what stays with you most? The characters? A scene? A line of dialogue?

For me, it's almost always the dialogue.

Every writer wants to create something memorable, even though it often feels like we're falling short. When I edit my own work, the words between the quotation marks usually feel the blue pencil first—and that's exactly as it should be.

A few changes in dialogue can completely reshape how we see a character. It can build tension, reveal motive, conceal the truth, or quietly steer the reader in the direction the writer intends.

That's why I spend so much time on it.
Every writer has different priorities, of course.

When you remember a story, what stays with you most?


—Don