# Why is it that...



## Bonobosoph (Sep 26, 2014)

My story writing skills are pretty mediocre, I can describe things pretty good but anything with social interaction just comes out weird. 
Yet I'm so much better at writing whenever the plot gets rude??? I could write the most epic debauchery going yet as soon as the story gets back to normality and people are talking to eachother and stuff it gets naff again!

Does anyone else have this "problem?"


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## Nikolinni (Sep 26, 2014)

Every writer has their weak point, and it looks like yours is social interactions. I don't really tend to have that problem, but a good way to remedy it, or at least help, is the ever classic read others' stories. Just go out online, or pick up a book, and see  how they write their social interactions. In addtion, going online and looking up some helpful articles can also help, but reading stories can also help you see it in action, if you see what I mean.


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## Bonobosoph (Sep 26, 2014)

I have read some guides before, and other stories. I know in theory the methods, but when I get down to writing, they talk too much like me and the methods are forgotten. And I can't make some jock type character talk all verbose, but then I don't want to end up like some old person making youngsters say "DUUUUUUUUUDE WICKED" all the time. I've never been to a house party, so my recent attempts at house party dialogue is as stilted as rainman at a night club.
The silly thing is, is that interactions are super easy to write when they're sexual. I can write smut for England. Maybe I should be a script writer for prons, I got the shitty normal dialogue thing down to a T.


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## SkyeLansing (Sep 26, 2014)

Do you have any examples of what you mean? An excerpt of dialogue you think feels weak vs something that feels stronger (ideally both written by you)?


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## RedSavage1 (Sep 26, 2014)

Do two things. 
Look up a few Quentin Tarantino scripts online. He's pretty masterful at the nonsensical yet intriguing flow of language.  
Now--contrast with a good amount of well written webcomics. Webcomics (good ones anyhow) have to have a balance of _interesting _yet efficient dialogue.  

Basically immerse yourself in some dialogue heavy works rather than something that has more sparse and spread out dialogue. Also, listen to people talk in real life. It's tedious... Horribly so, but you get the idea that people kind of talk a bunch of bullshit unless they're generally focused on something.


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## Bonobosoph (Sep 28, 2014)

Social interaction what is it


> â€œMy memory is coming back to meâ€ Erin then announced, â€œwew, I just have remembered that beer doesnâ€™t agree with me.â€ He then turned to Lopori, no longer her loosened self and took on the more passive role he observed at the start of the BBQ, â€œand you, my dear, are a lunatic. But a damn good one.â€ She smirked widely and nervously and looked at the floor, â€œdonâ€™t, you embarrass me.â€ He then laughed at her and ruffled her hair, â€œoh, now youâ€™re shy!â€ She slapped his hand away playfully, still squirming with bashfulness. She had fought Malaika viciously shortly before leaving, and it felt good too. Distressing to partake in yet there was a sense of relief and she felt she could put that school memory to rest. They were somewhat even. Then she remembered Celesteâ€™s calming bonobo-handshake and how much she needed that too, it warmed her heart and gave her the boldness to start the all-out riot back at her flat. It wasnâ€™t all intoxication that caused it. â€œShe probably wonâ€™t even remember itâ€ Erin quipped, trying to reassure Lopori, â€œshe does shit like that all the time, really out of control that girlâ€ she then looked quizzically at Erin, a thought crossed her mind â€œhas she not left her natal group yet?â€ â€œNah, Lucy loves her too much, and as long as she has Lucy, she has power.â€ Lopori nodded â€œah.â€ She really did hope that Malaika had not forgotten it, she wanted her to know that she was a force to be reckoned with. It was then that BamBam came to the door to â€œseeâ€ Batu, he greeted her with vigour and pulled her by the wrist to where the congregation where gathered in the living room, he introduced her to them and them to her. Her face lit up with the prospect of socialising with so many apes, â€œhi guys!â€ she called, swinging herself up onto a shelf seat in full view of everyone. â€œHow was your do?â€ She asked Mokonzi, â€œit was cool, drank a lot, smoked a lot, ate a lot, and we ended up all gathering here after Lopori had a huge cat fight with my cousin.â€ Bam-bam clasped her hands together, â€œooooh tell me more!â€ â€œwell, she used to pick on Pori at school so Pori got her own back hahaha.â€ He laughed, not at her being picked on, but at the whole bizarre situation he had witnessed. Bambam eyed Lopori with surprise, she never knew she had it in her, being as passive as she was. â€œyou go girl.â€ She sing-songed, reaching down with her long arm to fist pump. Lopori reciprocated.


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## RedSavage1 (Sep 29, 2014)

Alright, well first off each separate quote of dialogue should be it's own paragraph. 

"Like this," Red said. 
Bono squinted. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure."

Second, cut down on things like "he _then _laughed" or "_then _turned". In fact, cut out as many "thens" as you can. They're unneeded. "He turned to Lopri" "He laughed and ruffled her hair". Also, "_had_ fought Malaika", take out the "had". Basically make your language more impactful by using active verbs rather than helpers.


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## Bonobosoph (Sep 29, 2014)

Thanks for the tip.


