GOOD DIALOGUE stom.

GO THROUGH YOUR DIALOGUE LINE BY LINE AND CHECK THAT...

LJ It's always clear who's speaking.

| The conversation develops the story.
| T h e c o n v e r s a t i o n d e v e l o p s the characters.
(_] The conversation introduces new information.
[_] T h e c o n v e r s a t i o n a c h i e v e s its purpose.
(-] What the character is saying actually makes sense and means something.
(_] The character speaks for a reason.
( [ ] T h e r e a d e r can u n d e r s t a n d w h a t t h e c h a r a c t e r is trying toc o m m u n i c a t e .
( 1 T h e c h a r a c t e r s s p e a k in a w a y t h a t is appropriate to their role.
1 The characters use vocabulary appropriate to their role.
(_] The character is using the correct form of address.
(J You use a variety of speech tags.
(_) T h e s p e e c h t a g s m a k e s e n s e , and don't sound contrived.

(J The speech tags aren't repetitious.

(_] T h e s p e e c h t a g s are appropriate to y o u r chosen point of view.
( | T h e s p e e c h t a g s a r e in the correct tense.
( T h e formatting of direct speech is consistent.
( J The formatting of indirect speech is consistent.
( J The formatting of thoughts is consistent.
( J T h e characters use (appropriate) body language.
( J T h e characters c o n v e y subtext through word choice.
d interruptions.
( I The characters convey subtext through pauses, hesitations an
[ ) The characters convey subtext through rhetoric.
o r c h a n g e t h e subject.
(_] The characters are purposeful in the way they stay on topic,
[7] The characters hint at things left unsaid.
( | T h e c h a r a c t e r s c o n v e y the full extent of their emotions.
( T h e c h a r a c t e r s react to each other's tone a n d delivery.
C1] T h e characters a l w a y s react to w h a t w a s said before.

( ] The arguments are convincing.

It's clear what each character is arguing.
(_] T h e o u t c o m e of the argument is clear (even if a c o n s e n s u s is deferred).
( J Both the characters and the reader remain aware of the setting of the c o n v e r s a t i o n .
( J Both the characters a n d the reader r e m a i n a w a r e of the context o f the c o n v e r s a t i o n .
(_] The characters get equal time to speak, unless there is a reason for an imbalance.
[ I ' s possible to determine the characters? relations to each other through their speech.
[_] It's clear to the reader if characters misunderstand each other or talk at cross purposes.
The pace of the conversation is appropriate to the scene.
( 1 The conversation contains s o m e t h i n g m e m o r a b l e .

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