online education dialogue writing

English Compositions

Dialogue or Conversation Writing between Two Friends about Online Classes [With PDF]

In this lesson, you will learn how you can write a series of dialogues between two friends about online classes. I will write four sets of dialogues in the same context so that all my readers have a holistic idea of this topic.

Amit: Hey, Ramesh! 

Ramesh: Hello, Amit. How are you? 

Amit: I am good. What about you? 

Ramesh: I am fine as well. Thank you. 

Amit: So, what are you up to these days? 

Ramesh: Oh, nothing much. I have just been busy with online classes. What have you been doing recently? 

Amit: I have been busy with online classes as well. Online classes are fun. I don’t need to get ready in the morning and rush to school. I wake up, take a bath, eat breakfast, and sit in front of my computer before the classes start. 

Ramesh: That’s true. Online classes are very convenient. Our teachers usually try new ways of communicating with us and teaching us. Our history teacher showed us documentaries on ancient civilizations and our physics teacher conducted fun experiments to show us the effects of gravity. 

Amit: I like online classes, but I miss going to school. Going to school, getting to meet all my classmates and being present in the classroom was truly an amazing experience. We used to have so much fun playing and learning together. 

Ramesh: I miss going to school as well. I hope things will go back to normal and we will be able to go back to school soon. 

Amit: Yes. Well, now, I have to go. It was nice talking to you. Bye.

Ramesh: Goodbye, then. Take care. 

Seema: Hey, Ritu! 

Ritu: Hello, Seema. Long time no see!

Seema: I was out of town for the past few weeks. My grandmother was sick and so, we went to our village to visit her. 

Ritu: Oh! How is she doing now? 

Seema: She has recovered and is doing much better now. 

Ritu: Well, I am glad. By the way, were you able to attend the classes while you were in the village? 

Seema: Yes. Because the classes are online, it wasn’t an issue. I was able to attend all the classes and even complete all homework and assignments. 

Ritu: That is great. Online classes are indeed very convenient. Last week, I went to my aunt’s house because my mom wanted to visit her. I took my laptop with me and was able to attend my classes without an issue. I was able to meet and play with my cousins without having a fear of missing school. 

Seema: That is true. I would have been forced to miss school if the classes weren’t online. However, I do miss going to school and meeting everyone there. I hope the pandemic ends soon and we can go to school again. 

Ritu: You are right. I wish for the same. Well then, see you tomorrow. I have to go now. Bye. 

Seema: Yes. Goodbye. 

Akriti: Hiii, Rohan! 

Rohan: Hello, Akriti. How are you? 

Akriti: I am fine. What’s up with you? 

Rohan: I am fine as well. It is just that our school is reopening soon and it has been announced that the classes will be conducted offline from now onwards. So, I was going to the market to buy stationeries. 

Akriti: Oh! Yes, I heard about it from another friend. Thankfully, our school has decided to continue with online classes. 

Rohan: Well, online classes are very convenient. There is no rush to wake up super early, get ready and rush to school. We can take our time to freshen up, exercise, have proper breakfast and then sit in front of the computer before the classes begin. I am going to miss online classes. 

Akriti: That’s true. What I like the most about online classes is that the teachers always come up with interesting ideas to help us learn. Our English teacher made us watch a classic English movie to help us with spoken English. Our chemistry teacher also conducted a class in his laboratory. He showed us various chemicals and chemical reactions.

Rohan: Wow! You have some amazing teachers. It must have been an amazing experience. 

Akriti: Oh, it was. Well, my mother is calling me. I will have to go. See you soon. Take care. 

Rohan: Yes. Bye. Take care. 

Pritam: Hey, Akash! Long time no see. 

Akash: Hello, Pritam. How are you? 

Pritam: I am good. What about you? I haven’t seen you in months! 

Akash: I am fine as well. Thank you. Well, you know, I have to help my father with his business as he is chronically ill. I was planning to drop out of college because of the same reason. Thankfully, because of online classes, now I can finish my studies. I had been busy juggling everything and didn’t have the time to come to see you. 

Pritam: I understand. Online classes are indeed very helpful. One can now attend the classes no matter where he is or what he is doing. This has definitely helped a lot of people who would have otherwise found it difficult to attend classes. 

Akash: That is true. My younger brother is in school and he finds online classes amazing as well. The teachers let them watch documentaries and other interesting things. It helps them learn better. However, I do think that many kids don’t take online classes seriously. 

Pritam: You are right. I often find my young cousins playing on the side when they should be focusing on the lecture. But online classes are still very convenient. 

Akash: I agree. Well then, I will see you later. I have to go buy some medicine for my father. Bye. 

Pritam: Yes. Goodbye. Take care. 

Hopefully, after going through this session, all your doubts regarding this topic have been resolved. If you still have any doubts, let me know through the comment section below. I will try to address your query as soon as possible. Keep browsing our website to read more such exciting sessions on various types of English Composition. 

Join us on Telegram to get all the latest updates on our upcoming sessions. Thank you. 

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How to Write Dialogue: 7 Great Tips for Writers (With Examples)

By Hannah Yang

Great dialogue serves multiple purposes. It moves your plot forward. It develops your characters and it makes the story more engaging.

It’s not easy to do all these things at once, but when you master the art of writing dialogue, readers won’t be able to put your book down.

In this article, we will teach you the rules for writing dialogue and share our top dialogue tips that will make your story sing.

Dialogue Rules

How to format dialogue, 7 tips for writing dialogue in a story or book, dialogue examples.

Before we look at tips for writing powerful dialogue , let’s start with an overview of basic dialogue rules.

• Start a new paragraph each time there’s a new speaker. Whenever a new character begins to speak, you should give them their own paragraph. This rule makes it easier for the reader to follow the conversation.
• Keep all speech between quotation marks . Everything that a character says should go between quotation marks, including the final punctuation marks. For example, periods and commas should always come before the final quotation mark, not after.
• Don’t use end quotations for paragraphs within long speeches. If a single character speaks for such a long time that you break their speech up into multiple paragraphs, you should omit the quotation marks at the end of each paragraph until they stop talking. The final quotation mark indicates that their speech is over.
• Use single quotes when a character quotes someone else. Whenever you have a quote within a quote, you should use single quotation marks (e.g. She said, “He had me at ‘hello.’”)
• Dialogue tags are optional. A dialogue tag is anything that indicates which character is speaking and how, such as “she said,” “he whispered,” or “I shouted.” You can use dialogue tags if you want to give the reader more information about who’s speaking, but you can also choose to omit them if you want the dialogue to flow more naturally. We’ll be discussing more about this rule in our tips below.

Let’s walk through some examples of how to format dialogue .

The simplest formatting option is to write a line of speech without a dialogue tag. In this case, the entire line of speech goes within the quotation marks, including the period at the end.

• Example: “I think I need a nap.”

Another common formatting option is to write a single line of speech that ends with a dialogue tag.

Here, you should separate the speech from the dialogue tag with a comma, which should go inside the quotation marks.

• Example: “I think I need a nap,” Maria said.

You can also write a line of speech that starts with a dialogue tag. Again, you separate the dialogue tag with a comma, but this time, the comma goes outside the quotation marks.

• Example: Maria said, “I think I need a nap.”

As an alternative to a simple dialogue tag, you can write a line of speech accompanied by an action beat. In this case, you should use a period rather than a comma, because the action beat is a full sentence.

• Example: Maria sat down on the bed. “I think I need a nap.”

Finally, you can choose to include an action beat while the character is talking.

In this case, you would use em-dashes to separate the action from the dialogue, to indicate that the action happens without a pause in the speech.

• Example: “I think I need”—Maria sat down on the bed—“a nap.”

Now that we’ve covered the basics, we can move on to the more nuanced aspects of writing dialogue.

Here are our seven favorite tips for writing strong, powerful dialogue that will keep your readers engaged.

Tip #1: Create Character Voices

Dialogue is a great way to reveal your characters. What your characters say, and how they say it, can tell us so much about what kind of people they are.

Some characters are witty and gregarious. Others are timid and unobtrusive.

Speech patterns vary drastically from person to person.

To make someone stop talking to them, one character might say “I would rather not talk about this right now,” while another might say, “Shut your mouth before I shut it for you.”

When you’re writing dialogue, think about your character’s education level, personality, and interests.

• What kind of slang do they use?
• Do they prefer long or short sentences?
• Do they ask questions or make assertions?

Each character should have their own voice.

Ideally, you want to write dialogue that lets your reader identify the person speaking at any point in your story just by looking at what’s between the quotation marks.

Tip #2: Write Realistic Dialogue

Good dialogue should sound natural. Listen to how people talk in real life and try to replicate it on the page when you write dialogue.

