2. Write down samples of dialogue in order to remember how the thoughts were expressed.

3. Modeling your characters after people you know will let you "hear" how you want to have your characters talk.

4. Make sure your characters display individual traits; don't simply "dress" the same person in different clothes. (Careful modeling will prevent that.)

5. Design the dialogue so as to portray the emotions present in the scene under construction. Rhythm of speech, length of sentences, punctuation marks, and accompanying "who saids" all play a part in expressing emotion.

6. Read the finished dialogue out loud in order to make sure it paints the picture the way you intended. (Orally reading the manuscript with a friend or two can let you spot flaws.)

7. Each new speaker should begin a new paragraph.

8. It is not necessary to identify the speaker each time he/she speaks, as long as the reader can clearly see who is doing the talking. (If the dialogue is properly tailored to match the speaker, this will be no problem.)

9. Things to consider when using "who saids":

a. Choose verbs which portray the emotion of the moment, rather than merely saying "he/she said". This allows you to paint the total picture more effectively, and with fewer words.

EXAMPLES: 1. "You're it!" Johnny sang (or shouted, or countered, or bellowed, or teased, etc.) all carry the spirit of the action right out of the book and onto the playing field. 2. "I don't know," Sue sighed, lets you feel her frustration with her. You can easily change the mood by using proclaimed, or muttered, or cried, or challenged, etc.

b. Writing for young children requires greater restrictions than writing for older audiences. Vocabulary must be closely monitored to match their limited understanding. This makes it necessary to use "he/she said" more frequently--or in some cases, almost exclusively.

10. The verb "to be" should be used sparingly in most prose. But dialogue will vary sometimes remarkably. People tend to use "is", "was", and "were" from frequently to almost exclusively in their conversations. Study your model carefully to make sure your character speaks realistically.

Chapter 8