How much dialogue is too much?

[JJ82490]

Working on my first story and I get the sense that I have too much dialogue but I truly have no idea.

What are your thoughts on dialogue in general and also specifically in sex scenes?

 

[Volunteer_]

It’s hard to give an exact percentage but I’d look at your story and think: do I know who’s talking, do I know where they are, what’s around them, what’s happening? If you can do that for every ‘scene’ and there be enough info, you’re on the right track. Lots of dialogue isn’t a bad thing if the length of story and narrative is a good proportion against it.

 

[JJ82490]

It’s hard to give an exact percentage but I’d look at your story and think: do I know who’s talking, do I know where they are, what’s around them, what’s happening? If you can do that for every ‘scene’ and there be enough info, you’re on the right track. Lots of dialogue isn’t a bad thing if the length of story and narrative is a good proportion against it.

Appreciate this very much

 

[samhasstories]

In general I would say there's no such thing as too much dialogue. But of course it comes down to the specific needs of the specific scenes. If the focus is the action, i.e. with a sex scene, then you might be better served at focusing more on what the characters are doing then what they're saying. I usually have some dialogue within sex scenes, though my characters aren't hugely eloquent in that context. It's a lot of things like "Oh fuck yes" and so on, and it isn't much of it.

As with anything, when you're revising and trying to hone the scene to make it as effective as possible, you can look at each line and consider whether it's contributing to the effect you're trying to accomplish. If you're trying to really make things hot and the characters are discussing their plans for the weekend, for example, you might be able to cut that.

The thing I do most when I revise is just delete shit. Extra words, extra paragraphs, things that are just fattening up the prose without adding anything useful. That applies to dialogue as much as anything else.

 

[karina_jayde]

If the dialogue advances the story or reveals interesting things about the world or the characters, then it's hard to call it excessive.

But if your dialogue treads water, advances nothing, and reveals nothing, then it's just filler and can hold the story back.

 

[JJ82490]

In general I would say there's no such thing as too much dialogue. But of course it comes down to the specific needs of the specific scenes. If the focus is the action, i.e. with a sex scene, then you might be better served at focusing more on what the characters are doing then what they're saying. I usually have some dialogue within sex scenes, though my characters aren't hugely eloquent in that context. It's a lot of things like "Oh fuck yes" and so on, and it isn't much of it.

As with anything, when you're revising and trying to hone the scene to make it as effective as possible, you can look at each line and consider whether it's contributing to the effect you're trying to accomplish. If you're trying to really make things hot and the characters are discussing their plans for the weekend, for example, you might be able to cut that.

The thing I do most when I revise is just delete shit. Extra words, extra paragraphs, things that are just fattening up the prose without adding anything useful. That applies to dialogue as much as anything else.

This is awesome, thank you

 

[JJ82490]

If the dialogue advances the story or reveals interesting things about the world or the characters, then it's hard to call it excessive.

But if your dialogue treads water, advances nothing, and reveals nothing, then it's just filler and can hold the story back.

Thank you so much for this

 

[intim8]

Some stories are best told with nothing but dialog.

Quantity is far less important than quality. Make sure every line is doing something necessary to the story, not just marking time. Look it over to see if there's things in the dialog that really would be better as narration or description (if your characters ever use the words "as you know" or similar crutches, that's a big red flag). Make sure the characters are speaking in character, not as a puppet for the narrator.

 

[KeithD]

A successful story can be done that's totally dialogue. So, don't expect that question to lead anywhere constructive.

 

[JJ82490]

A successful story can be done that's totally dialogue. So, don't expect that question to lead anywhere constructive.

I appreciate this more than you know, thank you

 

[StillStunned]

A story can even be done as a whole monologue. They're not erotica, but Joyce Grenfell did some hilarious ones of a nursery school (kindergarten) teacher. I've been working on my own, about a porn director.

Overall, though, this: trust your readers to fill in the blanks for themselves. Less is more with dialogue and backstory. Readers are pretty smart (not as smart as writers, obviously, but then, who is?), and they'll figure it out. And if they don't, they generally won't care too much as long as the story moves forward.

Just make sure it's clear who's talking. You don't need "[X} said" in every line. Use action to denote who's talking. (John put down his glass. "I suppose I should be heading home." Etc.)

 

[BobbyBrandt]

The point of view perspective of the story can play a huge role in determining the appropriateness of dialog.

For example, in a 3rd person omniscient POV the narrative can replace a lot of dialog because the perspective of the narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of the characters so they don't need to "voice" them.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

It depends on what is required for the scene to work.

Dialogue is often an effective way to show and not tell but letting the reader eavesdrop on conversation that happens.

Just how much dialogue may be appropriate hinges largely on how good the dialogue is. There are quite a number of writers here that just looove the 'witty banter' that they provide for their characters, but the banter isn't really clever at all, but two people just talking smutty (and unnaturally) about the author's fave kink. Isn't that great? Uh, yea, okay.

 

[ronde]

It depends on what is required for the scene to work.

Dialogue is often an effective way to show and not tell but letting the reader eavesdrop on conversation that happens.

