forum I can help with your writing, if you need it!

Started December 31, 2020 by @redwolf group

tune

Hey guys! If you need help with anything, from building a character's backstory or even getting ideas for what to write, then you are in the right place. So please, ask anything and I will do my best to answer and help.

Ok, I'm currently writing a sci-fi romance/adventure. It's in third person but I believe I excel most when I'm describing my characters' emotions. I feel like my story so far doesn't have enough dialogue, but whenever I plan to write a big dialogue section where one character speaks uninterrupted for a paragraph or more, I can't help but break up the dialogue with physical descriptions of the character's face or body language, but I'm not sure if words alone with fully paint the picture. Is this a bad habit? Or do I just need stronger dialogue to carry the scene?

It's not a bad habit, as far as I am aware. It is actually very good! Emotion words are very bland. Like if you say 'she was sad', that tells us very little. But depending on the emotion, we act differently. If you are sad, you would most likely not really say why you are sad. You might work harder to hide your emotions. Descriptions of characters and settings often help the reader feel closer to the story. Like if a character cries when angry, maybe the reader can identify with that character. So, interrupting yourself is absolutely fine. If you still feel like you need strong dialogue, write out what the characters are doing before vs. what they do after the talk scene.