Writing Dialogue with Gwen E. Kirby

We talk all the time every day, to loved ones, to our pets, to the barista making our coffee, and yet when we sit down to write dialogue, it can feel awkward and forced, robotic or melodramatic. In this class, we will talk about how to make our dialogue fit the story, how to advance plot and reveal character through speaking, and when to keep our character’s mouths shut and let exposition do the talking for us. We’ll look at examples, do in class writing exercises, and share our successes and our questions!

About Gwen E. Kirby

Gwen E. Kirby’s is the author the debut collection Shit Cassandra Saw and her stories appear in One Story, Tin House, Guernica, Mississippi Review, Ninth Letter, and elsewhere. She has an MFA from Johns Hopkins University and a PhD from the University of Cincinnati. Currently, she is an assistant professor of English at Carleton College, where she teaches creative writing and literature.