Using Dialogue in Narrative Writing What you need to know before adding it to your writing

Why Use It? Dialogue (the words characters speak to one another) helps to convey information in a descriptive, colorful manner.Dialogue (the words characters speak to one another) helps to convey information in a descriptive, colorful manner. It helps us to understand the characters better, their personalities, and/or how they relate to one another.It helps us to understand the characters better, their personalities, and/or how they relate to one another. It helps to set the mood/sceneIt helps to set the mood/scene It breaks up large areas of textIt breaks up large areas of text

Punctuating Dialogue Look at these examples:Look at these examples: “Let’s go,” she said. “Let’s go,” she said, “before we’re late to class.” “Let’s go before we’re late to class,” she said. All of these are correct. Periods and commas should always be placed INSIDE the quotation marks.All of these are correct. Periods and commas should always be placed INSIDE the quotation marks. Dashes, semi-colons, question marks and exclamation points also go inside when they relate to what the character has said.Dashes, semi-colons, question marks and exclamation points also go inside when they relate to what the character has said.

Using Dialogue Tags The purpose of dialogue tags is to show which speaker speaks and when.The purpose of dialogue tags is to show which speaker speaks and when. Each tag normally contains at least one noun or pronoun (Carla, she, he, Billy, etc.) AND a verb that indicates a way of speaking (said, asked, exclaimed, whispered, demanded)Each tag normally contains at least one noun or pronoun (Carla, she, he, Billy, etc.) AND a verb that indicates a way of speaking (said, asked, exclaimed, whispered, demanded) You can add adjectives/adverbs (i.e. she asked innocently) but do so sparingly.You can add adjectives/adverbs (i.e. she asked innocently) but do so sparingly. Speech tags should almost be invisible in the writing; most readers will read over them because the emphasis is on WHAT was said more than HOW it was said.Speech tags should almost be invisible in the writing; most readers will read over them because the emphasis is on WHAT was said more than HOW it was said.