Don’t be afraid to break the rules of grammar, or to use an occasional exclamation point to punctuate dialogue.

It’s okay to use contractions , sentence fragments , and run-on sentences , even if you wouldn’t use them in other parts of the story.

This doesn’t mean that realistic dialogue should sound exactly like the way people speak in the real world.

If you’ve ever read a court transcript, you know that real-life speech is riddled with “ums” and “ahs” and repeated words and phrases. A few paragraphs of this might put your readers to sleep.

Compelling dialogue should sound like a real conversation, while still being wittier, smoother, and better worded than real speech.

Tip #3: Simplify Your Dialogue Tags

A dialogue tag is anything that tells the reader which character is talking within that same paragraph, such as “she said” or “I asked.”

When you’re writing dialogue, remember that simple dialogue tags are the most effective .

Often, you can omit dialogue tags after the conversation has started flowing, especially if only two characters are participating.

The reader will be able to keep up with who’s speaking as long as you start a new paragraph each time the speaker changes.

When you do need to use a dialogue tag, a simple “he said” or “she said” will do the trick.

Our brains generally skip over the word “said” when we’re reading, while other dialogue tags are a distraction.

A common mistake beginner writers make is to avoid using the word “said.”

Characters in amateur novels tend to mutter, whisper, declare, or chuckle at every line of dialogue. This feels overblown and distracts from the actual story.

Another common mistake is to attach an adverb to the word “said.” Characters in amateur novels rarely just say things—they have to say things loudly, quietly, cheerfully, or angrily.

If you’re writing great dialogue, readers should be able to figure out whether your character is cheerful or angry from what’s within the quotation marks.

The only exception to this rule is if the dialogue tag contradicts the dialogue itself. For example, consider this sentence:

• “You’ve ruined my life,” she said angrily.

The word “angrily” is redundant here because the words inside the quotation marks already imply that the character is speaking angrily.

In contrast, consider this sentence:

• “You’ve ruined my life,” she said thoughtfully.

Here, the word “thoughtfully” is well-placed because it contrasts with what we might otherwise assume. It adds an additional nuance to the sentence inside the quotation marks.

You can use the ProWritingAid dialogue check when you write dialogue to make sure your dialogue tags are pulling their weight and aren’t distracting readers from the main storyline.

Sign up for your free ProWritingAid account to check your dialogue tags today.

Tip #4: Balance Speech with Action

When you’re writing dialogue, you can use action beats —descriptions of body language or physical action—to show what each character is doing throughout the conversation.

Learning how to write action beats is an important component of learning how to write dialogue.

Good dialogue becomes even more interesting when the characters are doing something active at the same time.

You can watch people in real life, or even characters in movies, to see what kinds of body language they have. Some pick at their fingernails. Some pace the room. Some tap their feet on the floor.

Including physical action when writing dialogue can have multiple benefits:

• It changes the pace of your dialogue and makes the rhythm more interesting
• It prevents “white room syndrome,” which is when a scene feels like it’s happening in a white room because it’s all dialogue and no description
• It shows the reader who’s speaking without using speaker tags

You can decide how often to include physical descriptions in each scene. All dialogue has an ebb and flow to it, and you can use beats to control the pace of your dialogue scenes.

If you want a lot of tension in your scene, you can use fewer action beats to let the dialogue ping-pong back and forth.

If you want a slower scene, you can write dialogue that includes long, detailed action beats to help the reader relax.

You should start a separate sentence, or even a new paragraph, for each of these longer beats.

Tip #5: Write Conversations with Subtext

Every conversation has subtext , because we rarely say exactly what we mean. The best dialogue should include both what is said and what is not said.

I once had a roommate who cared a lot about the tidiness of our apartment, but would never say it outright. We soon figured out that whenever she said something like “I might bring some friends over tonight,” what she meant was “Please wash your dishes, because there are no clean plates left for my friends to use.”

When you’re writing dialogue, it’s important to think about what’s not being said. Even pleasant conversations can hide a lot beneath the surface.

Is one character secretly mad at the other?

Is one secretly in love with the other?

Is one thinking about tomorrow’s math test and only pretending to pay attention to what the other person is saying?

Personally, I find it really hard to use subtext when I write dialogue from scratch.

In my first drafts I let my characters say what they really mean. Then, when I’m editing, I go back and figure out how to convey the same information through subtext instead.

Tip #6: Show, Don’t Tell

When I was in high school, I once wrote a story in which the protagonist’s mother tells her: “As you know, Susan, your dad left us when you were five.”

I’ve learned a lot about the writing craft since high school, but it doesn’t take a brilliant writer to figure out that this is not something any mother would say to her daughter in real life.

The reason I wrote that line of dialogue was because I wanted to tell the reader when Susan last saw her father, but I didn’t do it in a realistic way.

Don’t shoehorn information into your characters’ conversations if they’re not likely to say it to each other.

One useful trick is to have your characters get into an argument.

You can convey a lot of information about a topic through their conflicting opinions, without making it sound like either of the characters is saying things for the reader’s benefit.

Here’s one way my high school self could have conveyed the same information in a more realistic way in just a few lines:

Susan: “Why didn’t you tell me Dad was leaving? Why didn’t you let me say goodbye?”

Mom: “You were only five. I wanted to protect you.”

Tip #7: Keep Your Dialogue Concise

Dialogue tends to flow out easily when you’re drafting your story, so in the editing process, you’ll need to be ruthless. Cut anything that doesn’t move the story forward.

Try not to write dialogue that feels like small talk.

You can eliminate most hellos and goodbyes, or summarize them instead of showing them. Readers don’t want to waste their time reading dialogue that they hear every day.

In addition, try not to write dialogue with too many trigger phrases, which are questions that trigger the next line of dialogue, such as:

• “And then what?”
• “What do you mean?”

It’s tempting to slip these in when you’re writing dialogue because they keep the conversation flowing. I still catch myself doing this from time to time.

Remember that you don’t need three lines of dialogue when one line could accomplish the same thing.

Let’s look at some dialogue examples from successful novels that follow each of our seven tips.

Dialogue Example #1: How to Create Character Voice

Let’s start with an example of a character with a distinct voice from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling.

“What happened, Harry? What happened? Is he ill? But you can cure him, can’t you?” Colin had run down from his seat and was now dancing alongside them as they left the field. Ron gave a huge heave and more slugs dribbled down his front. “Oooh,” said Colin, fascinated and raising his camera. “Can you hold him still, Harry?”

Most readers could figure out that this was Colin Creevey speaking, even if his name hadn’t been mentioned in the passage.

This is because Colin Creevey is the only character who speaks with such extreme enthusiasm, even at a time when Ron is belching slugs.

This snippet of written dialogue does a great job of showing us Colin’s personality and how much he worships his hero Harry.

Dialogue Example #2: How to Write Realistic Dialogue

Here’s an example of how to write dialogue that feels realistic from A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.

“As much as I love this land, some days I think about leaving it,” Babi said. “Where to?” “Anyplace where it’s easy to forget. Pakistan first, I suppose. For a year, maybe two. Wait for our paperwork to get processed.” “And then?” “And then, well, it is a big world. Maybe America. Somewhere near the sea. Like California.”

Notice the punctuation and grammar that these two characters use when they speak.

There are many sentence fragments in this conversation like, “Anyplace where it’s easy to forget.” and “Somewhere near the sea.”

Babi often omits the verbs from his sentences, just like people do in real life. He speaks in short fragments instead of long, flowing paragraphs.

This dialogue shows who Babi is and feels similar to the way a real person would talk, while still remaining concise.

Dialogue Example #3: How to Simplify Your Dialogue Tags

Here’s an example of effective dialogue tags in Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.

In this passage, the narrator’s been caught exploring the forbidden west wing of her new husband’s house, and she’s trying to make excuses for being there.

“I lost my way,” I said, “I was trying to find my room.” “You have come to the opposite side of the house,” she said; “this is the west wing.” “Yes, I know,” I said. “Did you go into any of the rooms?” she asked me. “No,” I said. “No, I just opened a door, I did not go in. Everything was dark, covered up in dust sheets. I’m sorry. I did not mean to disturb anything. I expect you like to keep all this shut up.” “If you wish to open up the rooms I will have it done,” she said; “you have only to tell me. The rooms are all furnished, and can be used.” “Oh, no,” I said. “No. I did not mean you to think that.”

In this passage, the only dialogue tags Du Maurier uses are “I said,” “she said,” and “she asked.”

Even so, you can feel the narrator’s dread and nervousness. Her emotions are conveyed through what she actually says, rather than through the dialogue tags.

This is a splendid example of evocative speech that doesn’t need fancy dialogue tags to make it come to life.

