Dialogue - an underrated literary technique

Dialogue is a major technique in fiction writing. It features more in some genres than others. It is a conversation between two or more people as a feature of a book, play, or film. When you write dialogue, it is as though the characters are speaking aloud.

While drama is heavy on dialogue, prose authors might lean towards narrative writing rather than using direct dialogue.

Here are some reasons you should use more dialogue in your next prose project.

1. Dialogue grabs the reader’s attention and puts the reader right on the scene.

The reader can experience what is happening rather than just have the narrator tell him/her about it. Witnessing an argument always gives a clearer understanding of the psychological state of the characters.

2. Dialogue can be a tool to advance your story.

With dialogue, you can develop your characters and move your plot forward. Dialogue can help you reveal important plot details the reader may not know about yet.

Dialogue can reveal people’s passions, motivations, and more. This can be a smart way to get backstory or other important information into the story without the use of lengthy narrations.

3. Dialogue is also useful for characterization and intensifying the tension between characters.

Dialogue is an excellent way to reveal character. When you hear a person speak, you get an insight into his overall personality type. It can reveal if the character is educated, funny, happy, boring or bored, and so much more with not just what they say but how they say it.

A character can create tension through his response to another character and the witty use of the right words can help express that properly.

4. Dialogue can also establish the mood.

By showcasing the characters’ verbal exchanges, the reader can tell the atmosphere of each scene. Even with the use of words and silence, it is possible to set the mood and infuse conflict into the scenes.

And if you decide to write in some dialogue, don’t forget to read your manuscript ALOUD when you’re done writing. If the dialogue does not seem to flow, or you are tripping over your words, it is most likely going to sound exactly that way to the reader. You may need to edit and rewrite. You can learn more about this in the Authors Write-It-Now course. The next session starts on May 7, 2022.