First time writeres -why Dialogue Is So Important

by Christie Craig and Faye Hughes

While novels are divided into paragraphs, scenes, and chapters, your words belong to one of two categories: dialogue or narrative. You will probably never hear a reader complain that she would have loved more narrative from an author. While both are needed to build a novel, the narrative is considered the passive component, while the dialogue is the "going places" component.

Conversation is the communication between two or more people. While dialogue is words spoken between your characters, the real communication in dialogue is between the writer and the reader. When you place quotation marks around words, it's as if you are saying to the reader, "Pay attention; this is important."

Readers not only expect dialogue, they demand it. One of the first things a potential reader will do in a bookstore is to open a novel and check for the white space on the beginning pages. A lot of white space generally means a lot of dialogue. Readers are no dummies; they know if written correctly, more dialogue means a faster pace and more conflict. White space is a good thing.

A word of caution for those writing historicals: your dialogue will need to be written to reflect the time period. Readers are very savvy about their favorite time periods, so be aware of the words and speech patterns of the era you have chosen for your novel.

The reader also assumes that if characters are talking, something worth talking about is happening. In real life, you make small talk; you may discuss the weather, and exchange pointless chitchat. Not so in your novels. If readers wanted casual chatter, they would pick up the phone and call their aunt who talks too much about nothing. In fiction, dialogue has a job to do. And if your dialogue can do double duty, that's even better.

Dialogue Shows Character
You've heard the adage, "You are what you eat." When considering dialogue and your characters, you might say, "They are what they speak." The words that come from your characters' mouths will tell the reader who they are. Well-written dialogue can also give the reader information about other characters. Here's an example:

Picking up a five-pound catfish she'd caught from the lake that morning, Thelma Baits slapped it down on the cutting board and grabbed a knife. "People around these parts are known for being friendly, Mr. Nelson, but we don't beat around the bush."

She lopped off the fish's head and tossed it into the sink. "I'm plum grateful that you want to protect us and all, but I ain't impressed that you walk into my home dressed like some big-city doorman and talking with those high-dollar words. My niece has already been hurt by your kind once. You lay a pinky on that girl, and I'll skin your well-dressed ass just like I'm skinning tonight's supper."

Every piece of dialogue spoken by your character is an opportunity for your reader to get to know your character. Dialogue gives the reader information about where your character is from, hints at their education level, and shows what the character cares about.

Dialogue Moves the Plot Forward
Dialogue keeps the story moving. Instead of telling the reader what's going to happen next, let the reader learn it through dialogue. For example:

Ashley stormed up to the desk clerk. "I'm here to see Mr. Logan."
"You must be Ashley." The man reached into the desk, rustled with some papers and then handed her an airline ticket. "Mr. Logan said to tell you that if you wanted to talk to him, you'd be there before morning."

Ashley stared at the ticket, then blinked, her fury brought tears to her eyes.
"That egotistical ba — " She bit off her last word. "He seriously thinks I'll fly to freaking Paris to see him?"

The man half-smiled. "Yeah, and what really chaps my ass is that he's generally right."
Dialogue Sets Up the Conflict
Good dialogue can introduce the conflict and get a story rolling with a bang. What can someone say to your character, or your character say to someone else, that can set the conflict in motion? Here's an example:

Detective Brit Hansen hailed the cab, glanced at his watch, and jumped into the backseat. He friggin' couldn't believe he'd overslept. "Airport." He slapped the seat.
The man looked over his shoulder. "You not listen to the news?" He spoke with a heavy accent.
"Forget the news," Brit said. "A woman I already don't deserve is waiting on me and I'm an hour late. Drive."

The man frowned. "Ah, Señor, airport is closed. Men with guns. And police say maybe they have bombs. This country, it get as bad as my own."
Dialogue Helps Create Sexual Tension

Whether it's pillow talk, flirting banter, or whispered promises of seduction, dialogue can up the sensual heat of your romance. For example:
Beth looked up from her menu at her brother's best friend. "Do you see something you want?"

Tom's bedroom eyes crinkled around the corners with his smile. "I do. But what am I going to have to do to talk you into it?"

The heat in his gaze felt like summer sun on her skin. She leaned in so only he could hear her words. "I'm not going to bed with you."
He leaned in closer, his lips a breath away from hers. "So I guess the double-decker banana split is out, too?"

Don't be afraid to have fun with your dialogue. And do let the tone of your book be reflected in your characters' speech. If you're writing a romantic comedy, use the dialogue to make your readers laugh.
If you're writing a drama, use the character's words to bring a tear to your reader's eyes.
Dialogue Creates Suspense

Good dialogue always creates questions in your reader's mind. When a reader is wondering what will happen next, it's called suspense. Every book, be it a romantic suspense or a romantic comedy, needs suspense. The reader's urge to turn every page is fueled by suspense — she has to know what will happen next. Dialogue can create suspense in different ways.

• By stating a question that the reader should be wondering. For example: "If Harry didn't try to kill her, then who did?"
• By having a character say something so surprising that the reader must read on to see how the others characters will react. For example: "I did something terrible today." Mary dropped on her sister's sofa. "I … I had a big fight with my boss and I left work and broke into his house and then I … "
  "You what?" her sister asked.
  "I kidnapped his goldfish."
• Dialogue can create suspense by showing a character's unwillingness to talk about something. The reader will start to wonder what it is that this character does not want to talk about. For example: His mom walked into the room. "Melissa called twice today. Do you know what she wanted?"
  "Yeah." David stood and walked over to the bar.
  "So what was it?" his mom queried.
  He could feel her watching him. "What was what?" David feigned ignorance and opened the bar cabinet.
  "What was it that Melissa wanted?"
  "Did you hear about the accident that happened down the block?"

Avoid the everyday pleasantries in your stories. Routine exchanges as in: "How are you?" "Fine, thank you" are boring. Common greetings, introductions, chitchat, may be needed in life, but not in fiction. Dialogue is supposed to sound real, but not be real.