I can’t wait to see you! After years of running our Time to Write sessions, interviewing all sorts of fabulously successful authors, I’m excited to launch a new series of two-hour special online Zoom writing workshops called Craft Clinics. These sessions are designed to focus on one element of writing at a time, drilling down into the finer details that can transform your work immediately.
Over the years at our creative writing Art of Writing retreats in Florence and Australia, I’ve noticed that dialogue is one of the areas that writers struggle with most. It is a special skill, and one that is central to getting your story just right.
The first workshop is:
Dialogue that Does More Than Talk: Beyond Words
Tuesday, 11 November
Online via Zoom
We often think of dialogue as simply what characters say. But in powerful writing, dialogue is never just talk. It can:
- Advance the plot without the reader noticing.
- Reveal character not just through what is said, but what is withheld.
- Build tension by creating gaps between words and meaning.
- Layer subtext so the real story hums beneath the spoken lines.
The best dialogue makes readers sense that something deeper is at stake. That is why learning to write dialogue well is more than a technical exercise. It is key to creating narratives that feel true and alive.
In this workshop, we will look closely at how to make your dialogue do more than carry conversation. We will explore silence, pacing, conflict, and what happens between the words. You will come away with tools you can use immediately in your own writing.
Why join a Craft Clinic on dialogue?
- 2-hour online workshop via Zoom with focused teaching and interactive exercises
- Capped at 20 participants for maximum interaction and personal attention
- Bonus: downloadable checklist 10 Dialogue Traps to Avoid (sent 24 hours before the session)
- Cost: $120 AUD per participant
- Early Bird: $99 AUD if booked two weeks in advance
Dialogue is more than words on the page. It works on several levels at once: what is said, what is meant, and what is left unsaid.
Join me on Tuesday, 11 November to take your dialogue beyond words.
Read More from Lisa Clifford
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What’s next
Our Art of Writing: Craft Clinics return in 2026 with fresh deep-dives on different elements of craft. Keep an eye on your inbox (and the blog) for dates and early-bird pricing.
Warmly,
Lisa Clifford
The Art of Writing