Welcome back to another Chapter of IWB!! If you’ve joined us from Little Blossoms for Jesus, welcome to part 2 of chapter 5 of the Blogcast! If you’re coming here from the blog alerts or your own volition…hop over to Katja’s blog real quick and read part 1!
And now that you are back, here’s the rest of the blogcast!
Ryana: Now, you have gotten a bit of a name for yourself (okay, I might be giving it to you haha!) for writing excellent dialogue! Do you think that is a natural strength, or did you have to hone that skill?
Kellyn: I think it’s a mix of things. I listen to people a lot naturally, and I read and watched a ton of movies (old movies where the dialogue is fast and tight and possibly always sarcastic) as a kid, so both of those definitely influenced the way I write dialogue. I mean, if you grow up watching “His Girl Friday” instead of “Barney” or whatever, you have a natural advantage. 😉
But actually, my early stories didn’t include any dialogue. I mean, I was seven, but they were very narration focused, even when I wrote my horse story which was fairly long. (I mean, I guess horses didn’t talk in my stories, but they did have complex feelings and really, really wanted revenge, so like … where the personification begins and ends is beyond me.)
Back on track—the first stories I wrote with dialogue … were only dialogue. And I wrote a lot of them. Basically, I started writing (I think for school or something) a story about me and my younger brother, as adults, doing things like discovering the Loch Ness Monster and foraging through the jungles of Africa and capturing Bigfoot. And they were all done via (somewhat humorous? Somewhat ridiculous) exchanges between my brother and I.
So without knowing it, I practiced dialogue a lot. I mean, I think it was three or four of these stories that I completed, and they were all equally as silly and equally as dialogue-only. And I had no idea I was doing this, but again, if you write nothing but dialogue, and therefore have to portray every single emotion and thought and event in the story through dialogue … well, you get pretty good at it!
Ryana: That actually sounds like a stellar writing exercise. XD Is there a type of dialogue you like writing best? The deep scenes versus witty banter or just a regular conversation perhaps?
Kellyn: This is going to sound terrible, but fights. There’s one fight in The Dressmaker’s Secret, for instance, that every so often I pull up on Audible (yes, my own book …) to relisten to. Because the narrator did such a good job with making the character sound angry and yet not over the top, and I just … *chef’s kiss* But any kind of fight, or disagreement, or argument, or whatever, it insanely easy for me to write.
The harder ones to write are regular conversations where some basic info needs to be communicated. I try to write my way around those a lot, but sometimes they just have to be done.
Ryana: Oh, that makes so much sense. XD I love your fight scenes honestly! You do such a good job showing the characters’ personality differences instead of them both responding the same. I always loved writing the dialogue for the pre-battle pep talks (I write about war…a lot XD) and the arguments between a federal and a confederate. XD So much fun pitting polar opposite ideologies against each other!
Kellyn: Honestly, it is! I’m far more likely to get into religion or just random disagreements than politics, but I’m so glad you feel they come off well.
Ryana: Regular conversations are sooooo hard! Do you have any tips that have helped you or is it just gonna be that one thing we all suffer through? XD
Kellyn: Well, if you can, you want those regular conversations to have a very clear purpose—so if it doesn’t have a reason for being in the story, skip it. Ideally, you also want to pack them full of emotion of some kind … I mean, we all have emotions, but specifically, if you can include some element of the main story conflict in said conversation, that’s always a good idea.
If you can’t include conflict, you might not need the conversation … or else, it might be a little breather for the reader, in which case I recommend cuteness or some other form of fluff. I have definitely been accused of spending too much time on the sad bits and only giving a few scenes (if that) of happiness, and I think it’s a weakness of mine, so I’m trying to be aware of that and give room for the plot to breathe.
Ryana: Oh, yes, the sad to cute ratio can be so difficult to figure out! And while you may think it’s a weakness for you, in some ways, I think it makes your happy, light scenes more impactful! Just my personal opinion though. XD
Kellyn: That’s kind of you! I “blame” friends for helping me sharpen them up, truly! 😉
Ryana: Do you find a certain kind of character easier to write? Younger versus older, male versus female, etc?
Kellyn: Honestly, it’s kind of a case by case basis. In general, I haven’t written a lot of older characters—mostly I’ve written either children, teenagers, or people in their 20s and 30s. But I’m always surprised by what points of view give me a hard time. For instance, I was expecting to slide easily into the main character’s head in a novel I put out recently (Like a Ship on the Sea), but Cassie eluded me for so long. She did not want to be written. She did not want to talk about her personality. She was far more concerned with analyzing the situations around her than actually being a human. At last, she did agree to let me write her … but not until after a struggle. So I’m frequently surprised by who is and is not easy to write!
Ryana: That is interesting! I experienced similar issues with characters before, lol!
Do you have any favorite resources/tips on writing dialogue?
Kellyn: I always like to tell people to just listen to how real people talk and then make it sound good. 😛 Because our conversations are a little boring at times (for necessary reasons), but in a story, you can cut that out and leave the reader with the really juicy bits.
As for resources, I think a lot of it just takes time—time to read a lot, time to listen to people (either in person or via TV, which might teach you a lot about dialogue!), and just keep practicing. That said, friends (particularly writer friends!) are always a great resource … so get feedback if you can!
