Too much dialogue?

[Jabrosky]

I have noticed that dialogue takes up a large proportion of my recent writing. One project is like 50% dialogue so far and another is almost 75%. I regard this as a problematic trend since I actually find writing dialogue a relatively tiresome exercise. It's not writing the actual dialogue lines that I don't like, it's breaking the passages up with brief mentions of body language and expressions to show the characters' emotional states. I don't want my dialogue scenes to read like stacks of quotes, yet at the same time there are only so many ways to describe the same emotions (and not all of them are immediately recognizable).

Furthermore, even if I have my dialogue broken up with expressions and what not, I think it's a bad sign that dialogue scenes predominate my writing, especially since I would prefer action and setting to drive my stories. Is there a way I could cut down on my dialogue?

 

[Nagash]

Its uncanny how i have the exact same problem in my current writing as well. I've had troubles balancing dialogues with descriptive scene, which made it challenging to make a strong chapter. Just like you, I additionally have the impression that every time one of my characters is speaking, its a stack of endless quotes going on and on, and on...

The solution isn't magical; you have to restraint yourself dialogue-wise, and focus on narrative/omniscient description which will allow you to describe the motion and action, all the while being able to flesh emotions through inner thoughts/feelings.

 

[Svrtnsse]

Just to chime in here, the same thing's happening to me at the moment. Too much talking, not enough "action".

 

[Mythopoet]

Furthermore, even if I have my dialogue broken up with expressions and what not, I think it's a bad sign that dialogue scenes predominate my writing, especially since I would prefer action and setting to drive my stories.

I would venture a different perspective. If dialogue is what is flowing from your pen, without your intending it, then maybe that is really what your creative brain prefers. Maybe that's part of your voice, your unique writing style. Is it your creative side or your critical side that prefers action and setting as a driving force? In my opinion, you should almost always be listening to your creative brain when storytelling. (Yes, even when editing, you should learn how to do it with your creative brain.)

 

[BWFoster78]

Hmmm.

On one hand, I'd say that there is nothing wrong with a dialogue heavy piece. Dialogue has great potential for conflict and tension and is typically fast paced.

On the other hand, if your characters are sitting around talking instead of doing, that can be a serious issue. I have that tendency as well:

Situation occurs
Characters sit around and calmly discuss options

I had to make myself change that to:

Situation occurs
Character acts
Characters discuss while action is ongoing

 

[Svrtnsse]

I had to make myself change that to:

Situation occurs
Character acts
Characters discuss while action is ongoing

I'm trying this approach in the short I'm working on at the moment. I'm finding it tricky though. The temptation to get bogged down in conversation is really strong and I worry it will affect the pacing of the events negatively.

There's a fair bit of cutting and tweaking going on already in the first draft.

 

[wordwalker]

What does it mean when you keep churning out a style you dislike?

First thought: if the problem is breaking up the dialog with gestures and such, run don't walk to get Ackerman & Puglisi's Emotion Thesaurus. (Also, congratulations, if you see it as a requirement you're further along than too many writers out there.)

Beyond that, your stack of dialog might mean a couple of things.

Maybe it means you write it easily, but could refine it. If you wrote scenes as dialog first --in fact outlines of dialog might be better-- you'd have a quick base for the scene and then could start asking hard questions about how much someone needs to say or if the scene could be started later/ finished earlier. (Half a page of people not yet getting down to business is an easy trap to fall into, unless it's building mood.) Or you could turn some of those into long dialog but heavily interwoven with description or events, "walk and talk" scenes that have several threads coordinated. If those events are a running battle or exploring a trap-filled tomb, you've maxed out both levels at once.

Or, maybe you want to take a harder look at dialog's place in things. Dialog's different from every other kind of writing, because it's what we already have thousands of hours' time hearing-- that gives us a head start we get with no other writing, but it's also more likely to break away and turn into what we expect instead of what we need. We tend to think of "talk as the opposite of action," and writing reinforces that by using it as buildup and aftermath around "the real stuff." So ask yourself at each scene, what is there in each scene that could change-- real revelations, arguments not just flaring but changing loyalties, fights within or ambushes from without, whatever it is. If the next change is after the dialog's over, keep in mind that the talk's just buildup before then; but if you have a chance to make something happen during the dialog, play with suspense as they yell it out, because this time it matters.

I think the real enemy can be writing dialog out of habit, running on because it normally would; the golden rule of it is balancing realism (aka padding) and efficiency. Dialog over small things could be as well-planned and fun as a battle, or it could be the battleground itself, or it could be trimmed back to let the literal battles shine. As long as you decide where to take control.

 

[skip.knox]

Detective fiction is often dialog heavy. Think Chandler or Hammett or, for a more recent example, The Friends of Eddie Coyle by George Higgins. They do a good job of advancing the story through dialog.

It's difficult to say it's too much without actually reading your book. I know I sound like a broken record (vinyl disc holding recorded music), but: just finish. Let it simmer. Re-read. Then, and only then, consider rewriting passages. Or, better yet, get some serious feedback from readers and see if they note the same shortcomings you have. And then rewrite.

Heck, for all you know, that talky scene will get pulled entirely, by the time you get that big contract, and you will have wasted untold hours "fixing" something that wound up on the cutting room floor.

