The first thing that struck me about this chapter was the suggested use of dialogue tags when it comes to making conversations seem curated, but not fake. The author makes mention that using the words he said or she said are more effective than trying to use flowery language. I know it sounds pretty obvious now, but to me, I assumed that using a repetition of said was bland and din’t intrigue readers. In reality, it should really only be 75-25 ratio of only using other tags when completely necessary. Doing too much can read as if your character is too animated or unrealistic. They also mention that this applies to the use of adverbs, and that exclamation marks are a absolute no.
Another small mention in this chapter that I enjoyed was how people watching and conversation eavesdropping can create some of the best dialogue. It really emphasizes how writing, at its core, is about and inspired by the human experience entirely. There is no better ideas to pull from then what you witness every day with those around you. I personally have adapted this into my writing routine and its helped everything from character development, scenes, to dialogue. Some of my favorite places to go are public parks and coffee shops, mostly because they’re often the most populated.
