He shrugged, she nodded, he laughed...

Tip of the day: Make pumpkin bread and then eat it. One of my favorite things about autumn is pumpkin bread!

I really, really, really hate having to think about what people are doing while they are having a conversation.

Does it really matter? I know, I know, it kind of does.

The more a reader can picture the characters in his/her head, having the conversation they're having, the more real it will seem.

But. BUT... I just want to write the dialogue!! I don't want to try and figure out what the characters are doing *while* they are saying the words.

And then, it seems like when I do try, I fall back on my old standards and I end up having nothing but bobbing heads throughout my book.

I think what's hard is that as you are telling the reader what the characters are saying, you (the writer) should know what each of the characters is feeling and THEN relay those feelings through body movements and non-verbal cues.

I can't even tell you how difficult this is for me. Is there something wrong with me?

HELP!

Is there anything I can do to make this easier on myself? Should I just write the dialogue, letting it flow, then come back later and fill in the other stuff (what is that "other stuff" called anyway?)

Please tell me I'm not the only one who struggles with this. And please, if you LOVE writing the non-verbal stuff and have tips, I'm listening (and nodding. And smiling. And...)

 ~Lisa, Miss Crafting a Career