8 ways to invigorate silent beats in dialogue #AuthorToolboxBlogHop

Not only are these great tips but some of them are hysterically funny.

8 ways to invigorate silent beats in dialogue

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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About Patty L. Fletcher

About Patty October 2021 Patty and her guide dog Blue. Patty has her hair tied back in a low ponytail and rests her right hand on Blue's head. She wears a white shirt with a pink and purple butterfly on the front and light blue shorts. Blue is a handsome black lab. He wears a brown leather harness with a handle attached to the back and is smiling at the camera as he sits in front of Patty. In the background is a brick building with white, windowed doors and a flowerpot overflowing with pink and yellow blooms. Updated – October 2021 Patty Fletcher is a single mother with a beautiful daughter, of whom she is enormously proud. She has a great son-in-law and six beautiful grandchildren. From April 2011 through September 2020, she owned and handled a black Labrador from The Seeing Eye® named King Campbell Lee Fletcher A.K.A. Bubba. Sadly, after a long battle with illness on September 24, 2020, King Campbell went to the Rainbow Bridge where all is peace and love. In July 2021, she returned to The Seeing Eye® and was paired with a Black Labrador Golden Retriever cross named Blue. PATTY’S BLINDNESS… Patty was born one and a half months premature. Her blindness was caused by her being given too much oxygen in the incubator. She was partially sighted until 1991, at which time she lost her sight due to an infection after cataract surgery and high eye pressure. She used a cane for 31 years before making the change to a guide dog. WHERE SHE LIVES AND WORKS… Currently, Patty lives and works in Kingsport, Tenn. She’s the creator and owner of Tell-It-To-The-World Marketing (Author, Blogger, Business Assist), The Writer’s Grapevine Online Magazine and the creator and host of the Talk to Tell-It-To-The-World Marketing Podcast. WRITING GOAL… Patty writes with the goal of bridging the great chasm which separates the disabled from the non-disabled. HOBBIES… Patty’s hobbies include reading, music, and attending book clubs via Zoom. FAVORITE TUNES… Some of her favorite types of tunes are classic rock, rhythm and blues, and classic country. FAVORITE READS… Patty enjoys fantasy, science fiction, and books about the supernatural. She loves books by Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Norah Roberts, and many more. Some favorite books include Norah Roberts’ Hide Away, Stephen King’s Dark Tower series, J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series, and J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series. SPIRITUAL FAITH… Patty describes herself as a spiritual Walker. She says she knows both Mother Goddess and Father God and embraces all they have to offer. CONTACT… Email: patty.volunteer1@gmail.com Visit: https://pattysworlds.com/ And: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/PattyFletcher As well as: https://www.amazon.com/Patty-L.-Fletcher/e/B00Q9I7RWG

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4 Responses to 8 ways to invigorate silent beats in dialogue #AuthorToolboxBlogHop

raimeygallant says:

October 25, 2019 at 3:08 am

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. 🙂

LikeLiked by 1 person

- Patty says:
  
  October 25, 2019 at 2:47 pm
  
  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.
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
  - raimeygallant says:
    
    January 16, 2020 at 9:50 am
    
    I need to tattoo that so I see it in the mirror everyday. 🙂
    
    LikeLike
  - Patty says:
    
    January 16, 2020 at 6:40 pm
    
    Well I enjoyed the post.
    
    Get Outlook for iOS
    
    ________________________________
    
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