Writing Realistic Dialogue and Flash Fiction [Paperback]

Harvey Stanbrough (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0971534454 | ISBN-13: 978-0971534452 | Publication Date: September 1, 2004

Writing Realistic Dialogue and Flash Fiction explores why and how authentic, realistic dialogue works to engage the emotions of the reader and even catalogs the nuances of the sounds of individual letters and words and the effect of those nuances on the reader.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Whether you write full-length novels or flash fiction, "Writing Realistic Dialogue" is a great reference tool. -- Pamela Keyes - Author of "The Rune of Zachary Zimbalist"

About the Author

Harvey Stanbrough is a poet and essayist. Collections of his poetry have been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and a Frankfurt Award. He works as a full-time freelance editor from his home near Pittsboro, Indiana, and speaks at writers' conferences around the nation. \n

Product Details

• Paperback: 146 pages
• Publisher: Central Ave. Press (September 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971534454
• ISBN-13: 978-0971534452
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,040,856 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Harvey Stanbrough was born in New Mexico, seasoned in Texas, and baked in Arizona. After having survived a 21-year civilian-appreciation course in the US Marine Corps, Harvey managed to sneak up on a bachelor's degree at Eastern New Mexico University in Portales in 1996. Harvey has written and published nine nonfiction ebooks on writing as well as Punctuation for Writers and Writing Realistic Dialogue & Flash Fiction in print. His comprehensive poetry collection, Beyond the Masks, was nominated for the National Book Award and has received rave reviews, and he's published three other poetry collections. Finally, he's published four short story collections, several magic realism short stories, and twenty-some other short stories in various other genres with more coming all the time. In all, his works have been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, the Frankfurt Award, the Pushcart Prize and the National Book Award. Harvey spoke at writers' conferences around the country for several years, but now he teaches writing mostly in private seminars in southeast Arizona. He hopes soon to make his seminars available via live webinars. Visit his website and blog at http://HarveyStanbrough.com, and take a moment to drop by http://CantinaTales.com where one of Harvey's magic realism characters, Juan-Carlos Salazár, tells stories of the fictional town of Agua Rocosa, which sits precisely at that spot on the horizon where reality folds into imagination.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Keeping your readers turning pages, begging for more, April 3, 2005

By 

Diana Sky "Skygoddess" (Tucson, Arizona) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Writing Realistic Dialogue and Flash Fiction (Paperback)

While working on the great American novel, I have been reading many how-to books on writing fiction, but none had helped me with the heart of the story - realisic dialogue. Until, that is, I came upon Mr. Stanbrough's primer at a writer's conference. I laughed. I cried. Then my writing transformed with this simple realization: you can lose your reader in narration (horrors), but even weak dialogue will invite her deeper into the story line, becoming an eavesdropper intent on turning the page to find out what tidbit will said next. (Whew, saved!) With dry wit and a gentle but insistent manner, the author takes you by the hand through such topics as 'Conveying Emotion,' 'Influencing the Mood of the Reader,' 'Writing Naked,'(Yeah, now that's a topic!) 'The subtleties of Implication,' 'Mechanics of Punctuation,' 'Action Verbs and Mental Movies'....and the list goes on. And the cool thing is, he makes sure you get it! This primer is filled with examples and exercises that WILL improve your dialogue writing skills. Weak dialogue? Not anymore. Using these techniques, I just had my first article published in a national publication. Buy it! It'll be the best 10 bucks you spend on your craft.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beyond Dialogue, June 8, 2005

By 

Jean Coggins (Greenville, SC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Writing Realistic Dialogue and Flash Fiction (Paperback)

"Writing Realistic Dialogue & Flash Fiction" was very helpful in that the book teaches how to write realistic dialogue that will not only impact the reader's emotions, but shows how to use punctuation to move the reader along. Most authors who write "help books" don't seem to realize that new writers don't have a clue as to how writing fiction differs from formal writing. Harvey Stanbrough understands this and makes it easy for new authors to grab onto the differences!

5.0 out of 5 stars An Outstanding Reference, September 25, 2010

By 

Rosamond Haupt "novelwriter29" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Writing Realistic Dialogue and Flash Fiction (Paperback)

Mr. Stanbrough produces reference books that are not only informative but are easy to read. Too many books for writers are boring, ramblng, and are just "more of the same". Here are clear examples that allow the reader/writer to easily see how the information should be used in her/his own writing.