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Note: Signed copies of Writing Realistic Dialogue & Flash Fiction are now available at a discount
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What's Special About WRD&FF?
Harvey Stanbrough is a poet, essayist, and fictionist. Collections of his poetry have been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, a Frankfurt Award, and an Inscriptions Magazine Engraver's Award. He works as a full-time freelance editor from his home near Pittsboro, Indiana and offers intensives and workshops on Observation, Poetry, and Fiction.

Note: If you found this page through a search and would like to ask a specific question,
feel free to email me at h_stanbrough@yahoo.com

Writing Realistic Dialogue & Flash Fiction garnered an
Honorable Mention at the Book Expo America in New York City!
Read the Press Release.

  • Read what Beth Morrow had to say about Writing Realistic Dialogue.

    • What writers and reviewers have said about
    Writing Realistic Dialogue & Flash Fiction . . .

    "I just had to write you this note! I received your books a few days ago and I must say that every new writer should have your books! (Notice, I only used one exclamation point!) Punctuation for Writers and Writing Realistic Dialogue & Flash Fiction were just the books I needed!" Jean D. Coggins

    "I need to tell you how helpful I am finding Writing Realistic Dialogue & Flash Fiction. I?m writing my first novel and have been writing short stories for several years. Last week I finished a short short story for a contest ? [my critique group and I agree] it is by far the strongest piece I?ve written ... and I know my dialogue works because of what I learned from your book. Thanks so much." Sarah Doyle

    "What sets this book apart from others I?ve read is the focus on conveying emotion .... Writers strive to influence reader emotions through believable and seamless crafting. WRD&FF guides us with practical examples of how to achieve this frequently elusive task. What a powerful tool in any writer?s hands!" Anonymous author and teacher

    "Writing Realistic Dialogue & Flash Fiction emphasizes the importance of written dialogue in all works of fiction, not just flash fiction. The best dialogue combines realistic phrases, transparent punctuation, and essential information in such a way that the reader can forget she's reading rather than actually overhearing the words. Using good and bad examples, Harvey Stanbrough outlines the process of writing fast-moving, believable dialogue that can convey an entire story in less than a hundred words. He also shows how punctuation in dialogue can change the pace of reading from leisurely to breathless, playing on the reader's own emotions to convey the mood of the story. Whether you write full-length novels or flash fiction, WRD&FF is a great reference tool." Pam Keyes, author of The Rune of Zachary Zimbalist

    "I just wanted to thank you again .... You?ve given me a way to add dimension to my characters [and] make them much more believable. I have a renewed desire to write, and a great direction to improve on that writing." Julie Murphree, attendee at dialogue seminar in Shreveport, LA
    What makes Writing Realistic Dialogue & Flash Fiction different from other writing texts?

    In researching the market for Writing Realistic Dialogue & Flash Fiction, I noticed that although there are a lot of how-to books out there for writing fiction and nonfiction in general, there aren't many dedicated to the art of crafting realistic dialogue. That surprised me, considering how important dialogue is to excellent fiction and how useful it can be in creative nonfiction.

    Of the dialogue books on the shelves, I also noticed that none discuss the use of punctuation as a specific component of realistic dialogue. In the first book in the Thorough Primer series, Punctuation for Writers (Central Ave Press, 2003), I went into great detail about punctuation and grammar in general, but only touched on the specifics of the use of punctuation in dialogue. This volume will remedy that oversight.

    I also have found no other books on writing fiction or nonfiction that discuss dialogue as a reader-involvement tool. Among the more important characteristics of realistic dialogue is its ability to further suspend a reader's disbelief and directly involve her in the story as an active participant.

    Finally, I've seen very few books that discuss flash fiction at all, and none that discuss its relationship to dialogue.
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