Writing Riveting Dialogue
March 17 & 24, 2025
8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern (5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Pacific)
Dialogue is one of the most powerful tools in a writer's arsenal—when done right, it can breathe life into characters, propel the plot forward, and captivate readers. However, crafting dialogue that does all these things is no easy feat.
Do you struggle with writing conversations that feel flat, forced, or lack emotional depth? Are your characters' exchanges not as engaging or purposeful as you'd like them to be? This course, Writing Riveting Dialogue, is designed to help you overcome these challenges and elevate your storytelling.
Through expert insights, practical exercises, and actionable strategies, Julie Cantrell will teach you how to write dialogue that is not only realistic but also works on multiple levels: revealing character, advancing the plot, creating tension, and immersing the reader in your world.
You'll learn how to make every word count, ensuring your characters’ voices resonate and that every line of dialogue serves a meaningful purpose.
By the end of the course, you'll have the tools and techniques to craft dialogue that draws readers in and keeps them hooked from start to finish.
In WRITING RIVETING DIALOGUE, we’ll tackle five key issues when writing dialogue.
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Mastering Character Voice:
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Problem: Your characters sound the same, or their dialogue lacks depth.
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Solution: Learn how to create distinct, believable voices for each character based on their backgrounds, personality traits, and motivations. You'll know how to infuse their speech with unique qualities that reflect who they are.
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Writing Dialogue That Advances the Plot:
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Problem: Conversations feel like filler, and the story doesn’t move forward.
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Solution: Discover techniques for ensuring every line of dialogue serves a dual purpose—revealing character and pushing the plot ahead. Learn how to drop key plot points seamlessly into conversations without resorting to awkward exposition.
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Using Subtext to Build Tension and Conflict:
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Problem: Your dialogue is too on-the-nose or doesn’t create enough emotional tension.
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Solution: Unlock the power of subtext—how to imply more than what is said, allowing you to create scenes full of unspoken emotions, tension, and suspense. Your characters will feel more layered, and your readers will stay engaged as they decipher what’s left unsaid.
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Crafting Realistic and Engaging Dialogue:
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Problem: Your dialogue doesn’t sound authentic, and your characters don’t feel real.
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Solution: Learn the art of realistic dialogue that flows naturally. You'll understand how to balance exposition, action, and emotional nuance, all while keeping your characters grounded in the moment.
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Building Relationships Through Dialogue:
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Problem: Character relationships lack depth or emotional resonance.
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Solution: Explore how dialogue reveals power dynamics, affection, resentment, and conflict within relationships. Whether it's a romantic tension or a power struggle, you’ll learn how to reflect and develop relationships through how your characters speak to each other.
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Course Features:
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Real-World Examples: You'll analyze dialogues from successful books, films, and scripts to understand how to apply these techniques in your own writing.
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Practical Exercises: You’ll be guided through prompts and exercises designed to sharpen your dialogue-writing skills.
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Actionable Feedback: You’ll receive constructive feedback on your dialogue samples to help you refine your writing in real-time.
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Interactive Community: You’ll be a part of Story Summit’s supportive network of fellow writers for ongoing dialogue discussions and critiques.
Whether you’re writing a novel, screenplay, or short story, WRITING RIVETING DIALOGUE will equip you to captivate your readers, reveal deeper character layers, and drive the narrative forward.
Ready to level up your dialogue? Let’s get started!
Our Faculty
Today's Price Only $127 for 4 hours of instruction
Story Summit + Annual subscribers receive a 20% discount coupon available in their dashboard. Not a subscriber yet? join here.
Please note: Our classes are designed specifically for live participation, so your attendance is important. If you need to miss a class for any reason, you’ll receive a passcode-protected link to watch the recordings after the course is over.
A Peek at Our Past Virtual Classes
