Na-No-Wri-Mo and Written Expression English 8 WHY We Use Dialogue Na-No-Wri-Mo and Written Expression English 8

What is dialogue? It’s when two or more characters speak to each other. We hear dialogue ALL the time. Dialogue surrounds us: “Hi, honey.” “Hi.” “Do you want cornflakes or a muffin today?” “Cornflakes.” “Ok, here you go.”

But is it worthy? Just because we all experience a lot of dialogue, that doesn’t mean it is all worthy of inclusion in your creative writing. Dialogue should: Move the story forward Increase the tension Help to define the characters OR ALL OF THE ABOVE 

Example – What is this dialogue doing?

Example – What is THIS dialogue doing?

Last Example – What is this dialogue doing?

Internal dialogue One last thing to discuss is the purpose of INTERNAL dialogue. Internal dialogue is when characters talk to themselves. When you are typing, you use italics to indicate that the internal dialogue is happening inside the character’s head. Internal dialogue is crucial because __________________________.

Rule #1: Only use internal dialogue for the point-of- view character. Two Golden rules Rule #1: Only use internal dialogue for the point-of- view character. (Ex. If Sarah is your point- of-view character, she’s the only one who can have internal dialogue.) Rule #2: Only share thoughts that serve a purpose. (Ex: If Sarah goes on and on in her head, ranting about how much she hates peanut butter, we might lose our readers.)

Example Have you ever been in the cafeteria when it has suddenly gotten quiet? Like, so quiet that the person next to you who said a curse word starts blushing and looking around for the teacher? That’ s how it happened. There was this hush of sound and when I looked up to see what was going on, there she was. Her hair was a turquoise color, with brown roots sprouting at unpredictable angles. Her glasses looked like something from the 1950s, with shelled necklaces spilling around her neck. On her feet were a pair of ratty, torn Converse sneakers with neon green ties. Who is this girl? I thought. Does she know how weird she looks?

Let’s Practice! Using the comic strip provided, as well as the two characters you drew from the envelope, try creating some dialogue that works with at least one of the 3 goals. You are not allowed to talk about breakfast cereal choices, the weather, or other things that amount to small talk!