Dialogue

Dialogue lets us put the reader into the story. 

It’s easier to write, “he told me not to go.”  But what the reader really wants to hear is the entire dialogue that occurred, not just a report about what happened.

Here’s a great example of dialogue that could never be conveyed any other way:

After being in my new cell for just a few minutes, I realized that Jessica talked non-stop. “I know what you’re in here for I never met anyone famous before. I’m in here because I robbed a delivery driver. I called for some Chinese food and when the driver came I robbed him with a knife I only got seven dollars and my food. I sat on the porch and waited for the police to show up. I don’t know why I robbed that delivery driver except that I just needed to. I have a little dog. I love my dog. I think my dog doesn’t know why I’m gone I just want to go home and be with my dog. My dog loves me, he’s just a little dog. He might be the only person in the world who loves me. Well, I know my mom loves me and my dad, I love my dad a lot. I cut myself, see my arms? I don’t know why I cut myself except it lets the pain out. I don’t know why I do lots of things. I hear voices, they tell me to do crazy things mostly to hurt people. I would never hurt my dog. I love my little dog. I hope he doesn’t hate me because I’m in here. Do you think he will remember me? I don’t know why I hear voices. Do you hear voices? But I have to do what the voices say because they just get louder and louder and louder until I can’t stand the sound anymore. I have to do what they say so they’ll leave me alone. I’m supposed to be on meds, lots of meds, but they took all my meds away when they put me in here and now the voices are coming back. They tell me to hurt people, but I don’t think I’ll hurt you, I think I like you. Wanna play cards?” 

And another example of a true dialogue:

“Toby,” Jim explained, “if the prosecutor agrees to probation, the media will crucify him. I’m afraid you’re going to have to do some time in prison. Unless you want to go to trial and I don’t recommend that at all.”
“How much time, Jim? I think I could do a year…”
“No, I don’t think that’s enough. I think we’re going to have to agree to twenty-one months.”“Twenty-one months! That’s almost two years. I can’t do twenty-one months!” 
“I think you can, Toby. Twenty-one months will go by in a flash. That’s nothing.”
“It’s nothing for you out there Jim. It’s a lifetime in here!”
I stopped for a minute and remembered believing I couldn’t even do two weeks. But I could. And I did. “Okay. I can do twenty-one months. Make the deal. Let’s get this started.”

Write a piece of dialogue that belongs in your story.

Remember a conversation that was. turning point for you. Or, write a conversation you wish you’d had.