Dialogue is my strong suit...and my downfall. It may be that writing dialogue comes easily to me because I'm an introvert, and thus a listener. Whether people mean to or not, when they talk they're telling a story. It might be just a story about who they are ~ an unconscious reveal. What annoys them? Makes them angry? Why? Are they "gushers" ~ where everything is simply lovely? Are they hesitant? Insecure? So much about a person is revealed through the way they talk.
I honestly could write an entire book consisting only of dialogue. It would be an awful book, but a cinch to write. That's the trouble. Perhaps it's that I find description difficult, unnatural. I've read books with long paragraphs of colorful description, but I don't think I could write one.
Yesterday was a writing day, and perhaps it just wasn't in the cards. I spent four hours (my limit) writing, and it was almost entirely dialogue. Sure, I managed to advance the story, but not in a way that would be pleasing to a reader. I know I'll have to go back and beef up the story; break up all the endless talking. I'm consoling myself with the knowledge that at least I know where the plot is heading, and that my somewhat useless writing session is salvageable.
I read posts on writing forums from would-be authors who bemoan that their dialogue writing is "stiff", and I wonder, are they listeners or talkers? If you're the one dominating a conversation, you probably don't even hear the other person. It's a simple problem to solve ~ just shut up for a few minutes.
On the other hand, I definitely need lessons in narrative. Or at least I need to try harder. And I am well aware that there is a fine line between too little description and too much. Reading too much just puts me to sleep. Too little and the story is bare.
Thus, that is my next goal ~ in essence, "color" my story. And try to forget how I wasted four solid hours.
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