How to Write Compelling Dialogue: A Proven Process

[@jtdarelli1871]

Dude, you are a godsend. It's rare that someone with this kind of experience puts up this kind of content, for free, and a platform like KZbin. Usually, it's some sponsored website requiring a membership or monthly fee or something. Mr Jenkins, I want you to know that this stuff _is_ amazing and helpful and beyond appreciated. It is exactly what people like me have been looking for. Please, please, _please,_ keep uploading and sharing as much knowledge as possible.

[@Emancy3]

Him and Brandon Sanderson are just the best gifts to every writer out there.❤️❤️❤️

[@bill2953]

"If you can avoid this pitfall you'll instantly have a leg up on your competition" Provided you're competing with non-produced writers.. Conveniently left out that little diddy.

[@exoticpyro7764]

Thats why yt is good they get a bit of money out of it (views and ads) and the viewer pays nothing

[@TheOaktownBlogger]

Second that!

[@private9402]

@@Emancy3 Brandon Sanderson's lessons are god tier. Respect.

[@loltwest9423]

A friend of mine sent this to me over discord. Thankfully, I've already applied a good chunk of these into the way I write. But there's always room for improvement.

[@scarecrowhobo]

Touching on the make my day part of the video I realized just how memorable many of Bungie Halo's dialogue are. -"Oh I know what the ladies like" -"To give the covenant back their bomb" -"Shipmaster they outnumber us 3 - 1!", "then it is an even fight." -"Listen, Reach has been good to me. Time has come to return the favor. Don't deny me this" and lastly my personal favorite: -"We can get past it sir!" "No you can't, not without help" "Commander you don't have the firepower!" "I've got the mass" "..Solid copy, hit em hard boss" "You're on your own Noble, Carter out"

[@private9402]

Jerry. Thanks for putting out such reliable, high-quality content. It's nice to see a Writer offering their wisdom whilst also having the credentials to match. There is honestly more quality in this singular video than there is in any of the paid "master class" schemes available online. You're a legend.

[@TheSidquimohamed]

After watching so many videos and reading through endless threads where people tell you to "make your dialogue organic," I finally stumbled upon this. Thank you for your advice, I can clearly picture what aspects of my dialogue I can finally work on. Subscribing right now.

[@seed9607]

Finally the kind of writing I want to learn! School doesn't teach this what's so ever.

[@evanflowforever6615]

A fine mind and good spirit. Thanks. I'll read your books

[@teksight9714]

I read Old Man and the Sea by Hemmingway many years ago. Seemed like he was into mirror writing. Focused on the minutiae. Described every little action. As I recall I didn't finish reading the book. I shouldn't judge him on one work but I don't get what's so good about his writing.

[@wrathtroll1998]

So glad I found your channel! Subscribed, your input is brilliant!

[@drs5552]

I was reading Lemon Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Vile Village, the other night to my son and I noticed something about dialogue tags. You advised to almost always avoid anything other than 'said', and I've often heard that same advice on videos about what will get your book instantly rejected by agents. The Vile Village is a HarperCollins published book from a bestselling series, and a search for dialogue tags gave me the following numbers. Although 'said' was used roughly 61% of the time, the other 39% consisted of a variety of other tags. Said: 505. Asked: 64. Cried: 59. Called: 48. Replied: 31. Agreed: 19. Continued: 16. Explained: 13. Shrieked: 9. Admitted: 9. Pointed out: 6. Added: 6. Snapped: 5. Corrected: 4. Screamed: 4. Gasped: 4. Finished: 4. Insisted: 3. Answered: 3. Suggested: 2. Concluded: 2. Shouted: 2. Yelled: 2. Exclaimed: 1. Also, I noticed 38 instances of an 'ly' adverb directly following the 'said' dialogue. Are there different expectations for young adult books?

[@torturegirl6746]

Just wanna say thanks! This helps a lot!

[@thearnorianruby4681]

Cutting the dialogue to the bone sounds very natural to me (I am Autistic) with the way you present it.

