Dialogue must contribute to the telling of the story said Victorian-era novelist Anthony Trollope more than one hundred years ago and his words have been a yardstick for writers ever since.

A more recent novelist, Stephen King, wrote, “When dialogue is right, we know. When it’s wrong we also know—it jags on the ear like a badly tuned musical instrument.”

In “Shut Up!” He Explained (the title comes from a Ring Lardner poke at the way some people overwrite), William Nobleshows you how to write dialogue that sounds right and contributes.

Fiction or Nonfiction

With liberal use of anecdotes and examples, Noble develops six “Master Keys to Dialogue,” each of which is crucial for the fiction or nonfiction writer to understand and use.

You’ll learn how to use dialogue to:

• create tension
• develop your characters
• establish setting
• move the plot
• create flashbacks and transitions

You’ll also learn when to use narrative instead of dialogue; how to write in dialect; and how to deal with interior monologue (your character’s thoughts). And more!

An important section of “Shut Up!” He Explained covers the misuse of dialogue from the legal viewpoint, exploring libel and right-to-privacy.

Get a copy of “Shut Up! He Explained” an make your writing scintillate with captivating dialogue.

“This is the best book that I could find on the use of dialog when writing fiction.”

—Amazon.com review