Too much dialogue can be boring to read. Interspersing action with dialogue makes a story interesting. In real life, we don’t talk without movement, neither should characters on a page. Plus, action gives clues to the character’s personality, habits, status and more. For example: “I dunno,” Remy said. Well, kind of boring. But what if detail were added: “I dunno,” Remy said, polishing the top of his boot along the back of his jeans. Readers can “see” this action and learn more about Remy’s character. Beats “Dialogue benefits from variety. A good way to maintain reader’s interest is to insert a variety of beats into dialogue. Beats are descriptions of physical action that fall between lines of speech.” —“Amp Up Dialogue With Emotional Beats,” by Todd A. Stone, Nov/Dec 2010 Writers Digest Facial Expressions Facial expressions signal emotions. “When a character raises an eyebrow or furrows his brow, this action,…