My favorite part of any book is the characters. I love following these people around, crawling into their lives, learning about what makes them tick. Subtle gestures, choice of words, all these things just serve to draw me deeper and deeper into the story.
While you’re working on your novel, you’ll also want to focus on developing well-written characters. So, today’s book list is designed for when you’re worried your characters are flat or your dialogue unrealistic. These titles are designed to help you write memorable heroes, passionate love interests, and deliciously evil villains.
And finally, for those of you wondering why I’m combining character and dialogue, remember that how a character speaks is, in many ways, just as important as how they act, which means dialogue is so important to helping us understand who these people are and what they are like!
You Talkin’ to Me?: How to Write Great Dialogue by Linda Seger
Plot versus Character: A Balanced Approach to Writing Fiction by Jeff Gerke
Characters and Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card
Crafting Dynamic Dialogue: The Complete Guide to Speaking, Conversing, Arguing, and Thinking in Fiction by Writer’s Digest Books
Writing Dialogue: How to Create Memorable Voice and Fictional Conversations that Crackle with Wit, Tension, and Nuance by Tom Chiarella
Write Great Dialogue: How to Write Convincing Dialogue, Conversation, and Dialect in Your Fiction by Irving Weinman