Dialogue Example #4: How to Balance Speech with Action

Let’s look at a passage from The Princess Bride by William Goldman, where dialogue is melded with physical action.

With a smile the hunchback pushed the knife harder against Buttercup’s throat. It was about to bring blood. “If you wish her dead, by all means keep moving," Vizzini said. The man in black froze. “Better,” Vizzini nodded. No sound now beneath the moonlight. “I understand completely what you are trying to do,” the Sicilian said finally, “and I want it quite clear that I resent your behavior. You are trying to kidnap what I have rightfully stolen, and I think it quite ungentlemanly.” “Let me explain,” the man in black began, starting to edge forward. “You’re killing her!” the Sicilian screamed, shoving harder with the knife. A drop of blood appeared now at Buttercup’s throat, red against white.

In this passage, William Goldman brings our attention seamlessly from the action to the dialogue and back again.

This makes the scene twice as interesting, because we’re paying attention not just to what Vizzini and the man in black are saying, but also to what they’re doing.

This is a great way to keep tension high and move the plot forward.

Dialogue Example #5: How to Write Conversations with Subtext

This example from Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card shows how to write dialogue with subtext.

Here is the scene when Ender and his sister Valentine are reunited for the first time, after Ender’s spent most of his childhood away from home training to be a soldier.

Ender didn’t wave when she walked down the hill toward him, didn’t smile when she stepped onto the floating boat slip. But she knew that he was glad to see her, knew it because of the way his eyes never left her face. “You’re bigger than I remembered,” she said stupidly. “You too,” he said. “I also remembered that you were beautiful.” “Memory does play tricks on us.” “No. Your face is the same, but I don’t remember what beautiful means anymore. Come on. Let’s go out into the lake.”

In this scene, we can tell that Valentine missed her brother terribly, and that Ender went through a lot of trauma at Battle School, without either of them saying it outright.

The conversation could have started with Valentine saying “I missed you,” but instead, she goes for a subtler opening: “You’re bigger than I remembered.”

Similarly, Ender could say “You have no idea what I’ve been through,” but instead he says, “I don’t remember what beautiful means anymore.”

We can deduce what each of these characters is thinking and feeling from what they say and from what they leave unsaid.

Dialogue Example #6: How to Show, Not Tell

Let’s look at an example from The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. This scene is the story’s first introduction of the ancient creatures called the Chandrian.

“I didn’t know the Chandrian were demons,” the boy said. “I’d heard—” “They ain’t demons,” Jake said firmly. “They were the first six people to refuse Tehlu’s choice of the path, and he cursed them to wander the corners—” “Are you telling this story, Jacob Walker?” Cob said sharply. “Cause if you are, I’ll just let you get on with it.” The two men glared at each other for a long moment. Eventually Jake looked away, muttering something that could, conceivably, have been an apology. Cob turned back to the boy. “That’s the mystery of the Chandrian,” he explained. “Where do they come from? Where do they go after they’ve done their bloody deeds? Are they men who sold their souls? Demons? Spirits? No one knows.” Cob shot Jake a profoundly disdainful look. “Though every half-wit claims he knows...”

The three characters taking part in this conversation all know what the Chandrian are.

Imagine if Cob had said “As we all know, the Chandrian are mysterious demon-spirits.” We would feel like he was talking to us, not to the two other characters.

Instead, Rothfuss has all three characters try to explain their own understanding of what the Chandrian are, and then shoot each other’s explanations down.

When Cob reprimands Jake for interrupting him and then calls him a half-wit for claiming to know what he’s talking about, it feels like a realistic interaction.

This is a clever way for Rothfuss to introduce the Chandrian in a believable way.

Dialogue Example #7: How to Keep Your Dialogue Concise

Here’s an example of concise dialogue from The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger.

“Do you blame me for flunking you, boy?” he said. “No, sir! I certainly don’t,” I said. I wished to hell he’d stop calling me “boy” all the time. He tried chucking my exam paper on the bed when he was through with it. Only, he missed again, naturally. I had to get up again and pick it up and put it on top of the Atlantic Monthly. It’s boring to do that every two minutes. “What would you have done in my place?” he said. “Tell the truth, boy.” Well, you could see he really felt pretty lousy about flunking me. So I shot the bull for a while. I told him I was a real moron, and all that stuff. I told him how I would’ve done exactly the same thing if I’d been in his place, and how most people didn’t appreciate how tough it is being a teacher. That kind of stuff. The old bull.

Here, the last paragraph diverges from the prior ones. After the teacher says “Tell the truth, boy,” the rest of the conversation is summarized, rather than shown.

The summary of what the narrator says in the last paragraph—“I told him I was a real moron, and all that stuff”—serves to hammer home that this is the type of “old bull” that the narrator has fed to his teachers over and over before.

It doesn’t need to be shown because it’s not important to the narrator—it’s just “all that stuff.”

Salinger could have written out the entire conversation in dialogue, but instead he kept the dialogue concise.

Final Words

Now you know how to write clear, effective dialogue! Start with the basic rules for dialogue and try implementing the more advanced tips as you go.

What are your favorite dialogue tips? Let us know in the comments below.

Do you know how to craft memorable, compelling characters? Download this free book now:

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Hannah Yang

Hannah Yang is a speculative fiction writer who writes about all things strange and surreal. Her work has appeared in Analog Science Fiction, Apex Magazine, The Dark, and elsewhere, and two of her stories have been finalists for the Locus Award. Her favorite hobbies include watercolor painting, playing guitar, and rock climbing. You can follow her work on hannahyang.com, or subscribe to her newsletter for publication updates.

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Dialogue Writing – Tips, Style, Format and Example

“Are you good at talking or listening well? If so, you’ve probably had moments where something someone said, or you said, really stood out to you. This happens because those words touched your heart or made you think. That’s the power of a good conversation. Even a simple chat with family, friends, or strangers can give you ideas and thoughts to think about Dialogue Writing.

This article will teach you about the skill of writing dialogues and provide you with all the information you need to know. Additionally, you can read some examples of Dialogue Writing and see how they create an impact.”

What is the purpose of writing a dialogue?

Types of dialogues, some common examples of ‘direct dialogue’, some common examples of ‘indirect dialogue’, fundamental rules of writing a dialogue with example, faqs about dialogue writing.

Table of Contents

What is dialogue writing?

Dialogue writing is the art of creating conversations between characters in a written work, such as a story, play, or script. It involves capturing the way people speak, expressing their thoughts, emotions, and interactions through written words. Effective dialogue should sound natural and authentic, reflecting the unique voices and personalities of the characters.

In dialogue writing, punctuation, formatting, and the choice of words are crucial to convey the tone, rhythm, and dynamics of a conversation. It plays a significant role in advancing the plot, revealing character traits, and engaging the readers or audience. Good dialogue enhances the overall flow of a narrative and contributes to a deeper understanding of the characters and the story.

Writing a dialogue serves several important purposes. Firstly, it brings characters to life by allowing them to communicate, sharing their thoughts, feelings, and personalities with the reader. Through dialogue, characters become real and relatable, forming a connection with the audience.

Secondly, dialogue moves the story forward. It’s a powerful tool for advancing the plot, revealing key information, and creating tension or resolution. When characters engage in conversation, it propels the narrative, keeping readers interested and invested in the unfolding events.

Moreover, dialogue adds authenticity to a story. By mimicking the way people speak, it makes characters and their interactions more genuine. This authenticity makes the fictional world more immersive, allowing readers to fully engage with the narrative.

In essence, the purpose of writing a dialogue is to breathe life into characters, propel the storyline, and create a vivid and authentic reading experience for the audience.

The two main types of dialogues are direct dialogue and indirect dialogue .

• Direct Dialogue: Direct dialogue involves the characters speaking for themselves. It is presented within quotation marks and includes the exact words spoken by the characters. This type of dialogue provides a direct and immediate connection between the characters and the reader, allowing the audience to hear the characters’ voices directly. Example:Sarah exclaimed, “I can’t believe we won the game!”
• Indirect Dialogue: Indirect dialogue, on the other hand, conveys the substance of the conversation without quoting the exact words. It is often presented in a narrative form, summarizing what was said rather than providing a verbatim account. This type is useful for conveying information efficiently without focusing on the specific wording. Example:Tom told Mary that he was excited about the upcoming trip.

Understanding when to use direct or indirect dialogue depends on the desired effect, pacing, and the information the writer intends to convey to the audience.

