Ask a Published Author: “How do I avoid cheesy dialogue?"

Ari Marmell wrote his first novel while studying at the University of Houston, one that he now charitably calls a “learning experience." Today, Ari works as a novelist and a freelance writer for roleplaying games. He lives in Austin with his wife, George, and two cats.

How do would you go about avoiding stereotypes and cheesy dialogue? — Anonymous

Don’t think of it as dialogue; think of it as people talking. Yes, those mean the same thing, but hear me out.

When writing dialogue, you need to honestly think about people saying it. It’s not enough to look good on the page; it should also work if actually spoken aloud. That sounds almost like a no-brainer, but it’s amazing how big a difference it makes. You might even try actually doing that—read it aloud to yourself and see how it sounds, until you get the hang of it.

Or, if you want another quick and dirty rule (which, like all these rules, is more of a guideline): If you’d roll your eyes if someone actually said this to you, odds are good a lot of readers are going roll their eyes when they read it.

Next week’s head counselor will be James R. Strickland, Wrimo, and author of science-fiction and cyberpunk novels, including  Looking Glass .

Ask him your questions here!