The Writer's Guide to Realistic Dialogue by Soule S. A

Author:Soule, S. A.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: FWT
Published: 2014-01-26T00:00:00+00:00

INTENSIFYING CONFLICT

Quote: “Dialogue is an Expression of Character. Dialogue is the impression of how people speak in real life, but actually much more interesting, with more forward motion. Dialogue is one of the core elements of storytelling, and it needs to be used well. Dialogue is an expression of character, background, education, locality, and circumstance. Listen to how people talk and you’ll see that who they are and the situation they find themselves in will influence what they say and how they say it...” ―author and blogger, Katherine Cowley

Dialogue is all about expressing character traits through either internal or external conflict.

All dialogue should achieve at least one of the subsequent three things:

Progress the storyline.

Offer new information for the reader.

Provide insight into characterization.

Push the plot forward.

Give the reader a break from exposition.

Let’s start with conflict/tension. If there is no tension within some of the dialogue scenes, then the conversation might need to be revised. The tension can often be internal (he’s concealing a secret from her or she doesn’t trust him) or external (a windstorm is whirling gust at the two of them or someone has hacked her computer). Yet, it has to be there.

Dialogue can illustrate a character’s temperament quicker than any amount of exposition. However, only if you give your characters something interesting to talk about, something that pushes your story forward, which means revising with conflict or tension.

And remember as you revise that we all react differently to situations. So will your characters, both inwardly, externally, and in their dialogue.

This next excerpt was taken from my published novel, BEAUTIFULLY BROKEN, and shows how writers can include tension, emotion, action, and even conflict into a dialogue scenes.

Please carefully study this example…

Trudging towards the double-doors, I lifted the strap of my backpack over one shoulder. Outside the cool air glided across my skin and I attempted to clear my mind. But it was no good.

At the Jeep, I pulled the keys from my pocket. Just as I was about to insert the key into the lock, a disturbance shifted the air. Spinning around, I held my key out like a weapon, poised to attack.

“What are you going to do? Stab me with your key?”

Speechless, my gaze swept over Trent, taking in his low-slung jeans and snug cotton T-shirt.

A smirk touched his lips. “Did I frighten you?”

Yes!

“No. What’re you doing here?”

“I was on my way home when I saw your Jeep parked in the lot.”

Yeah, right. Probably looking for Brittany. Your stupid girlfriend.

Frowning, I narrowed my eyes. “How did you even know it’s my Jeep?”

“I have my sources,” he said with a sly smile.

Stalker much?

The backpack slid from my shoulder to the ground. “Oh, yeah?” I crossed my arms. “And what do these so-called sources tell you about me?”

“Lots of interesting tidbits…”

“Like?” I asked.

Trent didn’t answer, instead he took a step forward, leaning in close to my ear like a lover about to whisper sweet-nothings, and I pressed my back tightly against the Jeep. I was pinned and at his mercy.

Slowly, he lifted his hand and gently tucked loose hair behind my ear.

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