Write Great Dialogue

Commissioning editors say good dialogue is one of the first things that make a book stand out from the crowd - and similarly, that clunky direct speech is one of the first things that will send a book straight from the slushpile to the rejections bin.

But while many other aspects of writing are pored over in intense detail, there have been very few books on the art of writing successful dialogue. In this practical guide for aspiring writers of all levels, Irving Weinman, himself a published writer and well-known creative writing tutor, uses case studies to help you explore how to write good dialogue, and gives you a range of fun and challenging exercises that will help you to write great dialogue.

Irving Weinman is an American author who has written 6 published books, for publishers including Faucett and John Daniel, and has contributed to the New York Times Book Review. He teaches Creative Writing at the University of Sussex.