• Expressing Surprise: Sarah gasped, “Oh, I didn’t see that coming!”
• Sharing Excitement: Jake shouted, “I got an A+ on my test!”
• Asking a Question: Emily wondered, “What time is the party?”
• Expressing Disappointment: Alex sighed, “I didn’t win the competition.”
• Showing Happiness: Lisa smiled, “This is the best day ever!”
• Giving a Greeting: Tom waved and said, “Hi, how are you?”
• Expressing Confusion: Mark scratched his head, “I don’t understand this at all.”

Direct dialogue helps bring characters to life by allowing them to speak directly to the reader, making the conversation more engaging and relatable.

• She said, “I love chocolate ice cream.”
• She said that she loves chocolate ice cream.
• Tom said, “I will go to the park tomorrow.”
• Tom said that he would go to the park tomorrow.
• Mary exclaimed, “What a beautiful sunset!”
• Mary exclaimed that it was a beautiful sunset.
• He asked, “Can you help me with my homework?”
• He asked if I could help him with his homework.
• They shouted, “Happy Birthday!”
• They shouted that it was a happy birthday.

In indirect dialogue, we use reporting verbs like “said,” “asked,” “exclaimed,” and adjust the tense and pronouns accordingly.

Writing a dialogue involves a few fundamental rules to make it effective and engaging. Here’s a step-by-step guide with examples:

• Identify the Characters:
• Clearly establish who the characters are in the dialogue.
• Example: Sarah and James are sitting in a café.
• Set the Tone:
• Determine the mood or atmosphere of the conversation.
• Example: The air was filled with tension as Sarah hesitated to speak.
• Use Proper Punctuation:
• Include quotation marks to indicate speech.
• Example: Sarah said, “I have something important to tell you.”
• Keep Sentences Short and Simple:
• Avoid long, complicated sentences. People speak in a more straightforward manner.
• Example: “I need your help,” James stated.
• Show, Don’t Tell:
• Use descriptive language to convey emotions and actions.
• Example: Sarah sighed, “I’ve been feeling lost lately.”
• Add Action Beats:
• Intersperse dialogue with actions to make it dynamic.
• Example: James raised an eyebrow, “Lost? What’s going on?”
• Be Consistent with Character Voices:
• Each character should have a distinct way of speaking.
• Example: Sarah spoke softly, “I didn’t expect things to get so complicated.”
• Include Interruptions and Pauses:
• Mimic natural speech patterns with interruptions and pauses.
• Example: James interrupted, “Complicated? How so?”
• Avoid Information Dumps:
• Provide information gradually, avoiding long monologues.
• Example: Sarah hesitated, “Well, you see, it’s about the job offer I got…”
• If appropriate, use dialects or slang to make dialogue authentic.
• Example: James grinned, “You’re gonna rock that job, no doubt!”
• Conclude the dialogue with a purpose or a question, encouraging continuation.
• Example: Sarah smiled, “I hope so. What do you think I should do?”
• Read through the dialogue, ensuring clarity and relevance.
• Example: James pondered, “Maybe take the job and see where it leads?”

Remember, the key to writing engaging dialogue is to make it sound natural and true to the characters. Experiment with different styles until you find what works best for your story or scene.

Examples of Dialogue Writing

To help you learn how to write dialogue, here are some examples from well-known novels, plays, films and television shows.

• Elizabeth Bennet: “You are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged, but one word from you will silence me on this subject forever.”
• Hamlet: “To be, or not to be: that is the question: Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles And by opposing end them.”
• Rick Blaine: “Here’s looking at you, kid.”
• Don Vito Corleone: “I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse.”
• Chandler Bing: “Could there be more pressure on this jam?”
• Walter White: “I did it for me. I liked it. I was good at it. And I was really… I was alive.”
• Andy Dufresne: “Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.”
• President Josiah Bartlet: “What’s next?”
• Rhett Butler: “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.”
• Tony Soprano: “It’s good to be in something from the ground floor. I came too late for that and I know. But lately, I’m getting the feeling that I came in at the end. The best is over.”

These examples showcase the diversity of dialogue in different genres and mediums. Each line is memorable and contributes to the overall impact of the story or character. Studying such examples can offer insights into effective dialogue writing and characterization.

1. From “The Shawshank Redemption” (1994): Scene: Andy Dufresne and Red are talking in the prison yard.

Andy: You know, Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.

Red: Hope? Let me tell you something, my friend. Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane.

Andy: Well, I guess I’m gonna have to be insane then, because I have hope. Hope that one day you’ll see those bars, and you’ll say, “I was in Shawshank.”

2. From “Friends” (TV Series): Scene: Chandler and Joey are in their apartment, having a conversation about relationships.

Chandler: You know, it’s always better to be the one who loves less than to be the one who’s loved.

Joey: Says who?

Chandler: Says everyone. It’s like relationship law.

Joey: Well, maybe I’m not a love expert, but the more you love someone, the crazier you’re willing to act for them.

Chandler: Oh, so you’re saying love makes you crazy?

Joey: No, man, love makes you want to do crazy, stupid, ridiculous stuff. There’s a difference.

3. From “The Dark Knight” (2008): Scene: Batman and the Joker are having a conversation in an interrogation room.

Joker: You have nothing, nothing to threaten me with. Nothing to do with all your strength.

Batman: Don’t worry. I’m gonna tell them the whole thing was your idea.

Joker: Do I really look like a guy with a plan? You know what I am? I’m a dog chasing cars. I wouldn’t know what to do with one if I caught it. You know, I just… do things.

Batman: You’re garbage who kills for money.

Joker: Don’t talk like you’re one of them! You’re not, even if you’d like to be. To them, you’re just a freak, like me. They need you right now, but when they don’t, they’ll cast you out, like a leper!

These dialogues are memorable moments from iconic movies and TV shows.

Dialogue writing is the creation of conversation between characters in a narrative, such as a story, script, or play. It serves to advance the plot, reveal character traits, and engage the audience.

In English, use double quotation marks to enclose spoken words. Punctuation like commas and periods go inside the quotation marks, and each new speaker gets a new paragraph.

To make dialogue sound natural, listen to real conversations, pay attention to speech patterns, and avoid overly formal language. Use contractions, pauses, and interruptions to mimic real-life speech.

Dialogue serves several purposes, including advancing the plot, developing characters, providing information, creating tension, and engaging readers or viewers on an emotional level.

Use unique speech patterns, vocabulary, and tone for each character. Consider their background, experiences, and motivations to shape how they express themselves in conversation.

Instead of repeatedly using “he said” or “she said,” incorporate action beats and context to indicate the speaker. This makes dialogue flow more naturally and reduces redundancy.

Avoid unrealistic dialogue, excessive exposition, overly formal language, and lack of conflict. Also, be mindful of each character having a distinct voice and purpose in the conversation.

Dialogue length varies, but it should be concise and purposeful. Break it up with action and description to maintain a balance and prevent it from becoming monotonous.

While dialects or accents can add authenticity, use them sparingly to avoid making the dialogue difficult to understand. Clearly convey the character’s speech without sacrificing clarity.

Focus on subtext, create tension, and let characters speak with intention. Show, don’t tell, and use dialogue to reveal emotions and conflicts, making it a dynamic and integral part of your narrative.

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Last updated on Jul 24, 2023

15 Examples of Great Dialogue (And Why They Work So Well)

About the author.

Reedsy's editorial team is a diverse group of industry experts devoted to helping authors write and publish beautiful books.

About Martin Cavannagh

Head of Content at Reedsy, Martin has spent over eight years helping writers turn their ambitions into reality. As a voice in the indie publishing space, he has written for a number of outlets and spoken at conferences, including the 2024 Writers Summit at the London Book Fair.

Great dialogue is hard to pin down, but you know it when you hear or see it. In the earlier parts of this guide, we showed you some well-known tips and rules for writing dialogue. In this section, we'll show you those rules in action with 15 examples of great dialogue, breaking down exactly why they work so well.

1. Barbara Kingsolver, Unsheltered 

In the opening of Barbara Kingsolver’s Unsheltered, we meet Willa Knox, a middle-aged and newly unemployed writer who has just inherited a ramshackle house. 

     “The simplest thing would be to tear it down,” the man said. “The house is a shambles.”      She took this news as a blood-rush to the ears: a roar of peasant ancestors with rocks in their fists, facing the evictor. But this man was a contractor. Willa had called him here and she could send him away. She waited out her panic while he stood looking at her shambles, appearing to nurse some satisfaction from his diagnosis. She picked out words.      “It’s not a living thing. You can’t just pronounce it dead. Anything that goes wrong with a structure can be replaced with another structure. Am I right?”      “Correct. What I am saying is that the structure needing to be replaced is all of it. I’m sorry. Your foundation is nonexistent.”

Alfred Hitchcock once described drama as "life with the boring bits cut out." In this passage, Kingsolver cuts out the boring parts of Willa's conversation with her contractor and brings us right to the tensest, most interesting part of the conversation.

