Look Who's Talking

Let's talk about talking. Tony the pizzeria guy in New Jersey doesn't talk the same way as former debutante Mary Beth who owns a cupcake shop in Atlanta.

Dialogue not only allows the reader to get to know the characters, it also drives the story line. Dialogue is every bit as integral to a story or novel as narrative and exposition. That is to say, good dialogue, pertinent dialogue. Cut the small talk. No one wants to hear about the weather unless the weather is a factor in the story. No one wants to hear about what your character had for lunch. (Unless he/she has a Facebook page where any personal tidbit seems to be welcome and of great interest to everyone. Quiche, anyone?)

What your reader wants to hear characters talk about is what's going on in front of their eyes or in their hearts. Your readers want your characters to be immersed in exciting action or deeply-felt emotions like love, hate, fear. happiness, or sorrow. Dialogue is a catalyst to your characters' circumstances. Although you should never set dialogue as a dumping ground for information, characters' conversations can lead into the plot more smoothly than paragraph after paragraph of exposition and narrative. Long blocks of writing without people talking slows the pace of a story, and can be  boring. I know I can't be the only one who has closed a book in the middle of the first chapter and set it aside because I didn't want to work that hard at getting to know the characters. 

Just as you should make every word count in narrative, your dialogue between characters should be just long enough to say only what needs to be said. Unless it's back story or some other necessary information, keep it brief. Create dialogue that either indicates conflict or foretells conflict to come.

Humans talk over each other, a lot. We say um or er, a lot. We fail to finish sentences, and jump from topic to topic without warning, a lot. English teachers would like you to speak in full sentences. But full sentences rarely happen except in scholarly papers. Fiction writers don't write stories about quantum physics or commentary on the theory of evolution for the scientific community. We're writing about everyday people, so train yourself to hear how everyday people talk. 

Once you've given your character a voice, maintain that voice throughout. When you've established how Mary Beth speaks, don't allow her to suddenly start talking like Tony the pizzeria guy or like an aging biker-chick bartender who's been on her feet for seven straight hours.

Read dialogue out loud. Ask yourself if people would actually say these things in real life. Make sure your dialogue moves things along in a logical manner. Don't let your characters confuse your readers with nonsensical babble. Unless you want them to babble nonsense.   

Have you ever read dialogue like this?
"Hello, Mary," Jane said.
"Hello, Jane," Mary said. "How are you?"
"I'm good," Jane responded. "How have you been, Mary?"
"Oh, I've been great, Jane."
"I heard you were getting divorced, Mary."
"Well, it can happen to anyone, Jane."
Enough! In the name of Hemingway, why would any writer do this? Your readers can figure out who is who by the second sentence. Avoid calling your people by name once the conversation is established. It's a waste of words and it's annoying.

Although said is the still the clearest way to indicate who's speaking, vary the format for longer conversations. Repetitive dialogue styles are boring. Sometimes responded works, sometimes muttered is best. It all depends on the characters and the situation that has brought about the conversation. Words like murmured, reiterated, teased, joked, etc. are okay to use in place of said, just don't overdo it. And remember that people don't hurl words, they don't chortle words. People rarely snort words, nor do they laugh or sigh words.

Varying dialogue tags helps keep conversations fresh.
"I'm going to the concert," Brad said.
Lori said, "Not without me."
"Do you think we should get an Uber?" Brad asked. "I'll pay for the ride."
Very rarely will you come across asked Brad or said Lori. It doesn't roll off the tongue as smoothly as it should, although it is sometimes used in more formal writing or poetry.

Where dialogue trails away, use an ellipsis.
"I'm not sure . . ." James said.
When dialogue is interrupted, use the em-dash.
"Well, I don't think -- "
To break up dialogue, use commas or em-dashes.
"I realized," she said with a sigh, "that he didn't like me."
"Without the bricks -- " Dave shook his head -- "I don't think we can finish the job."

Dialogue should be believable, interesting, and compelling. If your dialogue doesn't do its job, readers will probably not read your novel. Or as Tony might say, "Fugged aboud it."

Flash Fiction: Making a Long Story Short

"For sale: baby shoes, never worn." A story told in half a dozen words.

It's unclear who wrote it, some say Hemingway, others believe it came from a 1910 ad in the Spokane Press. But no matter who actually penned this enigmatic little story, it stands as the most well-known example of flash fiction.

 Authors as far back as French writer Charles Baudelaire (1821-1869) wrote flash fiction as "slice of life" stories. Mark Twain wrote tales short enough to fit the category, as well as Langston Hughes, Jamaica Kincaid, John Updike, Joyce Carol Oates, and Margaret Atwood, among other well-known authors.

In the past few years, flash fiction has become an increasingly popular form for online sites and anthologies, Although much of the flash fiction published online is in the sci-fi, fantasy, or horror genres, romance and humor publications also offer writers the opportunity to submit their work.

Flash fiction -- also known as sudden fiction, immediate fiction, micro fiction, postcard or nano fiction -- can range from fewer than 100 words up to 1500 words to tell a small story while hinting at a larger one. A concise vignette with the same structure as longer stories, flash fiction demands a solid plot and careful structure to deliver a complete story. There must be tension and conflict implied in as few words as possible. Beyond well-rounded characters, settings, and themes, this kind of abbreviated writing also needs strong tone and mood to carry it. 

In writing these short-short stories, the focus should be on the compression of language without sacrificing the elements of its form. There is a very tight space in which to develop movement, and intellectual and emotional impact. Scenes must be handled efficiently, and limited to only those necessary to the story. As in any writing, but especially in flash fiction, strong nouns and verbs should take the place of adjectives and adverbs.

Spotlight only one main conflict or the story will wander off in too many directions to keep the writing tight. Avoid backstory. That's part of the challenge in writing flash fiction. We writers tend to want the reader to know everything, the what, when, why, where, and how. But there is no room in a very short story for more than just a few solid (and telling) words of explanation or description, whether of character or setting. Word, phrase, or sentence -- if it does nothing to move the story forward, cut, cut, cut.

Your readers want something to happen within the first paragraphs, so start the story with action as your hook. (But even before that, choose a title that draws the reader in.) Flash fiction often ends in a twist, so end the piece with a surprise, if possible.

Although flash fiction is thought of in some circles as "the underdog" of writing, busy readers appreciate the opportunity to read a good story in a short amount of time. Experiment with the form. Challenge yourself to craft one of these mini-stories. It's great practice, and a perfect cure for that place called "writer's block" where your longer story or novel is refusing to move beyond that crappy scene you wrote last week.

Before submitting your flash fiction to online sites, do the research. Some of these markets are not well-presented. But there are many legitimate publications anxious to publish good quality stories. Some pay well, some pay a nominal amount, but no matter whether these popular sites pay or not, it's always great to see your name attached to a successful piece of writing.   

Here's a short list of popular online publications accepting flash fiction. Read the kind of stories they publish and check out their submission guidelines.
Flash Fiction Online
Word Riot
Brevity
Smokelong Quarterly
Nano Fiction

In addition to the above, you can find many more flash fiction publications at WritersMarket.com, and duotrope.com.

"Making people believe the unbelievable is no trick; it's work . . . " Stephen King