Character & Dialogue 2017
Who: Toni Jordan
When: Saturday 1 April 2017, 10am-4pm
Cost: Full Price: $180; Member: $125; Conc Member: $110
Level: All
The bad news: bad dialogue stands out. It distracts from your story. It’s ungainly and ugly. If you write bad dialogue, even if everything else is great, good readers will think you’re not a good writer. The good news: good dialogue glistens. It’s elegant. It gleams and glows and makes everything better. The very good news: of all the elements of a novel, dialogue is the easiest to improve. Learning to write good dialogue also helps you understand your characters because dialogue is character in action. Hearing characters speak can bring them to life.
We’ll look at examples of great dialogue from great writers, and discuss what’s so good about it. We’ll do writing exercises to practise hearing our own characters speak. There will be handouts and lots of reading out loud. Sharing your work is optional but encouraged.
Learning Outcomes
- How to handle the boring things your characters must say
- What is subtext in dialogue, and why it matters
- The art of minimalism in dialogue tags
Participant Requirements
Pen and paper
About the tutor
Toni Jordan is the author of four novels. The international bestseller Addition was a Richard and Judy Bookclub pick and was longlisted for the Miles Franklin award. Fall Girl was published internationally and has been optioned for film, and Nine Days was awarded Best Fiction at the 2012 Indie Awards, was shortlisted for the ABIA Best General Fiction award and was named in Kirkus Review’s Top 10 Historical Novels of 2013. Her latest novel is Our Tiny Useless Hearts.