While working on editing for The Burned and my other stories, I’ve realized that it seems dull because it is. You’ve read the story, studied it, wrote it, and you know every single detail. But there are points while editing where I go "YES! I wrote this?!? This is awesome!" (forgive my ego) and I kinda forget I’m editing and admire myself for a minute. Be proud of what you did, don’t edit shamefully, edit constructively.
There have been points where I wanted to rip my eyes out so I’d never have to read, reread, and rereread stories looking for mistakes. It can get agonizing so it helps to have people read it for you and point out mistakes. You know what you want to get across and they know what they can get from the story, so use it.
In your first draft it doesn’t much matter if you write ten pages of dialogue with nothing else happening. It’s about getting words on the page. And that will happen more easily if you focus on your strengths.
Later, when you go back to the scene, keep in mind two things: setting and purpose. What is the point of the scene? What does each character want? If you can answer these questions, it should be easier to determine whether each line of dialogue is worth keeping.
As Luke Fellner noted, you can use the setting to keep the action moving by having your characters interact with environment. But you can also use this technique to increase the tension of the conversation. For example, a character might squeeze the handle of her teacup or hit a tennis ball a bit more aggressively than usual to show she is upset. Remember that you can always go back and add these details in a later draft.
Sixty years after The Seclusion, in which America sealed itself off from the outside world, Patch Collins navigates the panoptic nightmare of a total surveillance state.
I have been eyeing the Inkshares site for months and am diving in! If you all could check out my book The Walls are Closing In, and perhaps highlight a section or two that speaks to you, I would appreciate it! I want to see if I can rack up some followers before deciding to proceed with a campaign. I have already followed several books on the site, and am looking forward to connecting with more of you!
Sixty years after The Seclusion, in which America sealed itself off from the outside world, Patch Collins navigates the panoptic nightmare of a total surveillance state.
