This craft analysis will provide an overview of dialogue, including guidelines for writing dialogue.<\/p>\n
Dialogue consists of gestures, thoughts, and spoken language.<\/p>\n
For Starters<\/strong><\/p>\n If you are just beginning to write dialogue, it is important to become familiar with a few guidelines. Good dialogue usually\u2026\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1.\u00a0 Brevity<\/strong><\/p>\n Brevity means that your dialogue is not overly complex or clunky. When you get the chance, listen in on a real world conversation. You will notice a few things about the way people make conversation. They tend to speak in short sentences. They tend to speak using simple vocabulary. And they tend to speak in a circular fashion\u2014often repeating words and phrases and returning to the same ideas again and again.<\/p>\n Dialogue does not have to be long. Sometimes, a single word may suffice. Indeed, dialogue consisting of long sentences tends to sound unnatural. In order to test your dialogue for brevity, read the exchanges between your characters out loud. You will find that it easier to identify clunky dialogue by listening than by seeing.<\/p>\n 2. Best Used Sparingly<\/strong><\/p>\n Some books seem to be nothing but long exchanges of dialogue, so it might seem strange that I am encouraging you to use it sparingly.<\/p>\n Dialogue is to a story what seasoning is to a dish. A dash of it here and there adds flavor, but using it everywhere makes things too spicy. Try to find a comfortable balance between little dialogue and a lot of dialogue. Used sparing, dialogue is powerful tool that enhances your story.<\/p>\n 3. Fits the Character<\/strong><\/p>\n I cannot emphasize enough how important it is for dialogue to fit the character voicing it. A twelve-year-old girl must speak as a twelve-year-old girl, not a forty-year-old man. You may have to read and modify dialogue several times before it suits the character. Speak your dialogue out loud and listen carefully. You might even consider asking a friend to read it to you out loud.<\/p>\n 4. One-upmanship<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>In dialogue characters are always trying to one-up each other. If Tommy says, \u201cI don\u2019t like Janie,\u201d then Janie says, \u201cI never liked Tommy.\u201d<\/p>\n Whatever you do, don\u2019t have characters just agree with each other. A character that doesn\u2019t try to one-up another character falls flat and becomes passive and dispensable. A well-designed character will always try to outmaneuver another character in conversation.<\/p>\n 5. Active Pauses<\/strong><\/p>\n An active pause occurs whenever a character chooses to remain silent rather than respond to an argument in a conversation. In a heated moment, a character may be left speechless or may not be able to come up with a fitting response. If that is the case, allow that character to say nothing. Silence speaks.<\/p>\n Dialogue Tags<\/strong><\/p>\n Try to avoid words like shouted<\/em>, blurted out<\/em>, interrupted. <\/em>In general, you want your dialogue tags to be invisible. Let the dialogue tell the reader what the character is saying, not the dialogue tag. Tags, such as “said” and “asked,” are typically invisible and are safe to use. At times, a tag may not even be required.<\/p>\n Gestures<\/strong><\/p>\n Dialogue is not all voiced. Characters can respond with their hands, their facial expressions, and other body movements. While you shouldn\u2019t describe every eye blink and every physical motion of the character\u2019s body, you should describe meaningful gestures. They are, after all, a component of dialogue.<\/p>\n In general people are not talking heads. People are quite busy. If they\u2019re at a dinner, for example, they are speaking between drinks, between mouthfuls, using napkins. If they\u2019re at work, then they are typing, or using a power tool, etc. Your characters should also be occupied, and you as a writer should recognize body language opportunities during these activities.<\/p>\n Thoughts<\/strong><\/p>\n One of the great strengths of literature is the ability to show a character\u2019s thoughts and feelings. While you do want to be careful how often you reveal your character\u2019s thoughts, it can be a powerful way to communicate ideas to the reader. I typically avoid sharing thoughts and feelings unless I am writing in first person or I cannot show a character\u2019s intention without sharing them.<\/p>\n Reading<\/strong> between the Lines <\/strong><\/p>\n Dialogue is generally understood on two levels. The extrinsic (outer) meaning is the direct translation of the sentence. The intrinsic (inner) meaning is the implied meaning or what is popularly known as reading between the lines. Dialogue is always operating on a deeper level, and it is this level that readers enjoy. To write powerful dialogue, make sure that you understand both the intrinsic and extrinsic meanings of a character\u2019s dialogue.<\/p>\n In Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n If you follow a few simple guidelines\u2014brevity, infrequency, fit, one-upmanship, active pauses\u2014your dialogue will become a powerful tool for forging your story.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This craft analysis will provide an overview of dialogue, including guidelines for writing dialogue. Dialogue consists of gestures, thoughts, and spoken language. For Starters If you are just beginning to write dialogue, it is important to become familiar with a few guidelines. 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