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## Alexxx-Returns (Sep 29, 2014)

I don't have that problem, in fact, I'm the exact reverse of what you described. Social interactions, particularly dialogue, are my strongest point and I'm very good at making an interaction seem "real", but I fall short on describing sequences of events with less dialogue, particularly fight scenes. The naughty scenes in my book are only detailed and intricate because I kept going back to them and refining them.

I'm not sure if the advice I have could be useful to you... maybe it's what you do anyway. But it's about imagining the dialogue as though it's happening right now, getting down every pause, every inflection, every word that's spoken more harshly, perhaps in a heated discussion. The use of words in your narrative to describe HOW it was said, not just that "X said". A good variety of words will better help the readers see exactly what's in your head.

Another thing that comes to mind is that maybe there isn't really a problem with how you write these situations, but you're just not so able to imagine them fully as the things you see yourself being better at? I don't know, it's just a thought.


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## Bonobosoph (Sep 29, 2014)

Alexxx-Returns said:


> I don't have that problem, in fact, I'm the exact reverse of what you described. Social interactions, particularly dialogue, are my strongest point and I'm very good at making an interaction seem "real", but I fall short on describing sequences of events with less dialogue, particularly fight scenes. The naughty scenes in my book are only detailed and intricate because I kept going back to them and refining them.
> 
> I'm not sure if the advice I have could be useful to you... maybe it's what you do anyway. But it's about imagining the dialogue as though it's happening right now, getting down every pause, every inflection, every word that's spoken more harshly, perhaps in a heated discussion. The use of words in your narrative to describe HOW it was said, not just that "X said". A good variety of words will better help the readers see exactly what's in your head.
> 
> *Another thing that comes to mind is that maybe there isn't really a problem with how you write these situations, but you're just not so able to imagine them fully as the things you see yourself being better at? I don't know, it's just a thought.*


I do wonder, I don't really find myself in these sorts of sitauation in real life, so can't really imagine them. And all my real life friends are really weird, so if I based my dialogues on them then it would be like planet of the spergs. 
Yet with naughty scenes, a lot of what happens transends social savviness and is kind of universal.


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## BadRoy (Dec 7, 2014)

Hmm. When it comes to dialogue I simply imagine a person who would fit into the role and picture them saying the words.


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## -Sliqq- (Dec 8, 2014)

I have the same problem dude! I just adopt it as a style of my own :grin:


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## Zeitzbach (Dec 8, 2014)

I'm not really that great of a writer but here's a trick I'm using when writing lately. Know what exactly is supposed to happen and switch between characters. Pace them carefully.

*She smirked widely and nervously and looked at the floor,* *â€œdonâ€™t, you embarrass me.â€ *

Can  also be written as something "*Embarassed, Lobori tried to hide  her wide smirk by looking at the floor. "D-don't you embarass me!" She  shouted, still bright red all over her face.*

Give your characters more scene and expression. An interaction isn't just "A says this so B does this and say that so A does this". When you do from "Said A", you are now viewing from A's perspective. What is he doing? What is he feeling? THen when you say "Said B", it's not time to look at it from B's perspective. What exactly is he thinking? What is he feeling now from A's statement? With his personality, what will he do now before he says something.

Get into your character head. DON'T just plan how everything should go. That's stale and boring. *Let your CHARACTERS write the scene for themselves*. I used to take a day or so to write a chapter and just upload it. Now, I have to proof-read what I write at least 6 times so that the darn dialogue will stop changing on their own. Social interaction becomes a shitton amount of fun when you start doing that. Like, I used to do this kind of scene.

"Caring for the guild, Katzix demand for a 2 v 2 with Enfys and Volfram to minimize the damage to his guild members."

to

"Caring for the guild, Katzix demanded for a 2 v 2 with Enfys and Volfram to minimize the damage to his guild members. However, Enfys and Volfram had no intention of killing anyone to begin with but they can't show that.  Junon was also at the scene so Katzix had to make sure that nothing will go wrong and end up hurting Junon in the end. Junon though, was overconfident. Enfys started to take a liking toward Katzix and wanted to play with him for a little before carrying on something he had in mind. Junon wanted to be impressive. Volfram was rather irritated since he was stuck playing decoy." (so going to have to rewrite this arc later :c)

Just keep adding keys to the setting and let the setting run wild.


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## BadRoy (Dec 8, 2014)

Zeitzbach said:


> Give your characters more scene and expression. An interaction isn't just "A says this so B does this and say that so A does this". When you do from "Said A", you are now viewing from A's perspective. What is he doing? What is he feeling? THen when you say "Said B", it's not time to look at it from B's perspective. What exactly is he thinking? What is he feeling now from A's statement? With his personality, what will he do now before he says something.


This is good advice too OP. Keep things dynamic. No one wants to read the same 'cause-and-effect' conversation over and over. Experiment with sentence structure.


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## Troj (Dec 8, 2014)

Me, I'm generally good at dialogue, and I'm quite good at physical descriptions, but I'm weaker when it comes to describing action scenes, and how a character got from Point A to Point B. I also find conveying the passage of time frustrating.


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