Dialogue
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Dialogue represents the words spoken between the characters in a story, presented as though the audience is hearing their conversation firsthand. In some cases conversations are summarized, condensing what was said as a way to inform the audience, but by using actual dialogue, the audience can hear it exactly as it was spoken, complete with the rhythm, tone, and unique personality of the character.
In personal storytelling, dialogue not only moves a scene forward in real time, it also reveals nuance without the storyteller having to explain it. The way someone speaks; their word choice, their pauses, as well as what was left unsaid paints a more accurate picture of who that person is – more than any amount of description could possibly do.
Dialogue also grounds a story in a specific, lived moment. Saying “my mother told me she was proud of my accomplishments” is a summary. Recreating the exact words, such as; “Well,” she said, setting down her coffee, “I suppose you were a success after all”, places the audience inside the room for a first-hand experience.
Dialogue doesn’t need to be word-for-word accurate to be effective; our memory is never that precise, so personal storytelling allows for some level of reconstruction. What’s important is capturing the emotional truth of what was said, so the audience experiences the conversation rather than simply hearing what it was about it.
Examples
“‘You’re not going to cry about this, are you?’ my brother said, already halfway out the door, the way he always deflected anything that mattered.”
“‘Sit down,’ the doctor said, and I knew before she said another word that whatever came next was going to change everything.”
“‘You never told me you were leaving,’ she said. ‘I told you a hundred times,’ I said. ‘You just weren’t listening.’”
“‘I’m scared,’ I whispered. My father didn’t say anything at first, just reached over and squeezed my hand. ‘Me too,’ he finally said. ‘Let’s be scared together.’”
“‘Well, that could have gone worse,’ my business partner said, surveying the wreckage of our failed pitch. ‘How?’ I asked. ‘I don’t know,’ he said. ‘But I like to stay positive.’”
these resources will make it more impactful!
The Essential Literary Techniques
The Essential Literary Elements
The Essential Literary Devices
Ten Fundamental Story Blocks