Let’s Write Dialogue with Sheila Horne

“Do you want to sharpen your skills in writing dialogue?” WCYR poses the question.

“Yes, I do,” you respond and then read on to find out more.

In this interactive and safe two-hour workshop, participants will learn through prompts and discussion the workings of dialogue and to relax and have fun with it. Participants are welcome to bring a piece of dialogue they are working on to share.

The first thing most editors turn to, is a scene with dialogue. If the dialogue doesn’t work, they won’t read the manuscript. If the dialogue is good, they start reading the book from the beginning. 

We all know that writing dialogue is more than putting quotation marks around words. It’s not just what your characters say; but also how and when and where they say it. Done correctly, dialogue will bring characters to life on the page. It will highlight their traits, like the character who clears her throat or the one who plays with a strand of hair. The plot of a story is nothing without characters and their dialogue to move it along. Because dialogue can be a challenge to write, some writers will find ways to cover up weak conversations between characters which can make their writing seem amateur.

Shelia Horne will review the mechanics of dialogue: what it does and why it’s more important than just words between characters: Dialogue moves the plot along, builds character, and gives the reader an idea of a character’s mood. It provides information about who the characters are and  their roles in the story. 

We’ll learn:

How to make characters come alive on the page through dialogue by giving them traits.

What makes characters sound different from each other.

How to give each character a voice of his own by using age, nationality, education…and much more.

The difference between direct and indirect speech.

How to make characters sound natural.

What  is meant by ‘on the nose’ dialogue.

Ways to write effective inner monologue and thoughts to make they sound natural. 

All about beats and tags.

Biography:

Sheila Horne graduated from George Brown College with a diploma in Creative Writing. She is

the author of Sunshine Girls, Paper Sun, and Place in the Sun. Her articles, poems and short

stories have been published in various magazines and anthologies. Sheila is a writing coach and

beta reader. She taught creative writing for ten years at the Heritage Centre in Markham, Ontario. She facilitates writing programs and workshops. She runs Words & Music and is on The Writers’ Community of York Region’s Board of Directors.

To read more about Sheila Horne: www.sheilahorne.com.

https://www.facebook.com/sheilahorneauthor

Note that WCYR presentations are recorded. 

The Zoom link will be sent in advance of the workshop.