 

[Caged Maiden]

I think you need to look at the dialogue and establish what's being said. If it's important stuff, there's no reason you can't use words in parenthesis to tell a story. I use actions more than I should, while people are speaking. I often get repetitive. If you can avoid that struggle, more power to you!

If, however, you see it's people sitting around and chatting about rather unimportant things... it's probably better to trim some of that out for pacing.

 

[skip.knox]

Its uncanny how i have the exact same problem in my current writing as well. I've had troubles balancing dialogues with descriptive scene, which made it challenging to make a strong chapter. Just like you, I additionally have the impression that every time one of my characters is speaking, its a stack of endless quotes going on and on, and on...

Question: how do you know it's too many? How do you know it's unbalanced? Do you have an objective measure?

 

[Penpilot]

I used to have this problem a lot. For me, it was because I wasn't getting into the heads of my characters. I was only dealing with the surface level things and wasn't exploring the character's emotions and motivations beyond the surface. They were either sad, happy, etc. They weren't happy about one thing, sad about another, and ambivalent about something else. This issue pops up for me because I don't know my characters enough. Which leads me to not knowing the full emotional range or impact of what's going on in the scene on the character.

This may or may not be the issue you're dealing with, but let me ask you, are you expressing emotional states in any way beyond body language or just straight out stating what your character is feeling? Are you using the environment to reflect the character's inner emotional state? Does your dialogue lead to introspection, letting the reader learn more about your character?

 

[James G Pearson]

Just one of my tricks, might seem silly, but when I'm particularly stuck with dialogue I act it out. Literally. I'll play both characters and get my head into why emotions they're trying to convey. It can be weird, but you learn more about your characters that way. Also, sometimes less is more, I'll purposely have a character ignore what someone has said, heats the moment up.

 

[Philip Overby]

I agree that dialogue heavy work seems to be more of a crime fiction or mystery deal than fantasy. However, I don't see those conventions creeping into fantasy to be a bad thing. That said, sitting around talking about things may get old, but as long as the dialogue is engaging and interesting it can carry forward a story very well. Even more so than tons of action scenes.

I've actually heard of a method of writing a first draft that's basically called a "skeleton draft" or something like that. It's basically all dialogue with a few descriptions here and there. I actually think my own writing has that feel to it sometimes. It's when editing that I add in the "flavor" to make it more interesting aesthetically.

So I don't think a dialogue heavy first draft (or in some cases final draft) is a bad thing as long as it remains engaging. Elmore Leonard, in my opinion, is a master of dialogue heavy writing. The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain is one of my favorite novels ever and has excellent dialogue throughout. I also believe Chuck Wendig's very good in the speculative fiction camp. Of course when characters were talking, they were advancing the plot and not just making idle chatter.

 

[buyjupiter]

I used to have this problem a lot. For me, it was because I wasn't getting into the heads of my characters. I was only dealing with the surface level things and wasn't exploring the character's emotions and motivations beyond the surface. They were either sad, happy, etc. They weren't happy about one thing, sad about another, and ambivalent about something else. This issue pops up for me because I don't know my characters enough. Which leads me to not knowing the full emotional range or impact of what's going on in the scene on the character.

I often use dialogue as a stepping stone into the character's head. I don't know what they're feeling or how they're going to react until I have them talking or choosing not to talk about something. If they feel like they're going to gush about a topic, but not really say anything I have to dig into why they're behaving that way. Or if they're terse, I have to figure out what's causing that. Is it a normal character trait? Is it the conversation topic that's bugging the character? Etc, etc.

I'll basically lock two (or more) characters in a room and start writing their dialogue until they're arguing around in circles because they have opposite goals and wants and needs. I'll cut most of that in edits, but at least that gives me the quick and dirty version of why they're behaving the way they do. And I feel less horrible about cutting dialogue in edits, because it is so quick to write, than I do about cutting descriptive sentences that took me an hour to figure out and write.

 

[Caged Maiden]

It occurred to me that we have no example of what you mean by "too much". Would you post a scene you're concerned about? That might help us give advice on whether it is in fact, too much, or whether it's really a great solution to the problem of over-description.

 

[Jabrosky]

It occurred to me that we have no example of what you mean by "too much". Would you post a scene you're concerned about? That might help us give advice on whether it is in fact, too much, or whether it's really a great solution to the problem of over-description.

The Nefrusobek chapter I recently posted in the Showcase is one example. There's another project I am working on that has the "too much dialogue problem", but I don't want to fill the Showcase with too much of my work at any given time.

 

[JRFLynn]

I don't know if having dialogue is a bad thing, I think it depends on your style.

For instance, I'm reading the Mistborn Trilogy right now and most of the world-building is derived from their dialogue. On the other hand, Stephen King is more into the detail and character dev through descriptions than actual dialogue. Find your niche on the spectrum. If the dialogue is furthering the plot and you think it's important, see where it takes you.

 

[skip.knox]

Okay, I just went over and read that post. There is not too much dialog. What makes you say there is?

 

[Jabrosky]

Okay, I just went over and read that post. There is not too much dialog. What makes you say there is?

Not sure, it was just an intuitive feeling.