Question

give some examples of dialogue writing

Answer 1

For example, here is a phone conversation from Donna Tartt’s The Secret History (1992):

‘My voice was slurred and the operator wouldn’t give me the number of a taxi company. ‘You have to give me the name of a specific taxi service,’ she said. ‘We’re not allowed to-‘
‘I don’t know the name of a specific taxi service,’ I said thickly.’There’s not a phone book here.’
‘I’m sorry, sir, but we’re not allowed to-‘
‘Red Top?’ I said desperately, trying to guess at names, make them up, anything. ‘Yellow Top? Town Taxi? Checker?’
Finally I guess I got one right, or maybe she just felt sorry for me.’ (pp. 142-143)

Tartt’s narrator Richard is staying in desperately cold quarters in winter, and the dialogue reflects the urgency of his situation. Note how Tartt uses concise narration to precede the call. Tartt cuts to the reason for Richard’s phone call right away, and also includes interruption. This reinforces the sense of urgency.

Tartt also slips back into narration rather than have a pointless outro where Richard and the operator say goodbye. Similarly, lead directly into the crux of dialogue and minimize filler. [Take Now Novel’s 4-week dialogue writing course to develop your dialogue writing skills. You’ll get workbooks, course videos, and professional feedback on a final assignment].

2. Blend dialogue with descriptive narration well
Often when we write dialogue, we forget to keep the backdrop and surrounds in focus. The effect is similar to the backdrop of a theatre being hauled away whenever the actors start to speak.

To keep an active sense of place, slip in narration that adds setting details. For example, here Tartt describes Richard’s encounter with a girl in his dorm’s bathrooms:

‘I was in no mood for talk and I was unpleasantly surprised to find Judy Poovey brushing her teeth at the sink. […]
‘Hi, Richard,’ she said, and spit out a mouthful of toothpaste. She was wearing cut-off jeans that had bizarre, frantic designs drawn on them in Magic Marker and a spandex top which revealed her intensely aerobicized midriff.
‘Hello,’ I said, setting to work on my tie.
‘You look cute today.’
‘Thanks.’
‘Got a date?’
I looked away from the mirror, at her. ‘What?’
‘Where you going?’
By now I was used to her interrogations.’ (pp. 51-52)

In this dialogue example, Tartt drops in details from the bathroom setting (Judy spitting out toothpaste, Richard adjusting his tie and looking away from the mirror). These small details are enough to create a consistent backdrop. Note too that even though Judy and Richard start with pleasantries, the dialogue quickly passes on to anticipatory details about Richard’s plans (signalled to Judy by his tie).

Tartt also does not use dialogue tags, because it’s unnecessary to say ‘he said’ or ‘she said’. There are only two speakers present and line breaks and indentation distinguish them. The surrounding text adds an element of scenery and realism to their exchange.

3. Use dialogue to reveal key character information
Dialogue is an excellent vehicle for character-building. A character’s voice, from their style of speech to the subjects they frequent, builds our understanding