Dialogue is the place that books are most alive and forge the most direct connection with readers. It is also where we as writers discover our characters and allow them to become real.
Laini TaylorYeah? Okay," she said, staring up into the stars. "Let's see. You know how, at the end of Romeo and Juliet, Juliet wakes up in the crypt and Romeo's already dead? He thought she was dead so he killed himself right next to her?" "Yeah. That was awesome." A pause, followed by "Ow," suggested elbow punctuation on the part of Mik. Karou ignored it. "Well, imagine if she woke up and he was still alive, but..." She swallowed, waiting out a tremor in her voice. "But he had killed her whole family. And burned her city. And killed and enslaved her people.
Laini TaylorIt wasnโt like in the storybooks. No witches lurked at crossroads disguised as crones, waiting to reward travelers who shared their bread. Genies didnโt burst from lamps, and talking fish didnโt bargain for their lives. In all the world, there was only one place humans could get wishes: Brimstoneโs shop. And there was only one currency he accepted. It wasnโt gold, or riddles, or kindness, or any other fairy-tale nonsense, and no, it wasnโt souls, either. It was weirder than any of that. It was teeth.
Laini Taylor