Never underestimate the importance of dialogues. The ability to create virtuoso dialogue often distinguishes a brilliant writer from a mediocre one, and dialogue is always the most dynamic and lively ...

I think a lot of beginning writers are always looking for cheat codes or fast ways to improve their writing. When really, the best way to get better is just to write a lot. But dialogue is one of ...

Given how fraught writing for publication can be, it’s understandable for faculty to perceive the process as dehumanizing. Even soul-crunching, as one of our colleagues lamented. College and ...

When my teenage son picked up “Elmore Leonard’s 10 Rules of Writing” (Morrow, 96 pp., $14.95), it fell open to Rule 3: “Never use a verb other than ‘said’ to carry dialogue.” “I wish my teachers could ...

In the world of fiction, dialogue is the lifeblood that pumps through the veins of every great story. It’s the invisible thread that weaves characters together, propels plots forward and breathes life ...