Communication Styles: Writing Fiction Dialogue

No one accepts the first attempt when recording a telephone answering machine message, but most new writers expect to write a perfect novel in one to three drafts. Few writers are capable of asking questions that can be answered with a one-word answer. However, they believe they can write tight dialogue, and good prose without understanding the basics of communication. Even fewer people are able to communicate verbally in active voice, proper sentence structure, and an easy to understand vernacular that all personality types can understand. This skill is vitally important in today's fiction writing.

Verbal Communication

Most people consider their verbal skills as a strong point. They do this without analyzing their abilities. Most verbal conversations drift along, exchanging pleasantries, testing the possibility of rejection, and verifying social status, before any form of solid communication takes place. Fiction authors need to avoid this, even though it makes the conversation "sounds" right. This wastes words, increases the chances of misunderstanding between the character and the reader.

I have lost count of the times I stopped a student with the statement, "it is a yes or no question. What is your answer?" The shock on their face when I force them to summarize their  "verbal dance" into a succinct answer. Their reaction ranges from annoyance at my assertive behavior to absolute shock that I would be so rude.

Starting a character's conversation with one sentence. First, define the purpose of the conversation, and then answer it as abruptly, and succinctly, as possible. This should create a very tight conversation.

Example:
Purpose: Jill is going to realize that Dan is cheating.
Jill: "Where did you see Dan?"
Ann: "At the restaurant."
Jill: "Who was he with?"
Ann: "Jen."

Social Communication

Good communication must eliminate the "static" involved in social communication. Static clouds the message. Surprisingly, this is the purpose of the static. Clouding the message, leaving the purpose (slightly) uncertain, preserves the possibility of withdrawing a question and redressing the situation in a different manner, thus allowing the speakers to defend themselves and avoid possible rejection. Fiction writers must understand this and remove all the static they can, while keeping the conversation from sounding stilted. This can be done by introducing props, thoughts/introspection, and body language, while removing all the extra words and small talk.

Business Communication

Most writers confuse business communication with power brokering, controlling, setting a group up to satisfy an agenda. They do not do this purposely. That does not change the fact that, ideals and beliefs aside, a character's actions must remain consistent with their personality type, whether they are in the board room, or on the street. This means that an artistic personality type will not change if they put on a business suit. Mistakes like this cause weak motives and unbelievable characters.

Business communication has a different vernacular than social communication does. It is full of idioms and technical lingo, defined as a working vocabulary, body language, or text pattern that produce positive results in an organization's environment. Fiction writers need to put a bit of this in, but they must leave most of it out. If they don't, the reader gets bogged down and the conversation's purpose is lost.

Exercise:

Test of Communication Skills:
Do business associates say you/your characters:
jump to conclusions,
did not follow instructions,
are not carrying their weight?

Write the instructions to cooking bacon and eggs, with toast, jam and coffee. Write in such a way that someone who does not know what bacon and eggs are can make them.

Ask ten questions that require instructions, and see if people can answer in less than ten words. Practice answering question in less than ten words?

Do ask for further instructions or further explanations?

Change the vernacular in a character's conversation to suit different communication styles, different personality types, and different education levels?

List the different communication styles, right now, and identify two defining attributes of each?

Listen to a conversation. Is there hums, guttural noises, or pauses when confronted or asked to speak impromptu on the phone, at work, or with friends?

People ask good communicators to solve problems (except emotional/relationship), always involved in conversations, talk less than 50% of the time in a conversation, and talks about other people more than 50% of the time they talk.

Writers who fit more than three of these questions can have a few communication flaws that are damaging the character's communication styles. The rest of us need to work on our character's dialogue if we want to get published. Our communication styles define us, limiting our access to jobs, social circles, and limiting our opportunities. A good writer understands this, and remembers that a fiction character's dialogue will do the same thing in the mind of a reader. When this happens the writer is faced with poorly motivated characters, unbelievable characters, and even a rejection letter.