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Thursday, May 6, 2021

"Realistic" Versus "Naturalistic" Dialogue

Naturalistic or "kitchen sink" dialogue involves people expressing themselves informally. The hell with grammar, if the characters knew it to begin with. Realistic dialogue, while appearing deceptively natural, is more organized. Pitfalls in realistic lines are the lack of accurate ear and the old bugaboo of educational freeze-up. One can be so organized, correct and formal that the lines go flat and lose the sound of people talking to each other.

Parke Goodwin in The Portable Writers' Conference, edited by Stephen Blake Mettee, 1997 

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