Suggested types of Dialogue An Excerpt from Conflict, Action & Suspense By William Noble

Yes/No:

The most obvious form of conflict is confrontation, and conflict develops action and conflict for our characters and the stories plotline. This type of dialogue is an excellent way to develop confrontation.

            Ex:      "I'm calling the police!"

                        "You'd better wait."

                        "We must tell them."

                        "Not tonight, we don't."

Well/Maybe:

Since people are rarely responsive to one another, more often than not they are evasive or partial in their answers.

            EX:       1.       "Would you tell me your name, please?"

                                    "Why do you want to know?"

                        2.         "I wish you'd pay more attention."

                                    "Wow, I hate the dress that lady is wearing."

Possible techniques of usage

·         Answer a question with a question

·         Let two or three lines of dialogue go by without the character answering a question

·         Mimic another speaker's line

·         Have the character not answer a question posed, but have him give the answer on his own to those in the crowd or group

The Threat of the Unsaid:

Sometimes to further the plot, put your character into an emotional whirlwind. Have him/her quiet when everyone else is shouting. This technique gives you the opportunity to ramp up the tension of a scene.

            Ex:       From Raymond Carter's, The Student's Wife

                        "You're asleep," she said.

                        "I'm not," Mike said.

                        "I can't think of anything else. You go now. Tell me what you like."

                        "I don't know. Lots of things."

                        "Well, tell me. We're just talking, aren't we?"

                        "I wish you'd leave me alone, Nan." He turned over to his side of the bed again                            and let his arm rest off the edge. She turned too, and pressed against him.

Self-talk/Inner Monologue:

Unlike a thought, an internal monologue is usually one character's dialogue with him/her self. Because it's in one person's and there is no other character to bounce the lines off, this should mirror the jumbled, disjointed thoughts that fly through our heads. Something like the following:

            Ex:       ...what do I know about boats, I'm a musician, there are some better, a lot                                              worse... but boats are scary, and I hide in this closet they call a head, waiting for                          something to show while jazz riffs flow through my head... and I know I don't                          belong here because boats can sink.

Gesturing:

This technique is different than an action tag in that it has more to do with the subtext of the scene. It can show the character's attitude as well as his/her hidden intentions without stating them in the line of dialogue.

            Ex:      Karen laid her hand on Max's arm. "I need your opinion."

                        "I don't know what you want from me."

                        "Well, can't you tell me what you think?"

                        Max's eyes never left the mirror while he spoke. "I'm not sure I have an opinion."

(Think about it, what does the red portions of this dialogue exchange show about the subtext of the scene?) 

Punctuating Your Dialogue (Jo A. Wilkins)

 Since you want your reader to get concise information from the way you present your story, you must write pithy dialogue. And, the best way to have dialogue read as you intend the reader to see it, it is important to punctuate it correctly.

1.      What is the usual way to identify the beginning and end of a dialogue line?

a.      Quotation marks ( “ ” ) are the identifiers that most authors use at the beginning and end of a character’s dialogue.

                                                                          i.      “I would rather not go there.”

b.      Although, in Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier, he used no quotation marks. His dialogue lines began with an em-dash. He used it consistently so it worked for him and his publisher.

                                                                          i.      ― Why would I want to do that, he said.

2.      How could an author create an interruption in a line of dialogue without telling the reader he was interrupted?

a.      To let the reader experience an interruption naturally, use an em-dash at the abrupt end of an incomplete word to show that there was an incomplete line of dialogue. Let the next paragraph start with the dialogue that carries on.

                                                                          i.      “Why woul―” (next paragraph) “Because I told you too.”

3.      How can an author punctuate around dialogue when action identifies the speaker?

a.      When using ordinary dialogue tags, use a comma between the tag and the dialogue delivered then either open or close the quotes. Or you can split the sentence and place the tag inside the dialogue as shown below.

                                                                          i.      “I said I wasn’t going to do that,” she said, a tear falling from her eye.

                                                                       ii.      “I…” she said, a tear falling from her eye, “…I,― I  wasn’t going to do that.”

a.      Note the ellipses and the action portion of the tag. They show the reader that there is a hesitation and/or the emotions in the delivery of the dialogue.

4.      Action tags (or gestures)

a.      To eliminate the overuse of dialogue tags, and still show the emotions or intentions of the character, you can use an action tag or gesture that also identifies the speaker. When using an action tag you end the tag with a period (.). These can be placed either before or after the line of dialogue.

                                                                          i.      Jerry slammed his fist on the table. “I don’t want you to go.”

                                                                       ii.      “I don’t want you to go.” Jerry slumped onto his chair.