter how fabulous they are. They're not bon mot machines. Even Oscar Wilde wasn't constantly witty."
"But I like witty dialogue."
"Of course you do. I'd like you to consider the possibility that you're writing all of this banter because it makes you feel clever, not because it serves the story or provides characterization."
"Maybe."
"There's something else you should consider..."
"Giving up writing and resigning myself to the salaried life of a cubicle dweller?"
"Hardly."
"See, now you've got your 'Stop being a smartass and listen to what I'm saying' look on your face."
"I'm sure that I do. Can we return to the topic at hand?"
"OK, shoot."
"If everyone in your story is always witty, always ready with a snappy quip, then they all start to sound alike. There's no differentiation."
"Huh. Didn't think about that."
"Try this: edit one of your witty conversational scenes by removing everything but the dialogue. No descriptions, no dialogue tags. Would you be able to tell which character was speaking?"
"Of course."
"This only works if you're honest in your self-assessment."
"OK, fine. Maybe some of my dialogue sounds the same."
"Right, and it shouldn't. Your character's voice is a powerful tool, and you can use it to create a more vivid portrait of that person as an individual. Pay close attention to the rhythms of their phrasing and the words that they choose. Your readers should be able to tell who's speaking based solely on what they're saying and how they're saying it."
"What, like the conversation we're having right now?"
"Precisely. It's a subtle thing, but crafting your dialogue in this fashion will add layers of characterization and complexity to the tale."
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