Too much dialogue.

Serious Desi · Apr 8, 2009

Is it possible to have too much dialogue?
My characters talk a lot to each other and themselves. The dialogue moves the story foreword and develops character ( at least I think it does). My story isn't all dialogue(things happen) and I don't do the floating head thing. :Shrug:

Zipotes · Apr 8, 2009

Every book is different and as long as you have balance, you should be good.
I'm the opposite. I don't use very much dialogue and when it's time for revisions I add a bunch. I know my characters so well once I'm done that I find it easy to add it in, so no big deal.

timewaster · Apr 8, 2009

Serious Desi said:
Is it possible to have too much dialogue?
My characters talk a lot to each other and themselves. The dialogue moves the story foreword and develops character ( at least I think it does). My story isn't all dialogue(things happen) and I don't do the floating head thing.

Yes, it is possible to have too much dialogue. I have no idea if you have too much though. If you think predominantly in dialogue maybe you should write a play?

blacbird · Apr 8, 2009

Just like it's possible to have too much of anything in a novel, it's possible to have too much dialogue. The simple test for every line of dialogue is: Do you need it? If the answer is Yes, then you're fine. But give every line a good hard brutal scowling look, to make sure. It's very easy to fill dialogue up with superfluous fluff.

cw

flamyngo · Apr 8, 2009

I LOVE dialogue. I often catch myself telling an entire story through the dialogue. I think it brings several different voices, and even points of view to the story.

Dialogue makes me skippin' happy I tell ya!

Feidb · Apr 8, 2009

I've been accused of writing too much dialogue, but I like to see plenty of dialogue in what I personally read for pleasure. Of course, description is important as well as narrative. I may be screwing myself in the long run, but that's just the way I write.

Jynical · Apr 8, 2009

I'm wondering if mine will have too much dialogue as well. When I'm writing it though, I "see" my characters interacting and I "hear them" in my head...

I love dialogue too.

I say worry about it only when there is something to worry about.

flamyngo · Apr 8, 2009

Jynical said:
I say worry about it only when there is something to worry about.

agreed.... if lots of people tell you your stuff is too dialogue-y then you can go back in and take it out.

MetalDog · Apr 8, 2009

I tend to be description shy and dialogue heavy when I write. I find myself saying, "Hang on, it's two characters sitting down for a chat *again*" and I don't think too much of that is a good thing, personally.

So I try to make sure there's a scene or two without /any/ dialogue and I try to have fun with those scenes even though they're outside my comfort zone. I try to come up with ways to get the same information across that I was (lazily) going to get across in a fireside chat. If I can't do it without any dialogue, then the circumstances need to be a damn site more interesting than a sit down chat.

First draft, I don't care so much, but by the time I read it over and count up the one on one chats I'm just about ready to throw myself out a window =D If you don't get that feeling, you might be fine. If you do, you should do something about it.

It's actually a lot of fun trying to get the dynamic between characters across without them talking about it. It's like a magicians show and I think most people (especially men) don't really open up their whole heart in words - they show how they feel in their actions, while saying exactly the opposite quite often. Calling someone a bleeping bleep who should be bleeped to death, while bandaging their wounds, cleaning up their sick and putting them to bed.

NeuroFizz · Apr 8, 2009

Just keep an eye on pacing. Dialogue heavy passages tend to have a very fast reading pace. You may have to stomp on the literary brakes either within or around the dialogue heavy passages or you may wear your reader out. Also, with too much dialogue, the scenes may catch the "talking heads syndrome" which is a sure-fire way to turn off a reader. Readers like to have things happen, and large blocks of dialogue, while picking up the pace of the reading, can stop action dead, leaving the reader shouting, "Come on. Get on with it, dammit."

Above all, remember that we are writing for the readers, not for ourselves. What is important is not what we like, but what the readers will like. Unless, of course we plan to buy most of our own books.

Clair Dickson · Apr 8, 2009

It's possible to have too much dialogue and it's possible to have a story that is heavy on dialogue. A lot of it depends on the type of story being told. I wouldn't expect a mystery to be all dialogue (but, you know, it could be done.) But I might expect a philosophical story to be heavy on dialogue.

The thing with dialogue is that, to me, it always feels like it's adding something to the story. It's always important, right? I mean, character development, the MC learns this...oh, wait, I just spent three pages of [expletive deleted] chit chat for one little detail? Really? That's the best I can do?

For now, write on. Finish the story. Then, in revisions, you'll be better able to see if it's important. Or perhaps there's a *better* way to convey the information.

Finish the story, throw it to the ~~sharks~~ beta readers, and see what happens.

cooeedownunder · Apr 8, 2009

I usually find that I start off in a narrative mode at the begining of chapters for a paragraph or a few, but then dialogue takes over and is what tells my story, and then I need to add actions and description to make the scene more vivid.

Sweetleaf · Apr 8, 2009

Serious Desi said:
Is it possible to have too much dialogue?
My characters talk a lot to each other and themselves. The dialogue moves the story foreword and develops character ( at least I think it does). My story isn't all dialogue(things happen) and I don't do the floating head thing.

I was going to post the same question!

My latest book is very 'talky', but to be honest, it's the conversations that seem to be the most interesting and give the best insights to the characters (and this story is very character driven).

