Tips on Writing Great Dialogue

Send us Fan MailWhat does your protagonist need?At the beginning of your story, your protagonist may or may not want or need anything particular, but if something doesn't happen that will jerk him or her into action, you won't have much of a story.We all have physical needs - warmth, shelter, clothing, air, medical help, food, clean water, safety. We also have emotional and spiritual needs - we need to love and be loved, to matter, to use the gifts God has given us.Your protagonist may have any type of need, depending on the genre of the novel you are writing . . . physical, emotional, spiritual, community-related or all of the above and perhaps a few other things, too!There will probably be one over-arching want/need, though. So, what is the one main thing that your protagonist lacks, that will make him act?Does he need to find out why his mother died?  Does he need to find out what the message in the bottle means? Is she desperately seeking forgiveness/love/acceptance? Will he gain significance from solving the crime? Does she need release from fear? Does he need to get to a place of safety (and save others, too)?This main need of your protagonist, and their search to get it, will be your story. So what's yours? :-)Support the showLike to do my free writing course, Gripping Beginnings?Or perhaps you would like to join our membership group, for support while you write your novel?Click on this link to find out more.Oh, and do leave a review on your podcast app - it really does help a lot. Thank you! :-)

Send us Fan MailWhat time works best for you, to write?Maybe there's more than one!In this episode we look at how you can get into the habit of writing daily, but also how to grab other moments when you feel the inspiration flowing. Enjoy!Support the showLike to do my free writing course, Gripping Beginnings?Or perhaps you would like to join our membership group, for support while you write your novel?Click on this link to find out more.Oh, and do leave a review on your podcast app - it really does help a lot. Thank you! :-)

Send us Fan MailOver the summer I sent out 5 quick writing tips every Monday to my email list. Nothing detailed – a bit like proverbs, perhaps!I have put all 25 into a neat list for you and turned them into this podcast.I hope you will find them useful! If you do, make sure you subscribe to the podcast, and if you'd be kind enough to leave a review, that would be wonderful. Thank you!Every blessing,JanetSupport the showLike to do my free writing course, Gripping Beginnings?Or perhaps you would like to join our membership group, for support while you write your novel?Click on this link to find out more.Oh, and do leave a review on your podcast app - it really does help a lot. Thank you! :-)

Send us Fan MailThere are many elements we need to get right with our stories, but there are some basic essentials that will make or break our novels.I hope this podcast will help you make sure you have at least these 5 elements just right for your readers!Don't forget to subscribe... and I'll see you next time.Oh, and at the end of this episode I have a very special offer for you, so make sure you don't miss out!Support the showLike to do my free writing course, Gripping Beginnings?Or perhaps you would like to join our membership group, for support while you write your novel?Click on this link to find out more.Oh, and do leave a review on your podcast app - it really does help a lot. Thank you! :-)

Send us Fan MailTight SentencesAs in every area of art, writing tight sentences is not an exact science, but I hope some pointers in the right direction might help you with your work in progress.The aim of writing tight sentences is to help with clarity and pace, and increase reader enjoyment of your novel. Authors who write tight sentences show their readers exactly what's happening without wandering around. Readers won't be bored or puzzled. They won't have to go back to check who did what, where and when. They will know exactly how the characters feel and the reasons for their actions. Clarity is the key.I trust this will help you with your work in progress!JanetSupport the showLike to do my free writing course, Gripping Beginnings?Or perhaps you would like to join our membership group, for support while you write your novel?Click on this link to find out more.Oh, and do leave a review on your podcast app - it really does help a lot. Thank you! :-)

Send us Fan MailSome surprises in stories can be good - some can be bad.Listen in and get some tips for your own novel, to make sure you are thrilling your readers with some great surprises!Support the showLike to do my free writing course, Gripping Beginnings?Or perhaps you would like to join our membership group, for support while you write your novel?Click on this link to find out more.Oh, and do leave a review on your podcast app - it really does help a lot. Thank you! :-)

Send us Fan MailWelcome to the Write for a Reason podcast. My name is Janet Wilson; I'm a publisher of Christian fiction for young people with Dernier Publishing. If you are a Christian, and new to writing stories for kids and teens, stay tuned for encouragement, creative writing tips and actionable strategies you can implement immediately to become a better writer, and get your books out into the world.Characters are a very important part of your novel - if you don't get these right, you could lose your readers.But how many characters do you need? How many is too many? How old should they be? What is a 'guide' - and should you include one? Listen to this podcast and be inspired!Support the showLike to do my free writing course, Gripping Beginnings?Or perhaps you would like to join our membership group, for support while you write your novel?Click on this link to find out more.Oh, and do leave a review on your podcast app - it really does help a lot. Thank you! :-)

Send us Fan MailSome writers are great at dialogue - others find it more challenging. Here are some tips to help you write dialogue that will move your story forward, help your readers to get to know your characters better, and bring in lots of emotion.Enjoy!Support the showLike to do my free writing course, Gripping Beginnings?Or perhaps you would like to join our membership group, for support while you write your novel?Click on this link to find out more.Oh, and do leave a review on your podcast app - it really does help a lot. Thank you! :-)

Send us Fan MailThe setting of our story is important!Janet Wilson of Dernier Publishing (Christian fiction for kids and teens) discusses the importance of choosing a compelling setting to enhance your story, and how it can increase reader engagement.Support the showLike to do my free writing course, Gripping Beginnings?Or perhaps you would like to join our membership group, for support while you write your novel?Click on this link to find out more.Oh, and do leave a review on your podcast app - it really does help a lot. Thank you! :-)

Send us Fan MailGetting descriptions right can be tricky. Janet Wilson of Dernier Publishing gives 7 tips to help you write great descriptions for your stories.Support the showLike to do my free writing course, Gripping Beginnings?Or perhaps you would like to join our membership group, for support while you write your novel?Click on this link to find out more.Oh, and do leave a review on your podcast app - it really does help a lot. Thank you! :-)