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Book Review of
DIALOGUE: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting Effective Dialogue
by Gloria Kempton,
2004, Writer's Digest Books

DIALOGUE, by Gloria Kempton, is a comprehensive study of the dialogue mode of fiction-writing. It's filled with insightful looks at the potential uses of dialogue and practical tips on how to incorporate better dialogue into fiction. If there's a better book devoted to the subject of dialogue, I'm not aware of it.

The book opens by explaining the purpose of dialogue and addressing various fears new writers may have concerning dialogue. The bulk of the text addresses specific fiction-writing issues as they relate to dialogue:
weaving action, narrative, and dialogue
character motivation
setting and background
pacing the story
conflict, suspense, and tension
mood and emotion
problems with dialogue
punctuation
dos and don'ts
practical tips

Critics of this book will, no doubt, find subjects that aren't thoroughly addressed by the author. And some may disagree with the author's logic on a few issues. I prefer to focus on what I can learn from each book, rather than what is missing or misconstrued. There's plenty to learn from this one.

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