All About Dialogue
Part 1: Types of Dialogue
Summary dialogue
is when you report the gist of the dialogue rather than
putting it in the character's exact words.
It is useful in that it takes up little
space and gives the reader information that may not need to be dramatized.
Marguerite told him that she wanted a baby.
Indirect dialogue
is a more detailed way of reporting dialogue that is
indirect quotation.
It delivers a feeling of how something was said; thus, it
is rich in texture.
Readers get a sense of who the speaker is.
Marguerite said that she wanted a baby, that she wanted a baby now,
and that she would do it with or without him, so he might as well kiss her or
get out.
Direct Dialogue
is the most dramatic form.
The reader is there with the
characters, overhearing their conversation as it happens.
It’s best to save
your direct dialogue for meaty material with subtext.
Also, you should
generally use direct dialogue for the most important scenes and other
methods of dialogue for less important moments.
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- Fall '07
- Finch
- Cathedral, 2005 singles, Did You See Me Coming?, Marguerite, You Might Think
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