It's the Achilles heel of most writers that they can't write good dialogue. Never mind the jokes, they simply can't write like what people talk. And if they can write decent lines they don't fit a particular character.
Biggest mistakes Page 2
That's just on the BBC Tim.
Quote: Tim Walker @ February 15 2009, 2:29 AM GMTIt's the Achilles heel of most writers that they can't write good dialogue. Never mind the jokes, they simply can't write like what people talk.
Although people in fiction don't usually talk anything 'like what people talk', since real-life people talk in a stream of non-sequiturs, stumbles and mistakes, don't they? I think that what sounds in fiction like easy, natural conversation is really an artificial construct.
Quote: NoggetFred @ February 16 2009, 5:46 AM GMTAlthough people in fiction don't usually talk anything 'like what people talk', since real-life people talk in a stream of non-sequiturs, stumbles and mistakes, don't they?
Good point. Good dialogue doesn't mean realistic really.
An inability to set up plots well or naturaly. Which often comes down to not having put in the groundwork before starting.
Agree with this last one. Too much clunky exposition to move the plot on.
About a year ago I made a major mistake which nearly cost me a really good break. I did something a rookie would only do and I learned the hard way. I had been given an oppotunity from a top industry bod to write a series of sketches for a possible new show. They had seen my surreal stuff on a site and liked it. I told a fellow writer friend who at the time was suffering from writers block about it. Then the stupid thing occured. I told them about the idea I had for a series of sketches complete with possible situations.
I spent a month working on this idea and was really pleased with all the results. Right before it was due to be sent off, My friend sent me an email, saying their writers block had been lifted thanks to something I mentioned and had sent me some of their "new" work to have a look at. When I opened the file, I was horrified.
They had ripped off every single one of my ideas. One sketch even nearly matched one of mine completely.
The worse part was I had no time to write anything new and had to pull out. The other person was actually well meaning and when they realised what they had done was sorry and THANKFULLY the show actually fell through but while I forgave this person, even when they showed off their "new" work to an approving audience and I was biting my lip really hard, I have never forgotten and to this day I NEVER completely reveal anything I'm working on.
Moral of the story.... Be careful how much you give away about an idea before you put your keyboard into gear. Even well meaning friends can accidently include it in something they are doing.
I told you not to post in critique!
I would never post there. You guys are scary and mean!
Quote: RubyMae - Glamourous Snowdrop at Large @ March 10 2009, 5:13 PM GMTI would never post there. You guys are scary and mean!
Damn straight.
Except Stott who is clearly a pussy.
***Makes fight gestures***
Quote: RubyMae - Glamourous Snowdrop at Large @ March 10 2009, 5:13 PM GMTI would never post there. You guys are scary and mean!
Or just post something so mediocre (or shit) that no one will comment on it.
Like wot I did.
Quote: Nil Putters @ March 10 2009, 5:27 PM GMTOr just post something so mediocre (or shit) that no one will comment on it.
Like wot I did.
AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!! 
I quite glad they didn't actually. 
My posting to Critique is a standard setter for all comedy writers. It means that if your sketch is better than mine you have a chance of receiving a rejection letter or better. If it's worse it's not even worth posting in Critique. 
Differentiating between characters is a problem lots of new writers have. Giving each character a unique voice. There is the old trick of covering up the characters names and still being able to tell each character apart just by their dialogue, but with a lot of new writers the characters often begin to blend in to each other.
I had that problem when I very first started writing. I usually had the main character fleshed out and you could easily tell them apart from everyone else. But the secondary characters often molded in to each other and became too similar with no real defined voice.
It is something I'm much better at now, I like to think I can write a whole host of characters and give each of them enough depth and personal flavour to stand out from one another.