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/lit/ - Literature

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7048272 No.7048272 [Reply] [Original]

How do I write dialogue that isn't cringeworthy?

>> No.7048275
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7048275

>>7048272
Talk to yourself.

I've been doing it for years for an unrelated reason, but it's improved my writing

>> No.7048436
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7048436

>tfw you just dont write dialogue

>> No.7048485

Start with the Greeks

>> No.7048496
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7048496

>>7048275
What if you only talk to yourself in the form of gibberish?

>> No.7048497

Devote atleast an hour a day to going out in public and taking notes of how people talk to each other.

Easiest to do this by sitting in a fast food restaurant

>> No.7048510

Imagine them as real conversations. If you would cringe at someone saying it in a real-life situation, change it.

Alternatively, read authors who write good dialogue. Pay attention and imitate.

Alternatively, write stories without dialogue.

Alternatively, give up on writing because you will never succeed anyway.

>> No.7048513

>>7048497
If you want you characters to talk like retards, do this.

>> No.7048523

>>7048272
Perhaps dialog can be put into two categories: first, dialog from characters who share the sole purpose of pushing along the narrative to some extent, and second, dialog from characters who share the purpose of life, i.e., realistic characters. Dialog from characters of the first category is usually brief, not occurring often, and it should be easy to write for them assuming one has experience with literature, normal people, and a bit of imagination perhaps. Dialog from characters of the second category is obviously more complex than the dialog from the first category of characters, and it is not completely determined by its writer in the better works of literature if not all of them. Dialog of the realistic character follows his or her thoughts. The realistic character acts appropriately; he or she does not survive simply because it would make the work less "depressing" and so on. I hope that helps you, OP. You should probably read more literature.

>> No.7048526

>>7048513
This kinda. "Natural" dialogue inevitably devolves into mumblecore bullshit you see on TV.

Just dramatize and make sure your dialogue actually conveys character and other useful information.

>> No.7048529

>>7048513

A majority of humanity is retarded, yes.

>> No.7048535

>>7048513
Do Dostoevsky characters talk like retards, then?

>> No.7048545

>>7048535
Do his characters talk about cat "memes" they saw on facebook?

>> No.7048561

>>7048545
No but they talk about their livers and spite.

>> No.7048576

>>7048561
Obviously you're right, but my point was going to be that should OP take that one anon's advice, he should learn to sift through the trivial details and focus on the actual point and purpose of whatever the conversation and learn to follow the logic and predictability of replies.

>> No.7048579

>>7048545
No, but they talk about trendy German philosophy, which were like the cat memes of the day