[@carltondabott8909]

This is great advice

[@jordanhollie9261]

Thanks for the video

[@KrystalGamer]

This was a very useful video. Thank you.

[@hamilderen259]

Amazing tools!! Thanks.

[@yvoncormier9762]

I found myself editing out the modifiers in children's book while reading to my daughter. I always thought, even in childrens stories, the dialogue and action between characters tells the story and the mood or attitude within a scene. "cried john....." always annoyed me.

[@user-is6yl9wi7e]

😃🙏😃🙏😃🙏😃👍THANK YOU!!!!

[@Beanssssssssss_whatthefuck]

thank you

[@SBSChristianMedia]

Feels like I met him in an alley with a suitcase of cash and hes whispering these secrets before the rain let's out

[@ozmoozmo9002]

Lmao what?!

[@chisengakim6827]

😂

[@schoolhomevrtechnologyassi6286]

Good ambiance construction! ;~)

[@Iron-Bridge]

😄. Love this. Hope you're writing.

[@matthewjoellumagbas6599]

lets*

[@AuthorWilliamMiller]

As a working author, take my advice. Watch this twice and take notes.

[@pallavipotnis828]

You are right

[@oz1902]

I've watched it six times so far.

[@salomesalo7473]

I will and thank you

[@vixiestarfire]

@@jacobdowler1135 because we have a passion to learn the craft. Makes things interesting for us.

[@sovereigndeleon]

​@@jacobdowler1135 The answer is in your question. The rest of us aren't watching this for a school requirement. We're watching it because we're genuinely learning how to write a book.

[@rentonreva2047]

This channel is a goldmine

[@moneyguidesbydibbo7970]

1:42 Write an essay quickly kzbin.info/www/bejne/q3jMg2CkmtSejdU

[@mahabaliiii]

True

[@shadowsayer1516]

Yeah it is. I had to sort through 100 channels of 20-something women saying the same drek over and over to find this channel and actual useful info. The scary part if some of those vapid people are agents. Guess self-publishing it is.

[@alyssabaquir]

1. Cut dialogue to the bone. 2. Use dialogue to reveal backstory. 3. Use dialogue to reveal character. 4. Be subtle. (subtext, sidestepping, silence) 5. Read your dialogue aloud. 6. Create a 'Make My Day' moment.

[@HamletNOR]

Thank you!

[@Iron-Bridge]

@aly. Thanks for the quick reference summary.

[@ramyaaaa]

Thank you sir/ ma’am :)

[@izunshirucreepercat3732]

😊

[@Al-Hunt-acrylic-painter]

Thanks, but I'll watch the video for myself.

[@jonathanmcentire970]

As an aspiring writer, dialogue is one of the most challenging things for me to write. Thank you for this.

[@reborngreatnesss5712]

Same back my old books I used to make when I was at school my characters sounds like robots than actual human beings

[@hrithikroshan5158]

Same

[@LeortisBooks]

Keep reading and pay attention to how good writers write dialogue. It gets easier

[@tlkfanrwbyfan8716]

I love dialogue because I can do it but when it to comes to action “he run fast” is basically my magnum opus

[@carltondabott8909]

yes repartee between the nemsis is quiet compelling done well. The problem is were in a very immediate gratification society so we are forced to keep it punchy

[@gary7466]

Eighteen minutes without an "Erm" or "Ah." Very professional!

[@isaknoem5475]

2:24

[@arhamsaa]

@@isaknoem5475 That's him describing what happens in real life.

[@pnwfisher2144]

@@arhamsaa yep

[@TomorrowWeLive]

Reading off a script

[@bleacherz7503]

It is edited

[@liamihasz2681]

This guy teaches like he's got a gun to his head. I love it

[@raynizzle143]

This is great.

[@TRS-Eric]

He teached like he writes good dialog.

