No one disputes the fact that writing dialogue is one of the great challenges an aspiring author faces. But Hemingwaywantabes, there is hope from the master himself who was a master at writing verbal exchanges between his characters with such skill than readers feel as if they are part of the conversation.
No better example of Ernest Hemingway’s gift for dialogue is evident that in For Whom The Bell Tolls. You may open this classic to just about any page, and presto, there is language to learn from regarding how to write dialogue. Here’s an example:
“Sit down, Pilar,” Maria said. “Please, please sit down.”
“All right,” said Pilar, and the three of them sat down under a pine tree and look across the mountain meadow to where the tops of the peaks seemed to jut out from the roll of the high country with snow shining bright on them now in the early afternoon sun.
“What rotten stuff is the snow and how beautiful it looks,” Pilar said. “What an illusion is the snow.” She turned to Maria. “I am sorry Iwas rude to thee, guapa. I don’t know what has held me today. I have an evil temper.”
“I never what mind what you say when you are angry,” Maria told her. “And you are angry often.”
From this passage, you may note that what Hemingway has accomplished is almost a short story by itself. You gain from this text such rich information about the two women and what is on their minds and in their hearts connected, as intended, by the use of the snow as the trigger-point for the conversation.
Never forget that Hemingway was the master of the short story before he began to write long-form. This is why he takes such extra care when it comes to writing dialogue. Learn from him, watch how he folds his message into the language and thus into the characters. The master is talking to you.
Note: More evidence of terrific dialogue is noted in the Appendix to “How to Become a Published Author: “A to Z” the book you may print or download using the icon above.
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