Between two voices

"Between Two Voices" is a new book by Kuwaiti author Buthaina Al Essa (Arab Scientific Publishers, 2014). It sheds light on a set of technical questions related to writing dialogue in novels, and discusses the most important opinions on this topic with international and Arab writers. It also presents models (examples) of high artistic and creative value; opening the way for anyone wishing to venture into this path, which is of the type "easy yet difficult." The subject of the book, as indicated in the title, revolves around "The Art of Writing Novel Dialogue," where the author considers that writing dialogue presents a real challenge for the novelist. It is linked to a series of highly precise artistic choices that the writer finds himself compelled to weigh, such as: When is dialogue necessary? When is it excessive? What should be included in the narration? Should it be written vertically or in a narrative form? Should it be in dialect or in classical Arabic? Is it possible to merge multiple levels of language in dialogue? When does the need to break the narrative flow with dialogue arise? When does it increase reader suspense, and when does it cause boredom? These are sensitive questions presented in the book "Between Two Voices," which are challenges faced by the novelist in any dialogue writing. Often, the novelist finds himself compelled to choose among a set of options through trial and error, in a process similar to experimental work, involving dozens of attempts of writing and erasing. Writing can be based on the cause-and-effect principle, as Buthaina Al Essa sees, until the writer reaches the desired formulation, which is ultimately the responsibility of the writer. Based on the above, the book covers the following topics: "What is dialogue?", "How to write dialogue?", "Dialogue and brevity", "Dialogue as an addition to the reader's knowledge", "Dialogue and realism", "Dialogue and spontaneity", "Dialogue and plot", "Dialogue and characters", "Dialogue and description", "Dialogue as a relief for the reader's eye", and "Language of dialogue." Book Information: • Author: Buthaina Al Essa • Year of publication: • Publisher: Arab Scientific Publishers • Number of pages: 104