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 how to write a dialogue writing

Hello,

A dialogue literally means a conversation in a book, play or film. It means a “talk between two people”. To write a dialogue successfully, one needs to have a strong hold over the language. Command over vocabulary and grammar would help the writer to express their opinions more clearly. It needs skill to express their opposite opinions naturally and in keeping with their character. He has to see the point of view of both in question.

Here are a few guidelines that would help you frame a dialogue:

  • Think over the subject given and jot down briefly the opinions or arguments about it which might reasonably be expressed by the imaginary persons who are supposed to be talking;

  • The ideas need to be arranged sequentially and in a logical order.

  • One can try to imagine what would be the way in which each character in the dialogue would express his/her opinions or choice.

  • One should keep in mind that a dialogue, when completed, should read like a real, spontaneous conversation. So, always try that the imaginary characters talk easily and in a familiar and natural manner. Avoid stilted and bookish phrases as well as famous quotes and sayings. Try to remember how real people talk in a particular situation and reproduce that conversational style as best as you can.

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 Want to know the most important thing about writing dialogue in a novel? If it sounds like a conversation you would hear in the real world, you've gone horribly wrong somewhere.

The next time you are on a train or sitting on a bench in the street, just listen to two people talking...

  • They will speak over each other all the time.
  • They'll say "um" and "er" a lot.
  • They'll jump from one topic to another and back again with no warning.

All of which is fine in the real world - but hopeless for the purposes of dialogue in a novel.

Writing dialogue isn't about replicating real speech. It's about giving an impression of it and also of improving upon it.

Put simply, dialogue in a novel must be so much better than real speech. And the articles below will tell you exactly how to go about achieving that.

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