Just how much dialogue may be appropriate hinges largely on how good the dialogue is. There are quite a number of writers here that just looove the 'witty banter' that they provide for their characters, but the banter isn't really clever at all, but two people just talking smutty (and unnaturally) about the author's fave kink. Isn't that great? Uh, yea, okay.

Though dialogue is a powerful tool for a writer because it lets the reader hear what a character is thinking, it's mostly about quality over quantity. The dialogue has to be written to match the personality of the character speaking as well as being what most people would consider to be "normal speech". In spite of what's portrayed in porn films, I don't think very many people talk all that much during sex. Not once in my life have I ever had a partner scream, "Fuck me in the ass with your big stiff cock", but maybe I've led a sheltered life.

Another thing to consider is the sex of the people talking. Men speak to other men and women speak to other women differently than they speak to someone of the opposite sex, at least until they know each other pretty well. Stories about BDSM might be an exception, but most people are pretty reserved when talking with the opposite sex.

 

[Cagivagurl]

Working on my first story and I get the sense that I have too much dialogue but I truly have no idea.

What are your thoughts on dialogue in general and also specifically in sex scenes?

There's no such thing as to much dialogue....

Cagivagurl

 

[StillStunned]

There's no such thing as to much dialogue....

Cagivagurl

 

[Cagivagurl]

LOL
As I said....
There's no such things as to much dialogue.
Thank you for quantifying my argument.

Cagivagurl

 

[M_K_Babalon]

I use dialog the least during sex scenes.

 

[Rob_Royale]

I did a transcript story that is entirely dialogue and it's been well received when it's been read (sort of a dead category). 4.4 stars? I'm pretty happy with it.

 

[SimonDoom]

I like dialogue, and I believe that mixing plenty of dialogue with narrative usually makes the story more enjoyable. Dialogue can be a very effective, and often more fun, way of providing backstory, revealing a character's inner feelings (like when the non-POV character reveals to the POV character what he or she is thinking), and of describing what is going on ("What's inside the box?" asked Ed. "I think I'll open it.")

But there's this important limit: eliminate all the dialogue that isn't essential to the story. Sometimes I think authors here stretch out dialogue scenes too long to include things that aren't essential to the story. Avoid having characters give speeches. In real life, conversations wander over a lot of different topics, start and stop, veer into irrelevancies. You don't want dialogue in a story to do that.

 

[JJ82490]

I like dialogue, and I believe that mixing plenty of dialogue with narrative usually makes the story more enjoyable. Dialogue can be a very effective, and often more fun, way of providing backstory, revealing a character's inner feelings (like when the non-POV character reveals to the POV character what he or she is thinking), and of describing what is going on ("What's inside the box?" asked Ed. "I think I'll open it.")

But there's this important limit: eliminate all the dialogue that isn't essential to the story. Sometimes I think authors here stretch out dialogue scenes too long to include things that aren't essential to the story. Avoid having characters give speeches. In real life, conversations wander over a lot of different topics, start and stop, veer into irrelevancies. You don't want dialogue in a story to do that.

This is great insight - thank you very much

 

[dadadadiox]

Working on my first story and I get the sense that I have too much dialogue but I truly have no idea.

What are your thoughts on dialogue in general and also specifically in sex scenes?

I’m a dialogue writer. I prefer having my characters telling the story over a cold narrator. When I see a wall of narration on a page, I cringe. I don’t like reading narrative-heavy work and when they get too wordy in descriptive writing, painting the scene and every tiny detail in a room… I bail out. That’s just my opinion and taste.

I agree with the comment above that stated there’s no such thing as too much dialogue. You can tell the story in their words, express the feelings of many characters, not just the MC, and learn about them through the conversations they have with other players. These conversations inform the reader of their relationships.

If I write more than four paragraphs of narrative I’m immediately looking for a way to turn that information into a scene with dialogue. I don’t always do so, but I consider it.

In sex scenes, dialogue helps break the monotony of the same old adjectives, verbs and body parts we’re stuck with in erotic writing. And it’s fantastic if you can add a pinch of humor to a sex scene.

 

[JJ82490]

I’m a dialogue writer. I prefer having my characters telling the story over a cold narrator. When I see a wall of narration on a page, I cringe. I don’t like reading narrative-heavy work and when they get too wordy in descriptive writing, painting the scene and every tiny detail in a room… I bail out. That’s just my opinion and taste.

I agree with the comment above that stated there’s no such thing as too much dialogue. You can tell the story in their words, express the feelings of many characters, not just the MC, and learn about them through the conversations they have with other players. These conversations inform the reader of their relationships.

If I write more than four paragraphs of narrative I’m immediately looking for a way to turn that information into a scene with dialogue. I don’t always do so, but I consider it.

In sex scenes, dialogue helps break the monotony of the same old adjectives, verbs and body parts we’re stuck with in erotic writing. And it’s fantastic if you can add a pinch of humor to a sex scene.

This is awesome. Thank you!

 

[JJ82490]

Thanks all for the insights and the thoughts, really appreciated.

 

[Djmac1031]

Dialog can be integral to any good story.

Others here have said it but it's worth repeating. If the dialog advances things, clarifies things, adds to the story, or the emotion, or the drama, then it's never too much.

If it contributes nothing? Cut it.