Component of the Story : Dialogue

Forth part of major components of the story is Dialogue.

Dialogue makes fiction seem real. However, dialogue that copies reality may actually slow down a story. Avoid unnecessary or repetitive dialogue.

Dialect in dialogue can be difficult to read. A small amount of it can be used to establish the nature of a character, but overuse will intrude on the story. The level of use of language by the characters- pronunciation, diction, grammar, etc.- is often used to characterize people in a story. Most often the main characters use the best English.

Profanity and vulgarisms can be used where they seem appropriate. Overuse amounts to author intrusion and can interrupt the reader’s belief in the story.

Too much exposition through dialogue can slow down a story. Characters should not repeat in dialogue events which have already happened in the story.

Also, one character should not tell another character what the second character should already know just so the writer can convey information to the reader. The conversation will sound implausible: author intrusion. The information can be conveyed in simple narration or by having a knowledgeable character explain something to another character who reasonably should not know the information already.

The form of dialogue should be varied to keep the reader interested. However, don’t try to find too many different ways to say “said.”

Interior dialogue is what a character is thinking. Dramatic dialogue is a character thinking out loud, without response from other characters. Indirect dialogue is the narrator telling what a character said.

Dialogue should be used to develop character or to advance the story. It should not be used just to hear characters talk.

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Fiction Writing Tips – Major Components of Stories

After brief introduction of fiction writing tips on the previous post, now we continue to the second part of tips which is major component of the stories. Here are important components of the stories:

  1. Plot is the organization of events that will take place in the story.
  2. Characters are the people or animals who will be in the story.
  3. Setting is the physical time and place in which the story takes place.
  4. Dialogue is the spoken words of the characters in the story.
  5. Point of view is the relative identification of the narrator with the characters.
  6. Theme is the main idea or meaning behind a story.
  7. Style is the writer’s use of the language.

Each of the component will be discussed in the next posts.

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