[@bullit4170]

“Dialogue tags such as, reply, exclaim, retort, remark are archaic and over done” Hmmm interesting *proceeds to change out roughly 75% of all my dialogue tags

[@edenarchive4150]

If anything is overdone it's "said".

[@exoticcats6119]

My teachers said (well this is funny) “said is dead” and I’ve been using some of these lol

[@thakillman7]

If you use "said" so much that you need synonyms, it's a sign that you don't write very natural dialogue. Notice in this video, how little he uses indications of speaking.

[@exoticcats6119]

@@thakillman7 This teacher said it as a general statement to the whole class, so it wasn’t personalized advice to anyone in particular.

[@PoptartParasol]

@@edenarchive4150 not really. 'Said' is skipped over by the brain, that's the entire point. Bringing attention to a dialogue tag is probably the opposite of what you want to do, as it messes up with the pacing of the story. Sometimes removing dialogue tags period is the more prudent option anyways. Imagine every other sentence you have this: "Stop!" Janelle exclaimed. "I've got to go to the store, what do you want?" James bellowed "Well, I was about to say you forgot your keys but nevermind then!" she retorted Ugh, what an eye sore. My brain is just constantly stopping and starting at the dialogue tags, very clunky.

[@LaurArt_UK]

As well as info dumps at the beginning, I sometimes see villains infodumping at the end, as if someone in real life would reveal their whole plan to someone they're opposed to XD It's a stupid move and it ruins villains! Villains should be intelligent, and being cocky isn't smart.

[@letsdomath1750]

Actually, I have friends in real life who take on the "villain" role, either in games or when they have emotional tantrums after something has upset them, and they do a total infodump. It's so refreshing. I much prefer that to the piecemeal setup of getting people to feel open enough around me to share what is really going on with them. Spending years teasing apart the layers of the psyche of those who like to keep their walls up was an alluring endeavor filled with mystery, but in hindsight, there were much more enjoyable ways of passing the time. The infodumpers do have their fair share of intelligent and sophisticated moments too.

[@Th3BigBoy]

​@@letsdomath1750This. I know intelligent info dump people. I think it's just some arbitrary rule because people definitely do it.

[@letsdomath1750]

@@Th3BigBoy For sure, it probably made it into literature because someone observed "villains" not being able to stay silent about their plans. It's hard for them to keep their excitement in their pants, lol. 🤣

[@justanormalguy6174]

I’ve wasted tons of time in authortube videos, just to find all and more advice in this single one.Thank you Mr.Jenkins

[@mahabaliiii]

Yeah, you are right.

[@malafazzle7966]

People who sit down and make videos like this are genuinely creating the next great generation of authors. Thank you for sharing your insight on this topic.

[@felicitypevideos4224]

I feel like my words from tomorrow will be leaps and bounds better than my words from yesterday because of this video.

[@BlessedOne-jp1cy]

6 keys to writing riveting dialogue 🙂 1.Cut writing to bones-Get to the good stuff 2.Use it to reveal backstory but don’t info dump (have the characters reveal a little bit at a time) 3.Use dialogue to reveal character (show not tell) 4. Be subtle A) use subtext B) use sidestepping C) use Silence 5) Read your dialogue aloud 6) create ‘Make My Day’ moment How to format Use he said or she said - don’t use creative way to say it don’t wheeze snort or grunt replied retorted declared are not needed Don’t have characters use each other’s name Too much Don’t put said in the beginning of sentence Resist urge to explain Cardinal sin of dialogue- Avoid on the nose dialogue Don’t use prose that mirrors real life

[@modani9484]

could you please explain the last one that do not use prose that mirrirs real life.

[@fragwagon]

​@@modani9484I think he's referring to the use of unnecessary details. The bit where he said, "She opened her purse which was on her shoulder" etc.

[@shutupshelley1793]

Omfg how do I get you OFF MY FEEEED???