By entering their conversation late , the reader is spared every tedious detail of their interaction.

Instead of a blow-by-blow account of their negotiations (what she needs done, when he’s free, how she’ll be paying), we’re dropped right into the emotional heart of the discussion. The novel opens with the narrator learning that the home she cherishes can’t be salvaged. 

By starting off in the middle of (relatively obscure) dialogue, it takes a moment for the reader to orient themselves in the story and figure out who is speaking, and what they’re speaking about. This disorientation almost mirrors Willa’s own reaction to the bad news, as her expectations for a new life in her new home are swiftly undermined.

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2. Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice  

In the first piece of dialogue in Pride and Prejudice , we meet Mr and Mrs Bennet, as Mrs Bennet attempts to draw her husband into a conversation about neighborhood gossip.

     “My dear Mr. Bennet,” said his lady to him one day, “have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?”      Mr. Bennet replied that he had not.      “But it is,” returned she; “for Mrs. Long has just been here, and she told me all about it.”      Mr. Bennet made no answer.      “Do you not want to know who has taken it?” cried his wife impatiently.      “You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it.”      This was invitation enough.      “Why, my dear, you must know, Mrs. Long says that Netherfield is taken by a young man of large fortune from the north of England; that he came down on Monday in a chaise and four to see the place, and was so much delighted with it, that he agreed with Mr. Morris immediately; that he is to take possession before Michaelmas, and some of his servants are to be in the house by the end of next week.”

Austen’s dialogue is always witty, subtle, and packed with character. This extract from Pride and Prejudice is a great example of dialogue being used to develop character relationships . 

We instantly learn everything we need to know about the dynamic between Mr and Mrs Bennet’s from their first interaction: she’s chatty, and he’s the beleaguered listener who has learned to entertain her idle gossip, if only for his own sake (hence “you want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it”).

There is even a clear difference between the two characters visually on the page: Mr Bennet responds in short sentences, in simple indirect speech, or not at all, but this is “invitation enough” for Mrs Bennet to launch into a rambling and extended response, dominating the conversation in text just as she does audibly.

The fact that Austen manages to imbue her dialogue with so much character-building realism means we hardly notice the amount of crucial plot exposition she has packed in here. This heavily expository dialogue could be a drag to get through, but Austen’s colorful characterization means she slips it under the radar with ease, forwarding both our understanding of these people and the world they live in simultaneously.

3. Naomi Alderman, The Power

In The Power , young women around the world suddenly find themselves capable of generating and controlling electricity. In this passage, between two boys and a girl who just used those powers to light her cigarette.

     Kyle gestures with his chin and says, “Heard a bunch of guys killed a girl in Nebraska last week for doing that.”      “For smoking? Harsh.”      Hunter says, “Half the kids in school know you can do it.”      “So what?”      Hunter says, “Your dad could use you in his factory. Save money on electricity.”      “He’s not my dad.”      She makes the silver flicker at the ends of her fingers again. The boys watch.

Alderman here uses a show, don’t tell approach to expositional dialogue . Within this short exchange, we discover a lot about Allie, her personal circumstances, and the developing situation elsewhere. We learn that women are being punished harshly for their powers; that Allie is expected to be ashamed of those powers and keep them a secret, but doesn’t seem to care to do so; that her father is successful in industry; and that she has a difficult relationship with him. Using dialogue in this way prevents info-dumping backstory all at once, and instead helps us learn about the novel’s world in a natural way.

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4. Kazuo Ishiguro, Never Let Me Go

Here, friends Tommy and Kathy have a conversation after Tommy has had a meltdown. After being bullied by a group of boys, he has been stomping around in the mud, the precise reaction they were hoping to evoke from him.

     “Tommy,” I said, quite sternly. “There’s mud all over your shirt.”      “So what?” he mumbled. But even as he said this, he looked down and noticed the brown specks, and only just stopped himself crying out in alarm. Then I saw the surprise register on his face that I should know about his feelings for the polo shirt.      “It’s nothing to worry about.” I said, before the silence got humiliating for him. “It’ll come off. If you can’t get it off yourself, just take it to Miss Jody.”      He went on examining his shirt, then said grumpily, “It’s nothing to do with you anyway.”

This episode from Never Let Me Go highlights the power of interspersing action beats within dialogue . These action beats work in several ways to add depth to what would otherwise be a very simple and fairly nondescript exchange.  Firstly, they draw attention to the polo shirt, and highlight its potential significance in the plot. Secondly, they help to further define Kathy’s relationship with Tommy. 

We learn through Tommy’s surprised reaction that he didn’t think Kathy knew how much he loved his seemingly generic polo shirt. This moment of recognition allows us to see that she cares for him and understands him more deeply than even he realized. Kathy breaking the silence before it can “humiliate” Tommy further emphasizes her consideration for him. While the dialogue alone might make us think Kathy is downplaying his concerns with pragmatic advice, it is the action beats that tell the true story here.

5. J R R Tolkien, The Hobbit  

The eponymous hobbit Bilbo is engaged in a game of riddles with the strange creature Gollum.

     "What have I got in my pocket?" he said aloud. He was talking to himself, but Gollum thought it was a riddle, and he was frightfully upset.       "Not fair! not fair!" he hissed. "It isn't fair, my precious, is it, to ask us what it's got in its nassty little pocketses?"      Bilbo seeing what had happened and having nothing better to ask stuck to his question. "What have I got in my pocket?" he said louder. "S-s-s-s-s," hissed Gollum. "It must give us three guesseses, my precious, three guesseses."      "Very well! Guess away!" said Bilbo.      "Handses!" said Gollum.      "Wrong," said Bilbo, who had luckily just taken his hand out again. "Guess again!"      "S-s-s-s-s," said Gollum, more upset than ever. 

Tolkein’s dialogue for Gollum is a masterclass in creating distinct character voices . By using a repeated catchphrase (“my precious”) and unconventional spelling and grammar to reflect his unusual speech pattern, Tolkien creates an idiosyncratic, unique (and iconic) speech for Gollum. This vivid approach to formatting dialogue, which is almost a transliteration of Gollum's sounds, allows readers to imagine his speech pattern and practically hear it aloud.

We wouldn’t recommend using this extreme level of idiosyncrasy too often in your writing — it can get wearing for readers after a while, and Tolkien deploys it sparingly, as Gollum’s appearances are limited to a handful of scenes. However, you can use Tolkien’s approach as inspiration to create (slightly more subtle) quirks of speech for your own characters.

6. F Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

The narrator, Nick has just done his new neighbour Gatsby a favor by inviting his beloved Daisy over to tea. Perhaps in return, Gatsby then attempts to make a shady business proposition.

     “There’s another little thing,” he said uncertainly, and hesitated.      “Would you rather put it off for a few days?” I asked.      “Oh, it isn’t about that. At least —” He fumbled with a series of beginnings. “Why, I thought — why, look here, old sport, you don’t make much money, do you?”      “Not very much.”      This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.       “I thought you didn’t, if you’ll pardon my — you see, I carry on a little business on the side, a little side line, if you understand. And I thought that if you don’t make very much — You’re selling bonds, aren’t you, old sport?”      “Trying to.” 

This dialogue from The Great Gatsby is a great example of how to make dialogue sound natural. Gatsby tripping over his own words (even interrupting himself , as marked by the em-dashes) not only makes his nerves and awkwardness palpable but also mimics real speech. Just as real people often falter and make false starts when they’re speaking off the cuff, Gatsby too flounders, giving us insight into his self-doubt; his speech isn’t polished and perfect, and neither is he despite all his efforts to appear so.

Fitzgerald also creates a distinctive voice for Gatsby by littering his speech with the character's signature term of endearment, “old sport”. We don’t even really need dialogue markers to know who’s speaking here — a sign of very strong characterization through dialogue.

7. Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet  

In this first meeting between the two heroes of Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories, Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, John is introduced to Sherlock while the latter is hard at work in the lab.

      “How are you?” he said cordially, gripping my hand with a strength for which I should hardly have given him credit. “You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive.”      “How on earth did you know that?” I asked in astonishment.      “Never mind,” said he, chuckling to himself. “The question now is about hemoglobin. No doubt you see the significance of this discovery of mine?”     “It is interesting, chemically, no doubt,” I answered, “but practically— ”      “Why, man, it is the most practical medico-legal discovery for years. Don’t you see that it gives us an infallible test for blood stains. Come over here now!” He seized me by the coat-sleeve in his eagerness, and drew me over to the table at which he had been working. “Let us have some fresh blood,” he said, digging a long bodkin into his finger, and drawing off the resulting drop of blood in a chemical pipette. “Now, I add this small quantity of blood to a litre of water. You perceive that the resulting mixture has the appearance of pure water. The proportion of blood cannot be more than one in a million. I have no doubt, however, that we shall be able to obtain the characteristic reaction.” As he spoke, he threw into the vessel a few white crystals, and then added some drops of a transparent fluid. In an instant the contents assumed a dull mahogany colour, and a brownish dust was precipitated to the bottom of the glass jar.      “Ha! ha!” he cried, clapping his hands, and looking as delighted as a child with a new toy. “What do you think of that?”

