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Dowst on writing dialogue: what chapter IX of The Technique of Fiction Writing says about speech
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What this guide covers
A source note for fiction writers and scriptwriters who want to see what an early twentieth-century craft book says about dialogue: naturalness, purpose, dialect, tense moments and the verbs that tag speech. It restates the chapter as the author's own views; they are not tested and the book is old.
More about this guide
Guide ID: art_01M6Q5ZT8G14HDXF7K895WVKEC
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Guide title
Dowst on writing dialogue: what chapter IX of The Technique of Fiction Writing says about speech
Coverage
A source note for fiction writers and scriptwriters who want to see what an early twentieth-century craft book says about dialogue: naturalness, purpose, dialect, tense moments and the verbs that tag speech. It restates the chapter as the author's own views; they are not tested and the book is old.
Useful starting points
- The chapter says dialect should stay intelligible to a reader unfamiliar with it, and notes editors' prejudice against whole stories in strong dialect.
- It says speech should be spread through narration and description rather than set in long blocks.
- It cautions against letting a character's speech carry wit that does not serve the story.
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