Make your writing memorable for the right reasons

Think about the last book you read.

What made it memorable for you? A twist in the plot? The characters? The way the author described the scenes so well that you felt like you were there? Did you laugh, cry, stay up late reading on, and feel a little bereft when you reached The End?

What about the quality of the writing? Were there any off-putting typos or grammatical errors?

What were the dialogue tags like?

Huh?

If the book was well written, you shouldn’t be able to answer this question.

Why? Because in good writing, dialogue should be seamless and tags used so subtly and sparingly that the reader is completely absorbed in the story, unaware of words like said, whispered or thought.

Next time you read a book, look for dialogue tags to see how the writer has used them. Compare it to the last book you read and note any differences.

Next time you write dialogue, think about the tags you use  – and whether they are needed at all.

Any other tips for writing good dialogue? Share them here