Imagine you're in a bookshop, choosing a book for a holiday read. How do you react when you open a novel without much dialogue? From a writer's point of view, realistic dialogue is tricky to write; for a reader, a novel without dialogue may be hard to read. How can you make sure the dialogue you write is engaging for your reader? Here are a few ideas for writing dialogue so your reader keeps turning the pages. Dialogue must advance the plot and create suspense Dialogue keeps the story int...

In this post, I discuss the seven Cs of effective writing and how to apply them to communicate in the clearest, most effective way possible. If the purpose of writing is communication, then all writers need to be clear, coherent, complete, concise, consistent, correct and credible. 1. Be clear It is important to be clear about your intention in writing and your purpose in communicating with your readers. For example, scientific, medical and technical publications may be complex and detailed...