Readers take in dialogue one thought at a time. A frequent mistake of beginners is to combine thoughts, which may be suitable for other forms of writing but not for dialogue. Another mistake is speechifying. Three sentences at a time is tops, yet many beginners write speeches that go on and on. – Sol Stein
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Exposition can serve as an explanation. It’s all in the arrangement…. Make them want the exposition so that, when you give it, it answers the questions they already possess. – Chuck Wendig
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Creating characters is like throwing together ingredients for a recipe. I take characteristics I like and dislike in real people I know, or know of, and use them to embellish and define characters. – Cassandra Clare
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I think the hardest part of writing anything is getting exposition out easily, without hitting people over the head with it. – Jillian Bell
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Not all readers are satisfied by the “And then the wizard saved the day!” plot point. Some want to understand the magic. They want to know its boundaries, see its limitations, and be able to anticipate the main character’s struggle. – Moriah Richard
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History is made not simply with events, but by remembering those events. A double drumbeat like a heartbeat. History can be written not only with books, but with ceremonies. – Christopher Bram
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