Callie Ann Marsalisi: Write Down What People Say • Writing Tips

Callie Ann Marsalisi
WRITE DOWN WHAT PEOPLE SAY

Write down what people say–in a non-creepy way, of course!

I’m a linguist in addition to being a writer, which means I did a lot of transcription in college. First of all, transcription makes you a faster typist. Second of all, it trains your ear for dialogue.

(Disclaimer: Always get all participants’ consent before recording anything. If you’re out in public, consider transcribing individual phrases or sentences on the fly.)

As writers, many of us love getting to sink into some really good prose, but dialogue is super important to our readers, and awkward or unrealistic lines can really jar them from the story. You want your dialogue to be engaging, show character, and move the plot along without being too distracting. That’s a tall order for only one aspect of your story, but luckily transcription can help.

The first thing transcription is going to do is show you how unnatural fiction dialogue is, and that’s a good thing. Forcing yourself to transcribe every “um” and “uh” in a conversation will make you never want to see those words again and also free you from the burden of feeling like your dialogue has to be perfectly true to life. Your characters have no “um”s in their dialogue for the same reason the Battle of Helm’s Deep has good lighting—the magic of art. Letting go of the need to be as accurate as possible will free you up to focus on the things your dialogue needs to do.

The second thing transcription is going to do is give your dialogue a sense of character. What words or phrases do you hear among people of different ages? Is there someone you know who often ends their sentences the same way? I don’t recommend lifting a hyperspecific habit from your roommate or cousin, but get used to noticing the similarities and differences in other people’s speech. Who knows, maybe something you overhear at the airport will inspire a whole new character!

Overall, just remember that we’re writing about people. We have it easier than some academics, who might need to travel to the Artic to research a specific worm or bacteria–our research subjects are all around us! Practicing transcribing what people say around you in everyday life can help you let go of the need for your dialogue to be perfect, and instead help it be full and real.

Callie Ann Marsalisi is originally from New England, where she earned a BS in linguistics from Northeastern University, and an MA in speech therapy from UConn. She now lives in Wilmington, Delaware. She writes upmarket fiction, science fiction, and fantasy, usually with prominent LGBT+ characters, and is working on finding an agent for her first novel. When not writing, she works backstage with the Chapel Street Players in Delaware. Four, Five, Six is inspired by her experiences working in healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic, and an encounter with a particularly clever bird in Dublin, Ireland.