lastbadger

Dialog can be really tough. The key is to listen to the way people actually speak. You can't write dialog in complete sentences. It has to be broken up, like people talk.

But now, to contradict myself completely, I would add that you can't write a dialog of a real conversation. A real conversation would be three pages of drivel. You know:
"'S'up?"
"Nuthin, dawg. 'S'happin?"
"Shhhheeeet."
"Word."
And it goes on and on. There's hardly any data communicated. So, not only do you have to write like people speak, you also have to write only the interesting parts. Think information theory: information is only communicated by the unexpected. So skip the pages of crap and get right to the point instantly:
"Jessie left me some English rock dude."
"No way! My mom got eaten by these aliens."
"Fuck. That's cold. Let's go to Vegas."
"Word. Let's cash this insurance check and fly."
And that's the end of it.

So those are the two rules:
1) Write like people talk.
2) Edit out everything except what is essential information.

Give it a shot. There are more guidelines about how to make it "sparkle," but those come later.

Great idea - an All-Corey weekend! BUT Thursday I'll be at a friend's for Thanksgiving, then Friday with my mom for her bday, then Saturday and Sunday I'll be in Savannah... maybe next weekend.

I like the reading roundtable idea - are you a writer then? Ever done the Artist's Way program?