[@gamewriteeye769]

​@@modani9484Bit late, but the part of not using prose that mirrors life isn't a clear cut advice as it might seem. They are saying to cut things in dialogue like “Uhms, and Uhs”, but there are caveats to this way with showing and telling. Pauses during dialogue are necessary, and one masterful way to 'show don't tell' is learning the “sound” of it and how you can control pauses and what information is dispersed through punctuation and clever usage of clauses(sections of a sentence). For example, ellipses(…) and em dashes(-) when read do totally different things to the volume of the words being spoken(this applies to narrative, too). Em dashes cut out stuff abruptly, usually at the same or higher volume(exclamation marks do that well) and ellipses 'trail off' or quiet out its words in-between.

[@kiwii4171]

okay so i just realized my wattpad book was written in all the wrong ways 💀💀

[@ikhouvanchips9127]

Whats it called would love to read it and give feedback

[@Romeo-le2ez]

Don't worry, bro. Everyone has to start somewhere. I still cringe remembering the erotic fanfics/hentai I made when I was in middle school.

[@yn4851]

SAME😭

[@llywyllngryffyn8053]

He sighed. "My Free PDF Download didn't appear in my email Inbox."

[@Aftab_Shaik]

Check the spam box before complaining.

[@rodrigo3732]

The silence thing is soo true. I always find myself writing "he didn,t say anything",or "he didn,t respond." Maybe "he simply stared at her" is better?

[@M3rtyville]

I let the characters respond in "..." sometimes when I can't figure out what else to do. I think "He stared at her" can be enough. For me personally that can be a response depending on how she stared like "He gazed at her with narrowed eyes.". It depends what you want to express with your writing. Does the character care what is spoken? Is he confused? Is he surprised? Something I would like as a reader go grasp.

[@SysterYster]

Same! In editing my novel, I've been removing so many of those "he didn't reply, she didn't look, they didn't hear anything" type of things. Describe what is, not what isn't.

[@Scarletraven87]

Work on the ideas, not on what is formally considered dialogue. Forget "formal dialogue" entirely. "You intend to be late!" His jaw dropped to one side in disgust. Normally he would have smacked the stupidity out of her, but he no longer belived in such methods.

[@arhamsaa]

@@Scarletraven87 Whose jaw drops in disgust? And Who gets disgusted over getting late?

[@Baiswith]

@@arhamsaa I think it's meant to be that sort-of 'sharp intake of breath' (where you open your mouth slightly to take a quick in-breath) jaw drop, not an exaggerated 'O' of shock/horror where the mouth is wide open; the 'to one side' suggests to me that there's a bit of a grimace (the disgust element) to the expression. The disgust is in response to an accusation that there is an 'intent' to be late, it's not disgust over being late in and of itself.

[@shaillamaeb.revilla7949]

I'm an aspiring writer. It's my first time writing my own story and writing my characters' dialogue is my biggest problem !!!! Thank you so much !!!! 😭😭😭

[@veradragilyova3122]

Thank you so much for the most organized, “to the bone”, clear, and actionable advice on writing ever! 👏🙏👍

[@papercat_draws]

Woah, now the dialogue I wrote yesterday sounds REALLY bland and boring. I'm definitly going to edit it, thank you!

[@ReptillianStrike]

I've never written anything before, and I've only had a fleeting interest in writing anything. I've looked up a few tips on writing and what pitfalls to avoid, and I have to say that your videos are a cut above everything else. You have very high quality videos, and your explanations are really easy to follow.

[@BellaEssentialLiving]

I have my first book to rewrite...I"ve put it off for several years because I knew I made all these mistakes. Thank you so much!

[@bluefox7678]

Oooooh It's been a year, how is your story going?

[@BellaEssentialLiving]

@@bluefox7678 Oh, I haven't been able to touch it. We are renovating our house while living in it. I have also barely gotten to all my hobbies and interests. I have not forgotten and will refer to these videos and update when I have found the time. Thank you for your interest!

[@bluefox7678]

@@BellaEssentialLiving Thank you for your reply and good luck on your renovation!

