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NaNoWriMo Tip 8 – Dialogue

Great dialogue is what makes your characters realistic. It’s what powers your plot plot. Without good dialogue your novel will seem flat and your reader will quickly lose interest.

I’ve a list here of some places to read up on how to create good dialogue:

I find I get a lot of inspiration for dialogue by listening to conversations around me at a cafe or a restaurant. The little bits you overhear are always enough to give you an idea of your own that’s often very different from the context of the original conversation.

Other great sources of inspiration can be found in any of the “overheard” websites such as:

Good luck & Happy Noveling!

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NaNoWriMo Tip 7 – Your Writing Soundtrack

Many novelists use music to help their writing. For some, one CD seems to resonate with the feel or the mood of the novel they are writing. Imagine writing a novel set in the highlands of Scotland a couple of hundred years ago. Now imagine writing that novel with the sound of the Beach Boys playing as you write. Now imagine writing that novel with the soundtrack from the movie Braveheart playing as you write. Which will help you with mood and atmosphere?

Imagine writing a novel set in the 1940′s. Johnny’s about to be shipped off to war tomorrow. Imagine writing this with the music of Celine Dion playing. Now imagine writing this novel with big band music playing in the background.

Other novelists like instrumental only music that helps them focus on the writing and which blocks out distractions like the neighbour’s dog barking or the garbage truck rumbling down the street.

Others still like move of a white noise effect when writing. A CD of the sound of rainfalling; ocean waves crashing against the shore; crickets chirping; whalesong.

If you’re finding it difficult to focus on the writing when there are distractions or if you’re finding it hard to get into the scene it’s worth trying to find the music that will work in the scene.

Good Luck & Happy Noveling!