We all seem to be divided on this, so I'm just going to go with what's best for the story. My last one had no where near as much dialogue, so I know it's not a feature of my style.

I think I'll just finish the first draft and worry about it when I edit. That would be my advice for you too, Desi. Good luck! :e2writer:

OpheliaRevived · Apr 8, 2009

I've never read anything and thought: "Wow, that book had way too much dialogue." I think you'll use as much as it takes. If the story is well crafted, then you don't have a problem.

The Lonely One · Apr 8, 2009

Some stories warrant dialog as a major plot-moving device. Several of Hemingway's use this. I've had one or two where dialog does most of the moving (shorts, that is; You'd have to ask someone else about novels). I've had mostly those where dialog is secondary but has its uses. It's a powerful tool but there is a such thing as too much. You must be aware of dialog's pacing in order to use it effectively IMO.

Samantha's_Song · Apr 8, 2009

Hey, me too, and when I start a novel it's the conversations/dialogue that goes in first. It's what put the character into characters

flamyngo said:
I LOVE dialogue. I often catch myself telling an entire story through the dialogue. I think it brings several different voices, and even points of view to the story.

Dialogue makes me skippin' happy I tell ya!

Cassiopeia · Apr 8, 2009

NeuroFizz said:
Just keep an eye on pacing. Dialogue heavy passages tend to have a very fast reading pace. You may have to stomp on the literary brakes either within or around the dialogue heavy passages or you may wear your reader out. Also, with too much dialogue, the scenes may catch the "talking heads syndrome" which is a sure-fire way to turn off a reader. Readers like to have things happen, and large blocks of dialogue, while picking up the pace of the reading, can stop action dead, leaving the reader shouting, "Come on. Get on with it, dammit."

Above all, remember that we are writing for the readers, not for ourselves. What is important is not what we like, but what the readers will like. Unless, of course we plan to buy most of our own books.

yep...what Fizzy says. One thing I hate is to be reading tons of dialog and then suddenly I hit three pages of description and I get impatient because now it feels just like someone's put on the skids. So pacing and balancing between dialog and narration is really important. A recent speaker at my writer's guild said "be sure to keep them reading and have a reason for turning the page." If the dialog is boring and they put down the book you have a 90% chance they won't pick it up again, according to the writer/editor who spoke to us.

unicornjam · Apr 9, 2009

I've always wondered. If you find out your story is mostly dialogue-driven ... why not write a play? Idk, maybe that's just something I'd do. :X

Serious Desi · Apr 9, 2009

I always imagine plays being acted out, I imagine my story as a book with the words echoing in someone's head.

SarahMacManus · Apr 9, 2009

I love lots of dialogue. I NEVER skip dialogue. I have been known to skip tedious tone-setting, mood-setting, setting-setting descriptions, but I NEVER skip dialogue.

Use that how you like.

(And writing a play is very different than a novel, not that you can't adapt one to the other. But plays have to work within certain frameworks of pacing, setting and structure.)

Samantha's_Song · Apr 9, 2009

I agree with you, dialogue is how we get to know the face the characters like to give to the other characters involved in the story, as like real people, what they say might not always be what they're really thinking.

SarahMacManus said:
I love lots of dialogue. I NEVER skip dialogue. I have been known to skip tedious tone-setting, mood-setting, setting-setting descriptions, but I NEVER skip dialogue.

Use that how you like.

(And writing a play is very different than a novel, not that you can't adapt one to the other. But plays have to work within certain frameworks of pacing, setting and structure.)

WKolodzieski · Apr 9, 2009

Anyone ever read Stephen King's The Colorado Kid? While I'm a huge King fan and love most of his work, holy cow does this book become a talking head or what after awhile? I finished it very quickly in one sitting (but that's also out of respect for him as a writer) but I can honestly say I got little to no enjoyment from it. Too much dialogue could equal bad news...

Samantha's_Song · Apr 9, 2009

I actually like reading film scripts, and can read things like The Awakenings, Goodfellas or The Usual Suspects in a couple of hours, so all dialogue in novels would be a piece of piss to be quite honest

WKolodzieski · Apr 10, 2009

Samantha,
I was into reading film scripts for awhile a few months ago thinking maybe I'd give one of my own a try. What came out was...interesting, to say the least. You really have to have a great ear for dialogue to be successful at these. I'm not sure about all dialogue in novels being piss in comparison, however.

Eric San Juan · Apr 10, 2009

As others have said, yes, it's possible to have too much, but as long as your dialogue is balanced with other passages and doesn't impact your pacing in a negative way, you're fine.

I like dialogue, too, and find it becoming a more and more dominant part of my work. At one time I HATED dialogue. Maybe because I was so bad at it. My work was very, very description heavy. It was cumbersome and did not at all read well.

Then I got a little dialogue crazy for a few text projects.

And now I've found the middle (I think).

Dialogue is a great way to get to know characters, accelerate scenes, and build drama. It's not always a good way to advance plot, offer exposition or describe a scene. None of these are hard and fast rules, of course, as there are ALWAYS exceptions and ALWAYS examples that can and will contradict these rules.

The ONLY real rule is, does it serve your story?

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