Dialogue

There'a a particular area of that writing I'm very much enjoying at the moment.  Are you now?  Oh, yes.  What's that then?  Well, since you ask...

Yes, it's dialogue.  (And yes, as I can sense you thinking, the World's Funniest Man does indeed strike again.)

I've always just got on and done dialogue without really thinking too hard about it.  It's important, of course, for conveying character, moving a plot along, giving a sense of reality to a book, and for so many other reasons.  But this new tvdetective book is the first time I've stood back and really studied the art.

I've noticed the dialogue this time around is shorter and sharper than it's ever been before, in particular the interchanges between Dan and Adam. 

And the parts where they're bickering - as often the pair do - are becoming highly enjoyable to write.  They can be such an old married couple and that's a delight to capture!

I suppose it's only natural they're like that.  The boys have been together for seven years now, and you know what couples can get like after such a considerable period of time.

Anyway, that's more of a character issue and I'm digressing again, as so often I do in these blogs.  Apologies.

I was talking dialogue, and how I hope the way I'm managing to use it has improved.

I've come to wonder if that's down to the play I was fortunate enough to see staged earlier this year, An Unnecessary Murder. 

It was a wonderful experience, as I've waxed lyrical here in the past, but there were a few critics of me doing it.  The general complaint went that perhaps I should be concentrating on writing a new tvdetective book, not happily dabbling in the world of the stage.

Maybe that's so, but looking back now, as so much of playwriting is about the dialogue I think I learnt a great deal about how it should be done.  Which, in turn, I hope has made me a better novelist.

Which handily chimes with a pet philosophy of mine, if you're interested - it's that few are the experiences in life which are wasted.  From just about everything, we gain something.

Right, before I start getting too deep and finally for this blog, a quick mention of an event next week, as it's a lovely one.  I'm lucky enough to be giving a talk about the tvdetective books and other areas of my writing at the wonderful Sherborne Literary Festival in fair Dorset. 

If you're interested, there are more details on the News and Events page - www.thetvdetective.com/news.html  If you fancy coming along, it'd be a pleasure to see you.