“How do you spell ‘love’?” – Piglet
“You don’t spell it ... you feel it.” – Pooh
Who doesn’t love Winnie-the-Pooh stories by A.A Milne? They are clever lessons concealed as entertaining scenes and teaching kids everything from critical contemplation to the perils of poor spelling. In spite of these stories having didactic or pedagogic qualities, why do you think they are so popular among kids? Well, there are many reasons for it, but boy oh boy we can’t have enough of those heart-warming dialogue exchanges between Piglet and Pooh.
Just what exactly is dialogue?
“You are writing this blog. Why don’t you tell me?”
We beg your pardon! That’s rude.
“I am just an imaginary character you invented to have a conversation with, so why don’t you go ahead and tell them.”
Fine! Dialogue is a conversation.
“Like what we are having right now?”
Exactly!
The key to writing dialogue is finding the right balance. Bulky passages with irrelevant information that don’t really move the story along cannot be considered as successful dialogue. In a story, dialogue should reveal emotion, break up the narrative, move the story along and establish character traits.
AUTHENTIC DIALOGUE
Amber placed her bag down on the dresser. “Good afternoon, Mom,” she said.
“Good afternoon, Amber,” Her mom replied. “I must inform you that Lily telephoned during your absence. It was requested that you return the call as soon as you reach home.”
This doesn’t seem realistic, right? Using sophisticated language and obeying each and every conventions of grammar will do wonders when you are writing a formal essay or letter, but people usually don’t strictly adhere to grammar rules or use formal words when they have a casual conversation, so neither should your dialogue; it should be informal and authentic.
Ashley dumped her bag on the dresser. “Hey, Mom,” she called as she walked into the living room.
‘Hi, love. How was your day?” Her Mom said, looking up from her book. “Lily called while you were out; can you give her a call back?”
Unlike the first example, the second one actually captures the essence of a casual conversation between a mother and daughter.
ARE YOU GUILTY OF OVERUSING YOUR CHARACTER’S NAME?
“How are you James? Is everything alright?”
“Everything’s fine. How about you Harry?”
“Oh, I am good, James. Are we still on for tomorrow’s sleepover?”
This can go on and on, and by the end of the story, all we will remember are their names.
Just consider the conversations we have on a daily basis. Do you utter your friend’s name in every question you ask or response you give? We are going to assume that you don’t. It’s unnatural.
DIVERSE CHARACTERS
No two people are the same; your characters should have unique personalities that distinguish them from one another. There are several things you should consider: where are your characters from? Do they have any accents or slang? Do they have a particular word they use frequently?
For example, “g’day mate”, “you alright?”, or “how’s it going?” are all different greetings in English to say ‘hello’ or ask how someone is doing. (Australian, British, and American English)
PLEASE LEAVE OUT THE INSIGNIFICANT STUFF!
Everything your characters say to each other should fulfil a goal or reveal something about the character or should be integral to the plot. In other words, leave out the pointless banter or alien stuff if it doesn’t serve a purpose.
DIALOGUE TAGS AND ACTION BEATS
Dialogue tags (he said, she said, etc.) can become redundant if they are not used judiciously, but they are also unavoidable to let readers know who is saying what.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with ‘said’; it is one of the least annoying dialogue tags. People are familiar with the word ‘said’ and it doesn’t draw much attention. However, an adverb dialogue tag is a different case altogether; avoid it at all costs (For example, ‘she yelled angrily’ or ‘they shouted happily.’)
Don’t worry! Action beats are here to help. They are the parts in your of dialogue where you describe things like facial expressions, mannerisms and your characters’ inner conflicts.
Here is an example: Bella pranced around the lounge impatiently. The furrowed brows and clenched teeth gave away the anger simmering inside her. When she spotted James across the hotel lobby, with urgent strides, she approached him, “Why are you late?”
See? The most effective way to establish your characters’ emotions and feelings is by showing them instead of telling them.
After reading this, do you feel confident enough to incorporate authentic, witty and amusing dialogue exchanges in your story? If yes, then do it!