Craft Talks is a running collection of the craft advice I actually use — audio writing tips, dialogue basics, Jay Wexler's 10 Humor Commandments, a story spine infographic, and whatever else earns a spot. Some of it you'll listen to, some you'll want to print out and tape above your desk.

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Starting a Story/Ground the Reader
Omit Needless Words
Strategic Self
Hot Topic/Cold Prose
Point of View
Write Like You Speak
Why Now?
Create Scenes
Details: the More Specific the More Universal
The Use of a Container
Humor Writing interview with Jay Wexler, Boston University Law Professor and Author.
Jay Wexler
Story Spine
Punctuation
Editing Tips for Stories Meant To Be Told Out Loud (or on the Page)
Dialogue

Writing Class Radio's Basic Points on DIALOGUE

1.  Starting a story with dialogue makes the reader think too hard.                                    

2. Only attribute speech with said. He said. She said. I said. Or say/says if you're writing in the present tense.

3. Leave names out of dialogue. The characters know who they're talking to.                          

4. Sentences don't have to be complete because people talk over each other.            

5. Dialogue has to reveal character or advance the story.                                                        

6. Every new speaker gets a new paragraph.

Show and Tell