[@ilikemusic9599]

Put yourself in the situation, say the words out loud. If it feels like something someone would say, put it down. If not, alter it. Remember that character's aren't talking to the audience, they're speaking to each other, and often the most dire, important things are left unsaid. Change words according to your character's accent, and bingo, bango, bongo!

[@FalloutUrMum]

The best dialogue ever was any time Anakin is confessing his love to Padme. "I hate sand"

[@jfreeman4275]

"Uh...wow," typed J upon his phone keyboard appreciatively. Yet, deep down J knew that he hadn't fully aborbed what the guy with glasses had spoken to J. J knew that he would probably continue to write sub-par dialogue and narrative for the stories he penned. Then, almost automatically, J moved the picture of the video to the bottom of his screen and used his thumb the scroll through other writing advice videos, that J would continue to ignore.

[@ij1376]

I'm writing a novel as a little passion project (so I'm an amateur). This is invaluable advice. Definitely subscribed.

[@rikantasmarcinonis9651]

I m writing comics. And I have been working on my dialogue for some time, cuz I know that it's my weakness. Thank you for sharing this. You earned a like and subscribe

[@rikantasmarcinonis9651]

@Matthew Jones yup you're totaly right. But there is thing that only 30 or so % of informatio people tell by words. I olso try to use face expresions and body languge as much as posible well in the end they are part of art style. I olso try to avoid puting too much text cuz it's easy to get tired from that. I can draw well and I can expres different kind of information, I can format and plan the story but it's difficult to write a good dialogue. In my story there is not much action but lots of conflic.

[@Lawlessweeb_San]

Thank you Sir. I can't believe I was already doing some of this unconsciously. It's a relief to know that I'm on the right track. Looking forward to learning more from you.

[@tullochgorum6323]

If you want to understand dialogue, you can do worse than study the best screen-writers. And something they often use which you can add to the Jerry's seven keys is the cut away. The best screen writers often cut away from a scene before the end, leaving the remainder to the imagination. And imagination is often much more powerful than anything you could write explicitly.

[@jenniferadams1497]

"Hey, Boo." Comes to mind as a small, quotable phrase that said it all. Allllll the book lead up to that moment when she saw her mystery man. All she said was that little line. I loved that.

[@pixxelwizzard]

Great information! You sent me racing back to my story, reanalyzing all the "he didn't respond" statements that I now know are mistakes! :P

[@XX-sp3tt]

18:00 "on the nose" is too demonized. There are times that characters just speak plainly, and have no MOTIVATION to dance around something. If need to tell someone's their house is on fire, they're going to shout, "MY HOUSE IS ON FIRE!" They're not going to waste time with subtly.

[@SweetNaeva24]

I finished watching Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. And it was absolutely beautiful. The dialogue was amazing! I love all of this advice.

[@moneyguidesbydibbo7970]

1:53 Write an essay quickly kzbin.info/www/bejne/q3jMg2CkmtSejdU

[@reginayfavors]

Becoming Jane has good dialogue too when the women are discussing the potential of becoming writers in an age of thinking where women did not do anything outside of the home if they were married.

[@surfingcipher1059]

at first glance I thought you wrote who's afraid of vigaina

[@redyakArt]

Just leaving this here for myself and others. 1:58 Key 1 Cut dialogue to the bone 3:01 Key 2 Use dialogue to reveal backstory 5:06 Key 3 Use dialogue to reveal character 6:17 Key 4 Be subtle 6:33 Key 4 Be subtle(Subtext) 7:29 Key 4 Be subtle(Sidestepping) 9:13 Key 4 Be subtle(Silence) 10:19 Key 5 Read your dialogue aloud 11:26 Key 6 Create a ‘make my day’ moment 12:12 Miscellaneous problems

[@surfingcipher1059]

thanks mate I'm rewatching to gain clarity this helps me with specific parts

[@sanityone649]

Spot on. I see it all the time. TMI. I call it stage directions. It where dialog directs characters from an external viewpoint rather than from the character's viewpoint.