This passage uses a number of the key techniques for writing naturalistic and exciting dialogue, including characters speaking over one another and the interspersal of action beats. 

Sherlock cutting off Watson to launch into a monologue about his blood experiment shows immediately where Sherlock’s interest lies — not in small talk, or the person he is speaking to, but in his own pursuits, just like earlier in the conversation when he refuses to explain anything to John and is instead self-absorbedly “chuckling to himself”. This helps establish their initial rapport (or lack thereof) very quickly.

Breaking up that monologue with snippets of him undertaking the forensic tests allows us to experience the full force of his enthusiasm over it without having to read an uninterrupted speech about the ins and outs of a science experiment.

Starting to think you might like to read some Sherlock? Check out our guide to the Sherlock Holmes canon !

8. Brandon Taylor, Real Life

Here, our protagonist Wallace is questioned by Ramon, a friend-of-a-friend, over the fact that he is considering leaving his PhD program.

     Wallace hums. “I mean, I wouldn’t say that I want to leave, but I’ve thought about it, sure.”     “Why would you do that? I mean, the prospects for… black people, you know?”        “What are the prospects for black people?” Wallace asks, though he knows he will be considered the aggressor for this question.

Brandon Taylor’s Real Life is drawn from the author’s own experiences as a queer Black man, attempting to navigate the unwelcoming world of academia, navigating the world of academia, and so it’s no surprise that his dialogue rings so true to life — it’s one of the reasons the novel is one of our picks for must-read books by Black authors . 

This episode is part of a pattern where Wallace is casually cornered and questioned by people who never question for a moment whether they have the right to ambush him or criticize his choices. The use of indirect dialogue at the end shows us this is a well-trodden path for Wallace: he has had this same conversation several times, and can pre-empt the exact outcome.

This scene is also a great example of the dramatic significance of people choosing not to speak. The exchange happens in front of a big group, but — despite their apparent discomfort —  nobody speaks up to defend Wallace, or to criticize Ramon’s patronizing microaggressions. Their silence is deafening, and we get a glimpse of Ramon’s isolation due to the complacency of others, all due to what is not said in this dialogue example.

9. Ernest Hemingway, Hills Like White Elephants

In this short story, an unnamed man and a young woman discuss whether or not they should terminate a pregnancy while sitting on a train platform.

     “Well,” the man said, “if you don’t want to you don’t have to. I wouldn’t have you do it if you didn’t want to. But I know it’s perfectly simple.”      “And you really want to?”      “I think it’s the best thing to do. But I don’t want you to do it if you really don’t want to.”      “And if I do it you’ll be happy and things will be like they were and you’ll love me?”      “I love you now. You know I love you.”      “I know. But if I do it, then it will be nice again if I say things are like white elephants, and you’ll like it?”      “I’ll love it. I love it now but I just can’t think about it. You know how I get when I worry.”      “If I do it you won’t ever worry?”      “I won’t worry about that because it’s perfectly simple.”

This example of dialogue from Hemingway’s short story Hills Like White Elephants moves at quite a clip. The conversation quickly bounces back and forth between the speakers, and the call-and-response format of the woman asking and the man answering is effective because it establishes a clear dynamic between the two speakers: the woman is the one seeking reassurance and trying to understand the man’s feelings, while he is the one who is ultimately in control of the situation.

Note the sparing use of dialogue markers: this minimalist approach keeps the dialogue brisk, and we can still easily understand who is who due to the use of a new paragraph when the speaker changes .

Like this classic author’s style? Head over to our selection of the 11 best Ernest Hemingway books .

10. Madeline Miller, Circe

In Madeline Miller’s retelling of Greek myth, we witness a conversation between the mythical enchantress Circe and Telemachus (son of Odysseus).

     “You do not grieve for your father?”        “I do. I grieve that I never met the father everyone told me I had.”           I narrowed my eyes. “Explain.”      “I am no storyteller.”      “I am not asking for a story. You have come to my island. You owe me truth.”       A moment passed, and then he nodded. “You will have it.” 

This short and punchy exchange hits on a lot of the stylistic points we’ve covered so far. The conversation is a taut tennis match between the two speakers as they volley back and forth with short but impactful sentences, and unnecessary dialogue tags have been shaved off . It also highlights Circe’s imperious attitude, a result of her divine status. Her use of short, snappy declaratives and imperatives demonstrates that she’s used to getting her own way and feels no need to mince her words.

11. Andre Aciman, Call Me By Your Name

This is an early conversation between seventeen-year-old Elio and his family’s handsome new student lodger, Oliver.

     What did one do around here? Nothing. Wait for summer to end. What did one do in the winter, then?      I smiled at the answer I was about to give. He got the gist and said, “Don’t tell me: wait for summer to come, right?”      I liked having my mind read. He’d pick up on dinner drudgery sooner than those before him.      “Actually, in the winter the place gets very gray and dark. We come for Christmas. Otherwise it’s a ghost town.”      “And what else do you do here at Christmas besides roast chestnuts and drink eggnog?”      He was teasing. I offered the same smile as before. He understood, said nothing, we laughed.      He asked what I did. I played tennis. Swam. Went out at night. Jogged. Transcribed music. Read.      He said he jogged too. Early in the morning. Where did one jog around here? Along the promenade, mostly. I could show him if he wanted.      It hit me in the face just when I was starting to like him again: “Later, maybe.”

Dialogue is one of the most crucial aspects of writing romance — what’s a literary relationship without some flirty lines? Here, however, Aciman gives us a great example of efficient dialogue. By removing unnecessary dialogue and instead summarizing with narration, he’s able to confer the gist of the conversation without slowing down the pace unnecessarily. Instead, the emphasis is left on what’s unsaid, the developing romantic subtext. 

Furthermore, the fact that we receive this scene in half-reported snippets rather than as an uninterrupted transcript emphasizes the fact that this is Elio’s own recollection of the story, as the manipulation of the dialogue in this way serves to mimic the nostalgic haziness of memory.

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12. George Eliot, Middlemarch

Two of Eliot’s characters, Mary and Rosamond, are out shopping,

     When she and Rosamond happened both to be reflected in the glass, she said laughingly —      “What a brown patch I am by the side of you, Rosy! You are the most unbecoming companion.”      “Oh no! No one thinks of your appearance, you are so sensible and useful, Mary. Beauty is of very little consequence in reality,” said Rosamond, turning her head towards Mary, but with eyes swerving towards the new view of her neck in the glass.      “You mean my beauty,” said Mary, rather sardonically.       Rosamond thought, “Poor Mary, she takes the kindest things ill.” Aloud she said, “What have you been doing lately?”      “I? Oh, minding the house — pouring out syrup — pretending to be amiable and contented — learning to have a bad opinion of everybody.”

This excerpt, a conversation between the level-headed Mary and vain Rosamond, is an example of dialogue that develops character relationships naturally. Action descriptors allow us to understand what is really happening in the conversation. 

Whilst the speech alone might lead us to believe Rosamond is honestly (if clumsily) engaging with her friend, the description of her simultaneously gazing at herself in a mirror gives us insight not only into her vanity, but also into the fact that she is not really engaged in her conversation with Mary at all.

The use of internal dialogue cut into the conversation (here formatted with quotation marks rather than the usual italics ) lets us know what Rosamond is actually thinking, and the contrast between this and what she says aloud is telling. The fact that we know she privately realizes she has offended Mary, but quickly continues the conversation rather than apologizing, is emphatic of her character. We get to know Rosamond very well within this short passage, which is a hallmark of effective character-driven dialogue.

13. John Steinbeck, The Winter of our Discontent

Here, Mary (speaking first) reacts to her husband Ethan’s attempts to discuss his previous experiences as a disciplined soldier, his struggles in subsequent life, and his feeling of impending change.

     “You’re trying to tell me something.”      “Sadly enough, I am. And it sounds in my ears like an apology. I hope it is not.”      “I’m going to set out lunch.”

Steinbeck’s Winter of our Discontent is an acute study of alienation and miscommunication, and this exchange exemplifies the ways in which characters can fail to communicate, even when they’re speaking. The pair speaking here are trapped in a dysfunctional marriage which leaves Ethan feeling isolated, and part of his loneliness comes from the accumulation of exchanges such as this one. Whenever he tries to communicate meaningfully with his wife, she shuts the conversation down with a complete non sequitur. 

