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Hi, Vishnudas! Welcome to Book Country 
You're a new writer, huh? Looking for advice on how to harvest
your potential? Great!
Here's what to do first: Read and write. A lot. Study Craft and
the different techniques professional fiction writers use. Get your
hands on some 'How to Write Fiction' books, such as Dwight Swain's,
Techniques of the Selling Writer, Jack Bickham's, Scene
and Structure, Debra Dixon's, GMC: Goal Motivation &
Conflict, and Writing Fiction for Dummies.
These are the books I drew off of when I was practicing and
studying Craft--and I'm still learning, even as I write my first
novel, Destiny's Bond. If you absorb these book's knowledge on
fiction, and utilize the techniques in your own writing, you'll be
well on your way.
As you go on your journey, don't ever stop writing--you have to
practice to become proficient, as all Writers must. It's the only way
to nurture and discover your unique Voice and Prose.
You're interested in writing Action Comedy, correct? Then first
off, start writing and reading that genre. As time passes, you'll
find yourself getting better and better--while you're learning POV,
Character Development, Story Arc, Pacing, Plot, and all the other
aspects of good fiction writing, you'll need to write, otherwise
those tools won't do you much good.
This might all seem very daunting, but if fiction is in your blood
and heart, you'll study and practice until you flourish.
Oh, and as for bringing humor into dialogue? Well, that takes
practice, too. For some, natural sounding dialogue comes easy. For
others, it takes a lot of work to make dialogue sound right.
Here's an example of my own dialogue, that I found to be a tad
humorous:
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"Don't be silly." Disgust crinkled Karissa's nose,
bursting his bubble of anticipation. "The Green Court wouldn't
deign themselves to aiding a tiny village such as Ravenswood. Most
likely this girl was just passing through on her way to the Western
Mountain."
"At night?"
Karissa stiffened, probably at his incredulity. "Who says
Light Nythpaths can't travel at night?"
"No one that I know of." He scuffed his foot on the
hardwood and massaged the tautness of his nape with calloused
fingers. Blazes, he was tired. "Just doesn't seem likely, with
her being a female and all."
Too late he realized his error.
"Oh, Arashi, you did not just go there." Stinking of
indignant woman, Karissa stood, fists punched against her thighs,
sandaled foot tap-tap-tapping. "Please tell me you
didn't just indicate women can't be out at a late hour, on their
own."
Damn it, he thought, wincing. Me and my big mouth.
"I'm not indicating anything. I'm saying most women can't defend
themselves, and should have a male there to protect them."
"What?" Darkness suffused Karissa's cheeks.
"You've done it now, Arashi," his inner beast
said, with undisguised glee. "You've lit a fire under the
volcano."
"Women can protect themselves fine, Arashi." Karissa
jutted her chin. "When trained right, we can be more deadly than
any male. And you know it."
"Well, yeah." Arms folded over his chest, he shifted
from one foot to the other, becoming frustrated. "But it's more
difficult for them. Men always have the edge in a fight, 'cause we're
stronger."
Shut up! his brain hissed. He ignored it.
"Stronger?" she shrieked. "Stronger? Are
you kidding me?"
"No." Stance defensive, he scowled. "Men are
stronger. It's a proven fact."
While Karissa chewed over a response to that, he hid a wag of his
tail. If she could spar, she had to be okay.
"You . . . You . . ." Speaking through clenched teeth,
Karissa kept on tap-tap-tapping her foot. "You . . .
egotistical, arrogant male."
He coughed into his fist to conceal a grin teasing at the corners
of his lips. "Can't come up with a more creative reply than
that?"
A hmph. "Not right now, no," she groused. "I'm
too tired to think creatively."
That drained his contentment. "You know, getting some sleep
wouldn't do any harm."
Karissa chuckled, the sound hollow and without amusement. "Don't
start on me, Arashi. Lying down is the last thing on my mind right
now. Should I, I'll probably snooze for a weak. And under the
circumstances, that won't do."
Well, damn. Couldn't argue with that.
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I don't know whether you'll think that bit of dialogue is comical, but I do--and it wouldn't have sounded so natural if I hadn't practiced. A lot.
I'm rooting for you, Vishnudas. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.
Amber
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