Pleasant conversations…isn't it endearing when you interact with someone with whom you can make a smooth conversation?
Fiction is no different. I'm not a very talkative person, but my mind is constantly buzzing with made up dialogues and conversations. In real life, I'm not good at making conversation (or talking for that matter) but, despite these conversation troubles, endearing/witty dialogues is one of the main reasons why I like any book/movie. Most of my favourite books have interesting dialogues.
Why do we need good dialogues?
There could be so many reasons, however in this post, I'm going to mention two simple reasons:
Dialogues tell a lot about the characters. Other than dialogues, characters are the the backbone of a story. No matter how poetic the writing is, I don't like a book if I don't connect with the characters.
They play a pivotal role in building the bond between the protagonists. The sparkling chemistry? That comes from the dialogues.
Things to keep in mind when writing dialogues:
There could be so many things but, again, in this post, I'm going to mention three simple things. 1. Keep it real. Like we speak? 2. Keep it short. Two paragraphs/one page long dialogues are tiring and unreal. 3. Don't forget the activities and body language.
That's all for now. What do you think?
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That's really insightful post. I agree that dialogues are a must to bring an element of reality to the story.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Anagha! :)
DeleteI think you've covered the basics very nicely, Tarang. Thanks for the tip about focusing on activities and body language :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Manali! Glad you liked the post. :)
DeleteAgree. While conversations make the story interesting, monologues and those that don't move the plot forward must be limited.
ReplyDelete-Sonia
True. Thank you, Sonia. :)
DeleteI see a question mark in "Keep it real. Like we speak?" Here's my answer:
ReplyDeleteDialogues should be real like we speak but not exactly as we speak. In our day-to-day life, most of our conversations are purposeless or gossiping. But in a story, every conversation has a purpose. It could be to reveal the personality of a character, the character's inner thoughts, the character's future plan, etc. :)
Totally agree!
DeleteWhen I say like we speak, I mean 'the way we speak/reply/respond.' It's about the style, not all the things we say in real life. :)
Thank you.
So totally true!It is the conversations that keep the story moving, but the dialogues need to be crisp!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Harshita! :)
DeleteDialogues are the best part for me in a story
ReplyDeleteHow succinctly put Tarang. I love writing dialogues in my stories and try to them aloud to make sure their cadence is right.
ReplyDeleteDialogue brings dynamics.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree and Thank you for telling it so precisely.
ReplyDelete