ELA Term: Dialogue Origin: Latin Prefix: dia- “throughout” Word Stem: logue “discourse, either written or spoken” Dictionary Definition: The lines spoken by a character or characters in a play, essay, story, or novel, especially a conversation between two characters. In other words… dialogue is a conversational passage in a narrative or play. Good dialogue either provides characterization or advances the plot. Example: If one character asks, "Why are you hitting me?" the reader can assume that another character is striking the speaker. For the fiction writer, the challenge is to create dialogue that advances the plot and sounds realistic. Awkward or forced dialogue will pull the reader out of the story.