[@Kindred420]

You just flipped everything I thought I knew upside down and I'm not sure how to feel. I've always thought of myself as being a very good descriptive writer. Setting the scene, including the details that really make them feel like they are there. Like you said, it's what I was taught. I'm stating to take writing seriously as everyone tells me over and over that I need to be writer. I came across this actually looking for proper punctuation in dialog as it's been many years since I've really used it much. I'm kinda sad that one of my perceived strengths is now a liability. Seems like the books I loved when I was younger were very descriptive. Even though I read Fantasy novels of all sorts, not best sellers. I thank you for your insight and influence. I hope I can adapt and grow from it.

[@nikkinewbie6014]

This strikes a chord with me too. Describing real life…I felt good about my minutiae. Now my eyes have been opened. Never thought about how writing styles evolve and trend in and out like clothes. It’s fortunate that we’ve been enlightened on this topic. I’m leaning towards getting serious about writing too. I want to watch more of these videos for guidance throughout my process. I’m excited to look at the prospect with different eyes now. Good luck to you.

[@Carrothers23]

This is by far, one of the most straight forward and informative explanations on effective dialogue I have seen! Thank you Mr. Jenkins. A deep well.

[@kokoeteantigha389]

My biggest writing flaw: wordiness.

[@gardens4good]

What about all of those good movies where Al Pacino or Michael Douglas has a monologue that’s in target?

[@techwizpc4484]

Every anime fight ever.

[@snakey934Snakeybakey]

Okay, I just now found this guy's channel and I'm already amazed. No lame gimmicks, no flashy nonsense. Just the guy sharing his expertise for free. As an aspiring writer, you have my gratitude Mr. Jenkins.

[@LorraineCareyAuthor]

As an educator I always tell my students to write with clarity. Your videos are always clear and your tone is calming which allows your listeners to learn these most helpful skills. Thank you!

[@nikkinewbie6014]

Yes. His speech pattern is measured and unhurried. It’s easy to follow.

[@christopherbriscoe8665]

Hi, Jerry, "It was, "Go ahead punk. Make my day." Thanks for your great tips, Jerry, Sir.

[@arthurn8931]

i have written 13000 words for my novel. and now I'm depressed and don't know what to do, because i want to write but i just can't go through stagnation.

[@maichu6584]

Same. I got 40k in and just stopped. I suggest writing a few short stories, and then come back to the novel

[@noelhoffmann6057]

What's your ending and think about how to actively get there. It'll flow again.

[@sophystigy]

Man this "show, not tell" is really everywhere and I LOVE IT

[@garyfreeman6277]

Hi, Jerry - I just want to say how much I appreciate you and your willingness to instruct, teach and share what you know about writing. It is so helpful and I appreciate the lack of 'language' in your videos. You're able to get the message across without the profanity. Thank you, Sir! :)

[@Iron-Bridge]

Wow. My first time here. Mr Jenkins dropping gold. And he speaks so well too. I've made the mistake with on the nose dialogue a lot too.

[@harrymacdonald2672]

Going back to the point of make it how they would talk in reality; could you have the example of good dialogue that you gave and then, in the next non-dialogue paragraph, describe the fact that a drunk driver nearly killed her?

[@omenatollo]

As a Finnish, I perfectly understand the silent dialogue. 😁

[@Wa-wk6qk]

15:38 But Jerry, you do give us that Yodaesque wisdom. And I am very very grateful that you do.

[@smileychess]

I have a really good story that I’ve been pondering and jotting notes for a couple years. But I’m not a writer. However, since this story has stuck with me so long, I now feel obligated to write it. Consuming videos like this is my sheepish attempt at doing it justice.

[@chelleweird]

Don't give it up! Sometimes, people choose to write stories and the stories come to them. At other times, the stories choose to be written and choose one person to write them. I hope you've made progress. If you publish, come back and post it. I'll buy it!

