Too Much Dialogue?

[Justin]

Is there such a thing as too much dialogue in books? I mean I know we all love a good conversation in novels but we also love a good description and events of action, horror, and what not. Is too much dialogue such a thing and exactly how hurtful can it be to a reader?

[Lynne]

There's such a thing as too much of anything. Yes, there can certainly be too much dialogue, also too many descriptions, too much scene setting, etc. A good book is a balance of all these things.

[Katheryn]

Lynne wrote: "There's such a thing as too much of anything. Yes, there can certainly be too much dialogue, also too many descriptions, too much scene setting, etc. A good books is a balance of all these things."

I agree with Lynne, but I will say I prefer too much dialogue over descriptions lol. I've noticed sometimes that if a book contains really heavy descriptions, I skim over them and hop from dialogue to dialogue. I think in the end it depends on the kind of reader you are, and also the kind of story. I've read stories before where they're done in only dialogue for stylistic reasons, and that works for them.

[Mary]

You can do anything you can get away with. Someone who wrote really, really, really spiffy dialogue might get away with a book that's all dialogue.

Improbable, though.

[Courtney]

Honestly you're probably best served with a book that's half dialogue since it's in-the-moment action, character development, plot advancement - all that good stuff.

If the rest is a mix of descriptions, character action and inner thoughts and reactions I think you've got good pacing.

Just avoid chatter, you know. Some conversation can take two pages but be summed up in a paragraph.

[Michael]

I kinda like to see things as Quentin Tarentino does it. he not only does really good banter, and plot moving dialogue, but evens it out with enough action and movements that also do their own to advance things. so it's gotta be a 50/50, give and take, kind of thing. in my opinion at least