Not only are these great tips but some of them are hysterically funny.
As in real life, our characters sometimes need to pause and reflect on something before responding. This silent beat is often indicated with an ellipsis or the word finally, as in:
“Will you marry me?” Mindy asked.
Camilla was silent a moment. “No,” she said finally.
Nothing wrong with marking a beat this way, but here are some alternatives you can use to invigorate some of the beats in your dialogue.
1. Show time elapsing via the actions of characters taking part in the dialogue.
“Will you marry me?” Mindy asked.
Camilla took the engagement ring from Mindy and tested the diamond’s strength between her teeth. It crumbled like a piece of rock candy. “Yes,” Camilla said, “I will marry you, because that was delicious.”
2. Show time elapsing via actions of people not involved in the dialogue.
“Will you marry me?” Mindy asked.
Camilla let the mariachi band…
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That is so nice of you to say, Patty! I try to be funny, but then I doubt myself, so it’s good to know some people get my sense of humor. 🙂
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I think we all doubt ourselves. I do sometimes.
But.
A wise friend of mine once told me, “Dance your dance, sing your songs, write your books, be yourself and let everyone else worry about being themselves.”
I say keep on being you.
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