- Weed out fluff words.
- Use dialect sparingly.
- Keep the reader involved.
- Use dialog for exposition.
- Use dialog to change pace.
- Use scene to promote dialog.
- Use dialog to illustrate a scene.
- Use dialog to illustrate attitudes.
- Paint the atmosphere of another era.
- Keep it short. Include only essentials.
- Try to avoid disclaimers within the story.
- Use "said" in preference to other words.
- Don't use dialog to preach to the reader.
- Use dialog and scene to illustrate a mood.
- Add action to enhance the impact of dialog.
- Eliminate "said" when the speaker is obvious.
- Create a sense of place or add descriptive details.
- Combine dialog with action for emphasis, and reality.
- Do not use dialog for the single purpose of exposition.
- Use dialog propel the story forward- -not to carry the story.
- Use dialog to add life and show character and personality.
- Provide clues. Allow the reader's imagination to fill in details.
- Use disclaimers won't provide and the actual words are important.
- Break up the page- -add white spaces to make the page imposing.
- Do not use dialog to explain what should be obvious to the other party.
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