Dialogue - how much is too much?

Epistolary novels used to be en vogue. The whole novel written in the form of letters. A fairly recent example is The Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Pie Society. (Add that to your reading list.)

A novel entirely composed of dialogue should also be possible. I, too, wanted to submit to the Zero Flash November "dialogue only" competition that Victoria mentioned. But I couldn't via my StupidPhone. I tried, but it was 6hrs before the midnight deadline and the nearest laptop-wifi connection was further away than that.

Also, I'd remembered the rules poorly, and had written 495 words, believing the limit to be 500. It was 300.

So 60,000 should be easy!

A few things to remember:

Dialogue is not English as it is spoke. There is no place for the er-um-well stuff that we all use in everyday chat. Every word must have a purpose.

Secondly, don't use -ly words - he said decisively, she said laughingly - unless there is absolutely no other alternative. These descriptions should already be clear from the speech itself and so should be redundant.

Don't look for words to use instead of 'said' - if it's a two-handed conversation and it's obvious who is speaking, don't tell us every time. He laughed, she shuddered, he complained, she riposted - all unnecessary.

Read your dialogue aloud. There's no better way of testing it out. People may think you're talking to yourself - which you are - but just tell them you're a writer: they'll understand.

As for how much - whatever works. Dialogue can keep things immediate; and it has the advantage of showing events through the characters' eyes.

Have fun!

Lorraine