[@joeljacq7486]

I love this guy! He's willing to share his knowledge and writing wisdom. He's blessed for sure 🙏

[@blowietube]

This is invaluable for someone honing their dialogue. Thankyou Jerry.

[@Blake515151]

Yo jerry, I'm just a novice/noob/beginner writer and I'd like to thank you for this nice video. It's a nice mental break.

[@lp4265]

Wow! This video is fantastic! I love all of your videos, so informative! Thank you Jerry😊

[@Restlesswriter13]

So, I listened to your lesson on dialog, and see where I need to really tighten mine up in my current project. Thank you for your tutorial. The day after watching it, my husband and I had a conversation, and it really hit me that it was following your tutorial. We referenced the past, but didn't go into detail because we already knew it collectively. Just like the example you gave where the woman didn't want to talk about the accident, "Let's just not talk about it..." etc. Wow, thank you, Mr. Jenkins!

[@desertgecko4549]

13:50 "I once wrote an entire novel, _The Last Operative,_ without attributing a single line of dialogue." I bought the Kindle edition after watching this video a few months ago. The book was excellent, as I expected, and not once was I lost in dialogue. I learned much from reading that book, gaining insights on how to attribute dialogue without _attributing_ dialogue. Today, I came back for a refresher. There is more sound advice in this short video than in some entire books on dialogue.

[@Remle907]

I'm so grateful for this video. I'm almost finished with my first draft of my novel, but I felt my dialog was lacking, and there's a bit of onfo dumping where it wouldn't be realistic for them to talk about in such detail. While I'm not looking forward to the editing, I'm excited to see how much better it will be once I finish.

[@katlamb4606]

Writing a dialogue is to a writer what drawing hands is to an artist: so easy to mess up. Thank you, Mr. Jenkins!

[@psykofreac9188]

Writing dialogue is like building a house. If you only build the exterior and no internal support, the house would collapse in itself. What characters say are driven by their personality which therefore makes the dialogue. So to make interesting dialogue, you need interesting characters, basically, it's all about characterization.

[@waftsofpetrichor]

Words aren't enough to express my gratitude to you, Mr. Jenkins. It really is an honor to learn from an experienced and successful author such as yourself. Regardless of how good the plot may be, dialogue has always troubled me. But your words of wisdom have undeniably helped me. Thank you, sir. ❤

[@foleylione]

Thank you. I watched with skepticism but I learned much from this.

[@cheyennesantos-l4g]

I'm actually starting to write because of this video years ago.

[@nwaezeemmanuel9294]

Jerry has really helped me as a budding writer

[@winebox]

This guy is a great writing coach. His hints remind me of a book we had over 40 years ago in English class, The Lively Art Of Writing by Lucile Vaughn Payne. I still refer to it and it’s still in print.

[@bluenetmarketing]

The whole tell vs show clap trap is BS. Everything is tell and everything is show. It is a distinction without a meaningful difference. Just write, and show and tell until you run out of ink or ideas. It's all ok.

[@batchloo1]

Jerry, this is awesome advice. Dialogue is my pet peeve, can't get a handle on it. I'm hoping that I can put this into practice and better execute dialogue in my writing. Thanks, man!

[@anna-laurahocker5570]

When you're in a restaurant, listen to conversations taking place around you. Have your journal handy and take notes.

[@wireheadslabs]

Great advice! But he says often no attribution is needed. He says he once wrote an entire novel without attributing a single line of dialogue. Not a single said, asked, anything. That would drive me nuts! I've read so many novels where after several lines, you have no idea who is saying what. This is a common complaint by readers. It's not good when readers have to stop reading, and go back in the dialogue to try to figure out who is saying what. I would say that attributes should be used 95% of the time, if not 100% of the time. It's much easier to read novels that way, especially complex novels. However, he uses the example *Jordan shook his head and sighed. "I've had it."* That is a great way to mix it up, as a replacement to having to use an attribute. But when attributes are needed, many readers also prefer a bit of variety. They don't like he said, she said, he said, she said, he said, she said. It becomes distracting after a while. When appropriate, use creative attributes like he warned, she loathed, he suggested, she retorted, etc. I would say use he said, she said 80% to 90% of the time and use creative attributes the rest of the time to mix it up. Finally, instead of saying he said, she said, personally I prefer it when the character's name is always used. So, Jordan said, Jennifer said. That's my suggestion as a reader of hundreds of novels. It's just nice to read a novel and you don't get distracted because you loose track of who is saying what.

