Dialogue is a great tool for many aspects of writing!

1. Dialogue is a great tool for many aspects of writing! 1) creating a great hook 2) creating characterization 3) condensing long passages of back story 4) to show instead of tell 5) injecting a bit of humor

2. There are many more, but let’s explore these five ways to use dialogue.

3. Creating a good hook: There’s nothing more appealing than a story that gives you a first sentence of dialogue so intriguing, that you can’t put it down. Why start the story with a paragraph of narration that only describes the setting, gives back story or simply introduces or describes a character? I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with this, only that sometimes, a line of creative dialogue can hook the reader faster than any other way.

4. For example: In Laura Renken’s, My Lord Pirate, she starts out with, “Draw no blood, men. Remember, this is to be a wedding party.” She sets up a situation, draws the reader in, and makes you want to read on. The reader wonders – Who is this speaking? Why would he/she even have to mention drawing blood, and whose wedding party are they at? They obviously sound like they’re up to no good, but why? And what are they planning to do? Another example would be something like: “Release the girl, or I’ll be forced to kill you.”Or how about “I’m sorry Ms. Jones, but your actions have just given me reason to fire you.” So you see, you capture the reader’s attention, get them thinking, asking questions, and then keep them reading to find out more.

5. Characterization: • An excellent way to let your readers know about your characters is through their speech. When dialogue is used properly, it should define your characters so thoroughly that if you took off all the tags of Jake said, or Daisy whispered, we would still know who was talking.

6. Condensing Back Story Instead of using narration to tell tons of back story, let your characters do it for you through dialogue. It makes it much more interesting, plus it gives the characters a chance to develop.

7. Use Dialogue To Show Instead Of Tell • Use your dialogue to show what you want to tell the reader. Instead of coming out and saying it with narration, let your characters do it for you. It’s more interesting, plus it’ll give the characters time to interact. • Eden Reed does a fine job of this in this next passage from her book, The Valley of Hemlock. • “There are other residents in the house, aren’t there?” • The corner of his mouth lifted in a wry smile at my obvious concern for my virtue. “Yes, there are other ‘residents’. There are two in the physical sense: a cook and a housekeeper. But I’m not sure how many actual ‘residents’ roam the halls.” • “Are you trying to tell me that this house is haunted?” I was beginning to tire of people trying to scare me. • His features turned hard again without warning. “That is the rumor.” • “If you’re trying to frighten me, sir, you are wasting your time. I no more believe in ghosts than in flying pigs. So if you are finished, I’d like to retire. As you’ve been so gracious in allowing me to stay the night, I’d like to spend the rest of it sleeping.” • “My intent is not to frighten you Miss Barlow only to persuade you. I would still prefer that you move to a different room.”

8. Here we find out that Boothe House is said to be haunted. Ms. Reed has shown us the mystery as well as a bit of danger in her hero. We know that he wants her to move to another room and will even revert to scaring the heroine if he has to, to do it. He has a secret there to protect that he obviously doesn’t want her to discover. The heroine’s dialogue shows us that she is feisty and not afraid to stand up to anyone. We see her strength, as well as her practicality, and her boldness to those who try to manipulate her. There’s a sense of formality to both their words, so the respect for each other is still evident, but yet we sense obstinate behavior from both of them. • So instead of Ms. Reed telling us that her heroine is tough and practical, and her hero cunning but yet still direct, she’s shown us.

9. Using these four ways dialogue can work for you, not against you in creating your story. Now get writing, and have some fun!