Is dialogue meant to reveal or conceal? In this 2-session hands-on workshop, you learn how dialogue actually accomplishes both, revealing your characters by what is said and not said in fiction and memoir. We’ll read work by masters of dialogue, examining how artfully crafted speech, gesture, and silence helps you not only develop character, but generate tension, subtext, and move the plot forward. You’ll learn how to take full advantage of your characters’ expressive tics, favorite phrases, and utter withdrawal to build an immersive world for the reader. You’ll have the chance to free-write dialogue yourself, trying on different personas of talkative, quiet, and completely uncommunicative characters, with the opportunity to share what you’ve created in a supportive atmosphere. There’s also plenty of time to address your questions and concerns. My dual goals for this workshop are for you to come away with concrete strategies for creating a variety of kinds of dialogue, and to experience for yourself what most authors like to keep secret: writing dialogue can be a whole lot of fun!