The Play’s the Thing
“Dialogue – live it, learn it, write it”, a blog posting by John G. Hartness on Magical Words.
Why to writers write? “because they have something to say”. How do writers say it? “through characters”. How do characters say stuff? “through dialogue.”
Where can you find dialogue? In plays.
Takeaway advice to become a better writer, read plays. See the full blog here: http://www.magicalwords.net/really-i-mean-it/dialogue-live-it-learn-it-write-it/
Bonus advice for editing – Read all dialogue out loud after you have completed your WIP to make certain everything scans. I find this very useful to make certain each character sounds unique.
WRITING EXERCISE: Read a scene from a MODERN play or screenplay (not musical) no more than 20 years old (yeah, you may need to go looking). What makes the conversation feel real?