Writing Confessions

I love to write. I could write all day and all night. I could write until my fingers cramped -- and sometimes I do. However, there is one confession I have to make. I hate dialogue. It's a bit ironic considering I love to talk just as much as I love to write -- so why does dialogue give me fits?

I chalk it up to letting other people talk -- even my characters -- cuts into my talk time. It sounds like a good excuse, but if I was being completely honest that isn't want troubles me about dialogue. I actually fear that at times when I write, I'm getting it all wrong. I'm just certain even though I hear what the characters are saying and doing in my head that it will all come out sounding like something I'd say. I mean the best way to show differences in your characters is to listen to them talk. People talk differently. They use different catch phrases. They have favorite words. Just the way they string words together is different.

The voice of a character is so important. I mean if you're doing your job and getting the character right, you should be able to pluck out a line of dialogue and know who's talking without seeing a 'so and so said' tag somewhere. In my head, I know each voice. They are very distinct and separate, but when the words get onto the page there is no voice to set them apart. It all has to be in word choice and structure. I was never any good at building structures.

Right now dialogue is even more of a pain as I'm currently writing in two different genre. What the fantasy characters in my head say and what the contemporary characters say are vastly different. I just know that one day I'm going to slip up and have cross dialogue mash ups. Of course, I could then just turn the whole thing into a time travel story and viola! Why don't I think it would be just that easy? I guess because my characters are never that cooperative.

Time to dive back into writing. You'd think once you finished a story you'd be able to catch your breath, but no. I've got a war of words going on in my head. We'll see which side is the victor and gets their stuff out first. I'm always a little surprised which story forces itself to the front of the line. It's never what I expect.