[@செந்தில்முருகன்-ம7ச]

Oh dear Jerry Sir. Where were you these days? I published a short story in Tamil language only with the help of your tips. Thank you so much. A lot love from India❤️😍🥰😘

[@sriranjit3684]

Bro Tamil ah neenga ... spr bro

[@tylersizelove7521]

Thank you for the tip of not mirroring real life. That's a tendency of mine that makes the writing journey tideous for me. This lifts a burden.

[@SleepParty30]

The on-the-nose shit was a big one for me a while back. I liked describing every little fucking thing the characters did. Funny thing is, I realized that on my own. I was revising my draft aloud and it sounded like total aids, so I changed things around, and boom, so much better.

[@0rinthian]

Needed this SO badly. I was quite foggy on the rules of writing good dialogue, but after watching this I feel much more confident in myself to create it well.

[@nainar8240]

I love reading books but never knew the amount of effort and planning that needs to be done by the writer.

[@michaelmaginn7081]

For your last tip. If you use most of the bare bones tactics for the majority of the writing, and for one extremely important part of the story detailing everything, does it not inform the reader on a personal level that this is the heart of the shit you’re writing? He was in the waiting room confused and worried. The doctor steps in head bowed. “I’m sorry” That was all Jim heard, everything else a blur as he sunk to the floor. He sat in the waiting room wearing his old believed lucky shirt and fidgeting around with his wedding ring, that he previously did out of boredom but now out of uncertainty. His mind full of promises made, and promises yet to be made, hope and doubt. The doctor steps into the room with his head bowed. His first two words to Jim are “I’m sorry.” He didn’t need to hear the rest as he sunk to the floor. People remember details of important moments of their life more. I’m just asking if bare bonesing is right all the time?

[@maryeola7282]

I am a frustrated writer for years, and all the "amateur" stuff hits me hard. thank you for the tips!

[@donjindra]

If you tell the reader something he didn't know he needs to know, it's boring exposition. Feed the reader clues. Eventually he'll want to know what you were tempted to tell him earlier. But when he finally does want to know it, that same exposition reads like revelation.

[@thereccher8746]

I was told that good dialogue are words used as tools by a character to achieve an un-stated goal. True sub-text comes from what the character's ulterior motive is behind the words.

[@fancy1725]

Eliminate errors in dialogue. Your characters should speak the way you write!

[@frankgiraldo9636]

Thanks forr sharing such useful tips, Mr. Jenkins! I'd like to start writing a novel, so your channel is gold! One step at a time.

[@reena9027]

Would u like to join me at my next youtube podcast? It really be a honour 🙏🙏 Please reply.

[@stef12121999]

Wouldn’t it get repetitive if you used “said” every time

[@gavasiarobinssson5108]

No. It will be invisible,like punctuation.....,,,,!!!!!! If done correctly

[@duskflower8825]

Besides “said” you can also punctuate it with actions! “How are you doing?” Steve put his hand on Laura’s shoulder. “Not good,” she said, “not since...” Steve let out a heavy sigh. “I feel the same way.” He gave her shoulder a squeeze and pulled away.

[@eodico]

yes but the reader doesn't notice. They will notice with "replied" and "declared"

[@76sherie]

It’s such a beautiful gift when someone so successful is willing to freely give advice like this to others! Thank you Jerry you are a treasure!

[@r.i.p.4485]

Thank you. I place these golden nuggets in a very sacred space in my mental workshop. They shine light on the darker spots of my writing.