Ryana: I think people underestimate the value of writer/reader buddies!
What are some personal dialogue pet peeves of yours?
Kellyn: This is such a random one, but people saying “okay” before “okay” was a thing. There are so many other ways you can be inaccurate in historical dialogue, but this one somehow feels worst to me. And I cannot explain why. It’s not even that big of a deal … but here I am, holding onto this grudge with tight fists.
Other than that, I dislike it when characters talk about nothing for pages without any real point. Like, yes, the weather is nice today—but unless you’re deliberately showing that your characters are awkward and incapable of speech around each other (which should be reflected in internal dialogue and body language), then it’s no fun.
Ryana: I agree! There are some phrases that don’t bother me too much, but “okay” is annoying. XD And yes, those pointless bits are the things that make me throw books. XD
I think we’ve pretty much finished the serious parts of the interview so now I want to ask a few parting “fun” questions! What’s your perfect writing setting? Any special place you like to write? Snacks you need to have or a favorite drink? Candles, music? A favorite blanket?
Kellyn: I’ve been writing since I was a kid, and so I’ve kind of taught myself to write everywhere. In the car, at restaurants, at family events. (As I’m saying this, I’m wondering why my family didn’t protest this much.) Usually I don’t like to write at a desk, but that can change if I happen to be at one—I prefer a kitchen table or couch in general, though. But otherwise, I don’t do a lot! I like to have a couple drinks and I snack as I’m hungry (probably too much)—I can write with or without music, though I do like having some background noise (usually a TV show or just people in my life, if I can manage it). I love the idea of lighting candles … but I never remember to, unfortunately! That doesn’t stop me from buying thematic candles to match my stories, though. That … that I must do!
Ryana: Oh my goodness, I love that idea so much! I’ll have to start doing that…any excuse to buy candles! I like to have iced coffee or lemonade on hand myself and sometimes a snacky item or two! And music, a comfort show or a documentary are a must. XD
Do you have any authors you look up to/draw inspiration from? While we all need to have our own voice, I find having an author to learn from is helpful, so I always find it interesting who my favorite authors look up to, haha! And you are definitely one of my favorites. XD
Kellyn: Aw, that’s so kind of you! I am ever endeavoring to be worthy. 😉 For me, some favorite authors include Jane Austen (yeah, I’ll never live up to that one), the Brontë sisters (particularly Anne, though also Charlotte), Gene Stratton Porter, and C.S. Lewis, and then on the modern side, Sarah Sundin, Kristi Ann Hunter, and Pepper Basham.
If we’re not talking authors in my genre, or rather authors I just emulate in terms of marketing/general author-y-ness but not in terms of writing for whatever reason, I’d add Kara Swanson, Nadine Brandes, and Victoria Lynn … but, um, I’ve never finished any of their books all the way through (except one or two of Victoria’s but that was years ago). I’m such a slow reader these days (in that I never find time to read) that I can’t keep up! But they’re such role models to me.
Ryana: Ooh, those are some good ones for sure! Whether writing or marketing! I’ve not read most of those classic authors, but I do enjoy Jane Austen! And Sarah Sundin is definitely a fave! I haven’t read near enough of Nadine Brandes, Kara Swanson or Victoria Lynn, but I’ve loved what I have read!
One last fun question! Do you have a literary destination you hope to visit one day? For me it’s New Zealand, because Lord of the Rings, obviously. XD
Kellyn: I’d love to go to Scotland some day! Though actually, I have a list of houses and places in England I want to go to. That said, I’d probably be no fun anywhere but Scotland, because when it comes to those houses and places in England, I would probably be “intense for no reason” (my husband’s words, not mine), because I have specific things I want to double check. XD
Ryana: I can definitely see that! I would be annoying wherever I end up, quoting books and movies to the extremes, haha!
It has been a delight getting to interview you, Kell! Do you have anything you would like to add in conclusion?
Kellyn: No, except thank you for letting me hop on here and talk about writing! It’s one of my favorite things, and I really appreciate it!
Ryana: Same here! Thank you so so much for joining us!
And that wraps things up for today, friends! I hope you’ve found some nuggets of inspiration to take with you on your writing journey!
Writing Inspiration
Writer Memes
Book Rec!!
It would be a crime to do an interview with Kellyn and not feature one of her lovely books! A Prayer Unanswered shows her compassion for those struggling with mental health, postpartum depression, fertility struggles, miscarriage, suicidal thoughts, etc.
The dialogue is par for the course with this masterpiece and honestly, I think she show their differences very well.
It’s also nice to finally have a book that addresses unhealthy mentalities towards Christians who struggle with their mental health! I don’t talk about this a lot, but I do have anxiety and depression, and my postpartum depression was not just baby blues as someone tried to tell me. Thank God for good doctors, spouses and friends and family who don’t put up with that nonsense!
Anywho, I think this is the perfect read for everyone, especially young couples!
So, how have you been enjoying the Indie Writers’ Blogcast? We would love to hear your thoughts! Did you learn anything new from Mrs. Roth? (don’t forget to check out her website!
Have a blessed day!
Ryana Lynn
Jer. 29:11
Life of Heritage 
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