Dialogue is a Pain in the %*^

While I enjoy almost all of the aspects of writing speculative fiction like developing new scientific concepts and intriguing plot twists, I do not particularly enjoy one critical aspect: constructing dialogue.  After reading Gary Provost’s outstanding guide, Make Your Words Work, I have adopted the mantra that if it isn’t compelling dialogue, I won’t keep it.  That isn’t to say that every utterance has to be Shakespearean in construction and universe-shattering in importance, but I would like my dialogue to be informative, revealing of character and occasionally humorous.  I think one of the most artful crafters of dialogue in scifi today is John Scalzi. He uses dialogue as the medium for telling his stories which helps maintain his reader’s interest and deeply humanizes some complex and alien (ha!) concepts.

In my latest work I wrote the following dialogue:

“I am requesting a transfer to logistics after this one. No way I am putting up with Sharkie’s BO for another mission.  Damn girl, they got body chemistry mods that can cure that!”

“I ain’t changing shit.  My stink lets you know it’s me and not Elvis,”

“You’d win this war for us, if R & D would bottle your BO and bombard them with it.”

I realize this is pretty adolescent writing, but I would like to share how much work goes into transforming pedestrian writing into something original and palatable. Tune in to my next post to find out the final form. 

Fighting Author Stereotypes

As I stumble through the process of becoming a writer, I would like to share the various lessons that I learn so that others need not make mistakes identical to my own.  While the rhythms and habits of writers are unique to each, I think I and most budding writers tend to mimic more established writers in the hopes that copying their style, phrasing or work habits will translate into similar success.  In the months that I have been working on producing short to medium length science fiction and fantasy novels, I have learned a great deal about what works for me and what doesn’t.

 I have read accounts about writers who work on their stories from dawn til dusk, and I tend to admire that kind of commitment and work ethic, but I cannot find the same kind of resolve in my own writing.  I am currently between major assignments as a marketing writer so I possess the free time, but cannot bring myself to write more than about 2,500 words a day.  On the days where I can write up to my maximum, I find it is usually on fantasy stories, where my characters, magic and setting are established and I can merely write the action sequences.  My scifi works take too much energy to create new “techie” terms for futuristic concepts which interrupts my flow. 

I wonder if these workaholic writers began writing voluminous amounts or if they worked up to it? There is a common metaphor that many of these writers utilize which is running a marathon. Very few people write their masterwork at the outset; instead they learn the basics and develop into the champion writer they are today. So there is some hope for me--I will use that as my life jacket.