It has been noted that your dialogue is white-hot when your characters stop speaking to you and start speaking to each other. How can you get there? The process cannot be rushed. Before you kill your darlings, you must cultivate them. You must walk in each one’s shoes until you grasp their gait, their musings, and their idiosyncrasies. Only then can you lock them in a room together and watch the sparks fly. How do you know it’s working? A character will say something you did not expect. During our March meeting, Martha Engber, will illustrate how to sidestep common dialogue pitfalls, and how to employ five dialogue techniques that will distinguish your dynamic characters to speak for themselves.
Martha Engber is the author of six books, including SCATTERED LIGHT, the sequel to WINTER LIGHT, an IPPY Gold Medal Winner, to be published in 2025. Her other fiction includes THE FALCON, THE WOLF AND THE HUMMINGBIRD, a historical novel, and THE WIND THIEF. Her nonfiction includes BLISS ROAD, a memoir about her neurodiverse family, and GROWING GREAT CHARACTERS, a resource for writers. A workshop facilitator and speaker, she’s had a full-length play produced in Hollywood and poetry and fiction published in a variety of literary journals. She encourages readers to connect via her website, MarthaEngber.com.
When: Saturday, March 9, at 10:30am
Where: Maker Nexus, 1330 Orleans Drive, Sunnyvale, CA 94089
Admission: $10 for members, $15 for nonmembers