Bad Dialogue—Bad, Bad Dialogue

We’ve all seen bad, laugh-worthy dialogue. Examples of bad dialogue and ways to avoid writing it.

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Characters look phony and unreal, making fiction seem unreal, when writers give them concurrent actions that can’t possibly happen at the same time.

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Participial phrases have something to do with writing? You probably think I’m pulling your leg when I say that they do. But I promise I’m not. And I promise you’ll recognize these oddly named phrases once you see them. Learn how to use these modifiers correctly to bring variety and clarity to your writing.

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A list of commonly misused words is not a very exciting article. But all writers and editors should know how to use words correctly and how to identify misused words. Here are some confusing and commonly misused words.

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Comma splices are common writing mistakes that are easily corrected. Learn how to identify comma splices and how to correct them.

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Maintaining a consistent point of view is critical for fiction, for keeping the story real. When a reader is pulled from one point of view and thrust into another, he can lose his connection to the story. He can lose his belief that the story is true.

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Like and as are often used interchangeably when they shouldn’t be, since each has its own uses. Simple rules for the correct use of like and as.

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Dangling modifiers are a common fiction writing mistake. The good news is, they’re easy to identify and quite easy to fix. Make sure that you’re not dangling your modifiers throughout your novel.

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Common writing mistakes can be made by any writer at any stage in his career. Write better fiction by being aware of these common writing mistakes.

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