tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post7522859582593203616..comments2024-03-28T10:41:26.999-06:00Comments on Blood-Red Pencil: Writing in 140: Avoiding the Info Dump in DialogueDanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471919576687777886noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-36529612155480625742013-07-09T19:07:25.236-06:002013-07-09T19:07:25.236-06:00Good point, Diana!Good point, Diana!Shonell Baconhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04827197354857197637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-53778181377894793172013-07-09T08:24:22.954-06:002013-07-09T08:24:22.954-06:00Terry, in a mystery interrogation is half of the s...Terry, in a mystery interrogation is half of the story! How else would the sleuth learn anything? :)<br /><br />The important thing is to avoid the "As you know, Sally ..." bits.Diana Hurwitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18216220574149672733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-78011186413872562992013-07-08T20:54:10.587-06:002013-07-08T20:54:10.587-06:00Hey there, Terry. I think readers usually see that...Hey there, Terry. I think readers usually see that type of information as a GOOD thing and integral to the story. At least I hope so considering I write mysteries, too. LOLShonell Baconhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04827197354857197637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-54895510834817583832013-07-08T20:53:46.874-06:002013-07-08T20:53:46.874-06:00Ha! YES, Heidi! That issue hurts my ears when I re...Ha! YES, Heidi! That issue hurts my ears when I read it, too.Shonell Baconhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04827197354857197637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-67249903511525144642013-07-08T16:24:27.673-06:002013-07-08T16:24:27.673-06:00Advice from another blog said anything more than 3...Advice from another blog said anything more than 3 sentences in a dialogue paragraph is a "speech", not "conversation." Dialogue is not 'real' speech, but it has to 'sound' like real speech. That being said, since I write mysteries, often there's a lot of information during interrogation scenes. I hope readers don't regard that as information not necessary to the story. <br /><br />Terry <br /><a href="http://terryodell.com/terrysplace" rel="nofollow">Terry's Place</a><br />Terry Odellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-41724894475391434392013-07-08T14:39:22.398-06:002013-07-08T14:39:22.398-06:00I absolutely agree, Shon. e.g. "As you know, ...I absolutely agree, Shon. e.g. "As you know, dear, we have ten children and..." LOLHeidiwriterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02593338979995203659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-65109858513164428432013-07-08T11:19:04.839-06:002013-07-08T11:19:04.839-06:00And I'm taking it that's a great game you ...And I'm taking it that's a great game you play, too, huh, Chris? *chuckling*Shonell Baconhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04827197354857197637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-39177420250759732352013-07-08T11:18:28.971-06:002013-07-08T11:18:28.971-06:00*chuckling* There is some irony there, isn't t...*chuckling* There is some irony there, isn't there, Kathryn?<br /><br />That's another great warning flag, too.Shonell Baconhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04827197354857197637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-23048227298573883522013-07-08T11:16:40.939-06:002013-07-08T11:16:40.939-06:00Thanks, Helen!Thanks, Helen!Shonell Baconhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04827197354857197637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-13178584031014265092013-07-08T11:15:44.419-06:002013-07-08T11:15:44.419-06:00Thanks for the compliment, Anne! It's apprecia...Thanks for the compliment, Anne! It's appreciated. :-) As an editor, this is typically the first type of issue I see when it comes to dialogue. And it's understandable. After all, the writer spends so much time researching her characters and developing their back stories, and when it comes to the actual story itself, she wants to get as much of that info into the story as possible--but where to put it? Dialogue is one option for them...though, as you say, it annoys readers and oftentimes, they just skip or skim these passages to get on with the story.Shonell Baconhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04827197354857197637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-59084081057222996622013-07-08T11:12:20.735-06:002013-07-08T11:12:20.735-06:00That's great advice, Linda. Dialogue IS heard,...That's great advice, Linda. Dialogue IS heard, so listening to it hear those problem areas would be a good thing to do.Shonell Baconhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04827197354857197637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-75376530323409986552013-07-08T10:32:03.288-06:002013-07-08T10:32:03.288-06:00"Chris is my name ... dialogue is my game.&qu..."Chris is my name ... dialogue is my game."Christopher Hudsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03667548312923348614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-31872060049278528552013-07-08T10:04:42.498-06:002013-07-08T10:04:42.498-06:00I love the irony of discussing info dumps in 140, ...I love the irony of discussing info dumps in 140, Shon! I see this problem all the time. In addition to one person doing all the talking, another info dump warning flag: you as author can't think of things for the people to do during the dialogue beside lick their lips or sip tea or beer. What do any of us do during a lecture? (Fall asleep, haha.) This can be an indication that the dialogue is not integrated with the novel's active conflict.Kathryn Crafthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08371458857187160425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-33388254741079245562013-07-08T09:32:43.031-06:002013-07-08T09:32:43.031-06:00Definitely agree with you, Shon. Info dump in dial...Definitely agree with you, Shon. Info dump in dialogue is often all it takes for a reader to put down the book.Helen Gingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09794759602654727110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-37583888262191106552013-07-08T07:41:50.817-06:002013-07-08T07:41:50.817-06:00Info dumps are right up there when it comes to ann...Info dumps are right up there when it comes to annoying the reader in me! I want to get on with the story as it unfolds. Sadly, I've stopped reading a number of books because of it. <br /><br />Great post...I love "Writing in 140" concept, btw!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-4055017302588727072013-07-08T07:39:25.957-06:002013-07-08T07:39:25.957-06:00This is right on target, Shon. Unrealistic and con...This is right on target, Shon. Unrealistic and contrived dialogue turns me off every time, and I will put the book down...permanently. A good way to locate such information dumps is to use an old-fashioned tape recorder (or a more sophisticated counterpart), read the dialogue into the mic, and play it back, paying careful attention to your reaction. If you can't wait for it to end, or if you cringe at its unlikeliness to occur, you'd better follow Shon's advice to find a more appropriate place to share the info with your readers.Linda Lanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06686488133905538811noreply@blogger.com