We expect Mary’s “you’re trying to tell me something” to be followed by a revelation, but Ethan is not forthcoming in his response, and Mary then exits the conversation entirely. Nothing is communicated, and the jarring and frustrating effect of having our expectations subverted goes a long way in mirroring Ethan’s own frustration.

Just like Ethan and Mary, we receive no emotional pay-off, and this passage of characters talking past one another doesn’t further the plot as we hope it might, but instead gives us insight into the extent of these characters’ estrangement.

14. Bret Easton Ellis , Less Than Zero

The disillusioned main character of Bret Easton Ellis’ debut novel, Clay, here catches up with a college friend, Daniel, whom he hasn’t seen in a while. 

     He keeps rubbing his mouth and when I realize that he’s not going to answer me, I ask him what he’s been doing.      “Been doing?”      “Yeah.”      “Hanging out.”      “Hanging out where?”      “Where? Around.”

Less Than Zero is an elegy to conversation, and this dialogue is an example of the many vacuous exchanges the protagonist engages in, seemingly just to fill time. The whole book is deliberately unpoetic and flat, and depicts the lives of disaffected youths in 1980s LA. Their misguided attempts to fill the emptiness within them with drink and drugs are ultimately fruitless, and it shows in their conversations: in truth, they have nothing to say to one another at all.

This utterly meaningless exchange would elsewhere be considered dead weight to a story. Here, rather than being fat in need of trimming, the empty conversation is instead thematically resonant.

15. Daphne du Maurier, Rebecca

The young narrator of du Maurier’s classic gothic novel here has a strained conversation with Robert, one of the young staff members at her new husband’s home, the unwelcoming Manderley.

     “Has Mr. de Winter been in?” I said.      “Yes, Madam,” said Robert; “he came in just after two, and had a quick lunch, and then went out again. He asked for you and Frith said he thought you must have gone down to see the ship.”      “Did he say when he would be back again?” I asked.      “No, Madam.”      “Perhaps he went to the beach another way,” I said; “I may have missed him.”      “Yes, Madam,” said Robert.      I looked at the cold meat and the salad. I felt empty but not hungry. I did not want cold meat now. “Will you be taking lunch?” said Robert.      “No,” I said, “No, you might bring me some tea, Robert, in the library. Nothing like cakes or scones. Just tea and bread and butter.”      “Yes, Madam.”

We’re including this one in our dialogue examples list to show you the power of everything Du Maurier doesn’t do: rather than cycling through a ton of fancy synonyms for “said”, she opts for spare dialogue and tags. 

This interaction's cold, sparse tone complements the lack of warmth the protagonist feels in the moment depicted here. By keeping the dialogue tags simple , the author ratchets up the tension —  without any distracting flourishes taking the reader out of the scene. The subtext of the conversation is able to simmer under the surface, and we aren’t beaten over the head with any stage direction extras.

The inclusion of three sentences of internal dialogue in the middle of the dialogue (“I looked at the cold meat and the salad. I felt empty but not hungry. I did not want cold meat now.”) is also a masterful touch. What could have been a single sentence is stretched into three, creating a massive pregnant pause before Robert continues speaking, without having to explicitly signpost one. Manipulating the pace of dialogue in this way and manufacturing meaningful silence is a great way of adding depth to a scene.

Phew! We've been through a lot of dialogue, from first meetings to idle chit-chat to confrontations, and we hope these dialogue examples have been helpful in illustrating some of the most common techniques.

If you’re looking for more pointers on creating believable and effective dialogue, be sure to check out our course on writing dialogue. Or, if you find you learn better through examples, you can look at our list of 100 books to read before you die — it’s packed full of expert storytellers who’ve honed the art of dialogue.

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Gotham Writers

Dialogue is an Intensive, meaning it happens in a short time span (1 day in NYC, or 2 days on Zoom, or 3 weeks Online). The course includes a mixture of lectures and exercises. It’s open to writers of any level. Farther down, you can view a syllabus for this course.

As Rhett tells Scarlett in the movie Gone With the Wind , “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” (In the book version, there’s no “frankly.”) Either way it’s a good line, and you should give a damn about your dialogue. Dialogue is crucial to any kind of story—fiction, nonfiction, any kind of script. Bad dialogue can sink it like a hole in the hull, while good dialogue makes a story sail along beautifully.

Writing great dialogue is tricky. Here you’ll learn to write dialogue that sounds lifelike, but is carefully constructed so every line resonates with characterization and meaning.

If you feel your dialogue is in need of punching up, here’s your chance to strengthen those muscles.

It's already adding the punch I needed in my writing. My characters are coming to life!

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This is a cross-genre course, applicable to any kind of writing that contains dialogue, including nonfiction.

Upcoming Classes

• Starts Tuesday, October 8 Online , anytime 3-Week Intensive Richard Caliban

Registration fee $25, paid once per term

Anytime, week-long sessions

Tuition: $175

Tour an Online Class

Tuition: $350

Explore One-on-One Options

This course gives an overview of how to write excellent dialogue, in any genre. Course components:      Lectures      Writing exercises

New York City/Zoom classes The syllabus varies from teacher to teacher, term to term. Many topics will be similar to those covered in the Online classes.

Online classes Week 1 Art and Artifice:   Purpose of dialogue. A sense of reality. The illusion of reality. Stage directions. Particulars for handling prose and scripts.

Week 2 How and Why They Talk:   Characterization. Character and situation. Desire and conflict. Tactics. 

Week 3   Subtext and Such: Subtext. Exposition. Stylized dialogue. Dialect. Speeches. 

Note: Content may vary among individual classes.

Richard Caliban

Richard Caliban was artistic director of Cucaracha Theater in NYC where he produced new works and directed  his own plays, including Homo Sapien Shuffle  at the Public Theatre. His work has been seen at Primary Stages, Playwrights Horizons, Cherry Lane, Ensemble Studio Theatre, La Mama, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Geva Theatre, Denver Center Theatre, and the Berkshire Theatre Festival. He wrote the book/lyrics/music and directed MoM: A Rock Concert Musical , which won Outstanding Musical at the NY International Fringe Festival. Published plays include Rodents & Radios, Gladiator, Famine Plays, and Cranium Fandango.  He has directed and/or taught at the National Theatre Conservatory, NYU, Columbia University, C.W. Post College, Hunter College, City College of New York, Towson University, Lincoln Center Director’s Lab, and the Director’s Guild. He holds a BA from Bard College and attended the Yale School of Drama and NY Film Academy.

was artistic director of Cucaracha Theater in NYC where he produced new works and directed  his own plays, including Homo Sapien Shuffle  at the Public Theatre. His work has been seen at Primary Stages, Playwrights Horizons, Cherry Lane, Ensemble Studio Theatre, La Mama, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Geva Theatre, Denver Center Theatre, and the Berkshire Theatre Festival. He wrote the book/lyrics/music and directed MoM: A Rock Concert Musical , which won Outstanding Musical at the NY International Fringe Festival. Published plays include Rodents & Radios, Gladiator, Famine Plays , and Cranium Fandango .  He has directed and/or taught at the National Theatre Conservatory, NYU, Columbia University, C.W. Post College, Hunter College, City College of New York, Towson University, Lincoln Center Director’s Lab, and the Director’s Guild. He holds a BA from Bard College and attended the Yale School of Drama and NY Film Academy.

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Dialogue Writing Courses and Certifications

Learn Dialogue Writing, earn certificates with paid and free online courses from The University of British Columbia, Fudan University, University of Cambridge, IGNOU and other top universities around the world. Read reviews to decide if a class is right for you.

• Screenwriting Courses
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How to Write Scenes Like a Boss

Improve your dialogue writing skills in this short course, learning to create dynamic, funny, and political conversations for plays, screenplays, TV pilots, and web series.

• Free Trial Available

Writing Video Game Scenes and Dialogue

Learn to write compelling video game scenes and dialogues with this 5-week course from The University of British Columbia. Enhance gameplay, deepen characters, and advance storylines.

• 5 weeks, 4-6 hours a week
• Free Online Course (Audit)

Writing for Video Games

Learn to write for video games with this 30-week course from The University of British Columbia. Gain skills in character development, worldbuilding, and interactive narrative.

• 30 weeks, 4-6 hours a week

Inspirational Screenwriting. The #1 Screenwriting Course!

Learn the screenwriting secrets behind successful cinematic stories in the world of film & television script writing.

