Happy Friday!
It’s been a distracting week for sure, but we writers must stay focused!
I attended a class with Paul Liberti about creating a great voiceover demo reel.
I attended to get a brief refresher. While his guidelines are for voice acting, we can apply them to increase the ability to write better dialogue. Here are a few of his great tips, which I’ve rephrased to apply to writing.
1. If you are writing a character, write as if you are the character. Then ask yourself: who are you speaking to, both in the story you’re working on and if you were having this conversation in life, who would that person be? What would you be trying to tell them?
2.Think of your dialogue as musical phrases. Read your dialogue aloud to hear the flow between characters.
3. Behind each line of dialogue is a thought and a feeling. Practice by noticing what you’re thinking and feeling as you speak. Think of each line of dialogue as having different thoughts for each word and phrase, and also whether the character is reflecting, asking or questioning.
Also, if you haven’t read Audition by Michael Shurtleff, I recommend that you buy a copy and read only one section: The Twelve Guideposts. As you read, substitute the word, “writer,” wherever the word “actor” is used and you’ll get an instant primer on how to improve your dialogue.
I’m so happy to share Jokeonastick #45! Laugh, subscribe and share.
Here’s to your successful writing,
Professor Marilyn Horowitz
