S1E7. Dialogue (Or, Lemons and Lemonade)

The Fanfic Writers' Craft

In this episode, Lani (@copper_dust) and Jo (@pebblysand) sit down to discuss the ins and outs of writing dialogue and finding your character’s voice. We talk about monologues, about the hardship of not having professional actors reading the lines we write, working on dialect, and letting go of expectations of perfection. Lani also introduces us to some of her favourite television pieces and tells us why she thinks those exchanges work so well, and Jo talks about how, as an ESL writer, when life gives you lemons, you learn to make lemonade.

Your recommendations for this week are:

• The Song of Achillesby Madeline Miller - recommended by Lani and everyone else on the internet.
• The Social Network by Aaron Sorkin and The Wind That Shakes the Barley by Ken Loach - recommended by Jo for their amazing dialogue

You can find Jo and Lani online at:

• Lani (@copper-dust): tumblr ; AO3
• Jo (@pebblysand):tumblr ;AO3
• The podcast: tumblr

As previously mentioned we will be taking a break from broadcasting for the next four weeks but should be back on the 16th of September. In the meantime, if you have any questions, suggestions, or feedback, don't hesitate to let us know by messaging either of us on tumblr, or by sending us an ask! We love to hear from you <3