• 2 hours 52 minutes
• Paid Course

The Foundations of Fiction (Writing Mastery)

Master the art of creative writing with this 6-hour course. Learn to create complex characters, vibrant dialogue, and gripping plots. Suitable for beginners and advanced writers.

Finding your voice as a playwright

Explore playwriting with the University of Cambridge's 4-week course. Learn to create powerful characters, structure scenes, and connect with theatres. Develop a distinctive dramatic voice.

• 4 weeks, 8-10 hours a week

Building your Screenplay

Join the University of Cambridge's 4-week course to master screenplay writing. Learn visual communication, dialogue crafting, and industry insights, while developing your own script.

Writing successfully for the Stage

Learn to write for the stage with University of Cambridge's 4-week course. Develop well-structured story arcs, engaging dialogue, and explore global theatre practices.

Travel Writing: Explore the World & Publish Your Stories!

Highest Rated Travel Writing Course ~ Ranked #4 on Buzzfeeds List of "23 of the Coolest Online Classes" on this website.

• 3 hours 28 minutes

Creative Writing: how to write a novel. The full course.

A full creative writing course: create engaging characters, use a 3 act narrative structure and write smart dialogues.

Narrative Design Master Class: Write stories for Video Games

Write your story through topics such as World building, Character Development, Dialogue, Plot Theory and more

Creative Writing Bootcamp: Start a Brand New Story

Join best-selling author Myla Goldberg in a fun, energetic class to kickstart your writing. Learn to generate ideas, create vivid settings, empathetic villains, engaging dialogues, and develop characters.

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Kickstart your creative writing journey with this short course focused on brainstorming your story, distinguishing between plot and story, and developing a clear plan for your project.

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Online Dialogue Guide

The necessity, across every industry, to quickly and effectively adapt to online communication during the pandemic has ushered in new methods and practices addressing a variety of needs—from internal communications via email and chat applications to external communications like hosting webinars or conducting important meetings..

But, what about the difficult conversations? Those that, in non-pandemic times, you would only conduct in-person if you wanted a positive result? For navigating those conversations in a virtual world, insights from experts could be key to a breakthrough. Convergence, an organization committed to “convening individuals and organizations with divergent views to build trust, identify solutions, and form alliances for action on critical national issues,” has introduced an Online Dialogue Guide. The guide provides a blueprint for translating those difficult (but necessary), in-person conversations to virtual platforms through targeted techniques, tips, and tools.

Categories covered include Doing Your Homework before inviting participants, Shaping Conversations for Collaboration , Creating Ground Rules , Sharing Values Fears, and Interests , Creating Opportunities for Learning Together , and much more. The guide was created to support “dialogue-leading-action-work” that focuses on identifying common ground across diverse perspectives. It’s an incredibly useful resource for educators and learning communities eager to help young people grow their effective communication, debate, collaboration, and leadership skills. And, for community conversations aimed at developing a new vision for education and learning.

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Writing Great Dialogue (Online)

Taught by Joe Pfister

Joe Pfister is a writer, teacher, and Tecmo Super Bowl enthusiast living in Brooklyn. His fiction has appeared in such publications as PANK , Juked, and New World Writing . He is a graduate of the MFA Writing program at Sarah Lawrence College and currently serves as fiction editor for The Boiler Journal.

This class might be over, but get first dibs on new sessions and brand-new classes by signing up on our ultra-rad mailing list.

Everyone knows dialogue—how characters talk, what they say (and don’t say)—can make or break a story. But how do you write good dialogue? In this two-hour workshop, we will focus on the basics of writing strong, realistic dialogue by developing a sense of natural speech patterns, balancing exposition, advancing plot, and building character. Utilizing examples from contemporary masters, including Flannery O’Connor, Jhumpa Lahiri, and Richard Russo, we will discuss different techniques and approaches conducive to creating authentic, complex, nuanced, and character-driven dialogue.

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Dialogue in Online Learning Spaces: How Transitioning to Online Learning during a Pandemic Impacts Critical Classroom Dialogue and Inclusivity

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Main Article Content

The sudden shift to online learning because of COVID-19 created a series of challenges for educators. Faculty took a “triage” approach to reformatting their courses quickly. And while this was a necessary approach for many reasons, you couldn’t help but wonder what students would be missing. As a Communication Studies professor, dialogue is an essential tool I use in the classroom. Effective dialogue can lead to a greater acceptance of diverse thought and individuals, as well as less divisiveness and intolerance. So, when the pandemic forced us to switch to online learning, the biggest question I had was: How do we maintain effective classroom dialogue in online learning spaces? This reflective essay seeks to answer this question in real-time, as I simultaneously prepare to teach at least another year of online courses. I explore the importance of dialogue in the classroom, how dialogue can be a conduit of inclusivity, why we should strive for inclusivity in our classrooms, and finally, how we translate these lessons to the online classroom. My hope is that this piece will help further this conversation and act as a resource for maintaining effective dialogue in every type of classroom.

Article Details

• Authors retain copyright and grant the Journal of Teaching and Learning with Technology (JoTLT) right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License, (CC-BY) 4.0 International, allowing others to share the work with proper acknowledgement and citation of the work's authorship and initial publication in JoTLT.  
• Authors are able to enter separate, additional contractual agreements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in JoTLT.
• In pursuit of manuscripts of the highest quality, multiple opportunities for mentoring, and greater reach and citation of JoTLT publications, JoTLT encourages authors to share their drafts to seek feedback from relevant communities unless the manuscript is already under review or in the publication queue after being accepted. In other words, to be eligible for publication in JoTLT, manuscripts should not be shared publicly (e.g., online), while under review (after being initially submitted, or after being revised and resubmitted for reconsideration), or upon notice of acceptance and before publication. Once published, authors are strongly encouraged to share the published version widely, with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in JoTLT.

Conversation between two friends about online classes [Dialogue]

Nadeem: Dear Sajid, I want you to take the notes on Physics that the teacher taught in the online class. I could not listen to the lecture with attention.

Sajid: Sure, right now I am at the shop with my father, when I go back home, I will send you a screenshot on WhatsApp.

Nadeem: It’s ok. I am fed up with all the online classes that are going on. I miss school.

Sajid: Yes man I never thought I would miss my teachers so much. I remember that we were studying during class under the supervision of our teachers. There are many advantages of studying in a physical classroom, while it is very difficult to concentrate all in front of a computer!

Nadeem: Yes! I often fall asleep during lectures, unable to pay attention!

Sajid: Well, you are always sleeping, but man, education is now moving to online methods all over the world, we have to be a part of it.

Nadeem: You are right due to corona online classes have become compulsory, I wonder when we will join our class because I am not so much a fan of online classes.

Sajid: You know, even though we complain about it a lot, it’s the only way we can continue our studies. I also find that online classes are also compulsory because we also have to compete with time.

Nadeem: Yes, I agree with you, I also try my best to adapt myself to the times.

Sajid: Teachers are also trying their best to adapt to this unusual situation. Our teachers are in tune with modern requirements

Nadeem: Oh, yes! Besides, what more could we want? We can safely stay at home and continue our studies, while millions of people have to go out of their homes with such uncertainty and danger to do their jobs. We are completely safe.

Sajid: Yes! Dude you are right, but online classes have a problem that we can’t concentrate on what the teacher is saying because we don’t get full attention, that’s the difference between online and physical classes. , if the teacher is in front, the focus is on the lecture, while online is the home environment, it is difficult to sit staring at the computer.

Nadeem : Yes, but it is also necessary to adapt oneself to the changing style of the world.

Sajid: True. Thank you very much for your time.

Topics Covered

Telephone conversation about online classes | Write a dialogue between two friends about the advantages and disadvantages of online classes | Dialogue between two parents about online classes | Conversation between teacher and student about online classes | Dialogue between teacher and student about online classes pdf | Dialogue about online education | Short conversation between two friends about lockdown | Write a dialogue between two friends about online classes.

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Teaching students how to incorporate dialogue into their narrative writing is not an easy task.  There’s a lot that goes into the art of writing dialogue, and conveying all of the intricate details can get overwhelming fairly quickly.  According to the Common Core State Standards, students in third grade and above are expected to be able to accurately use dialogue in their narrative writing.  Since dialogue and narrative writing go hand-in-hand, it only makes sense to supplement narrative instruction with a lesson on how to effectively write dialogue.  The cooperative lesson plan described below is extremely versatile, and it gets the job done. By the end of the lesson, you will know which students need additional help with writing dialogue and which students have mastered the skill.

Pre-Lesson Inventory

Prior to starting the dialogue lesson, it is helpful to take a quick inventory of what your students already know.  Do they know what the term dialogue means? Do they know why dialogue is used? Taking part in a short oral discussion will allow you to gauge what you need to cover before diving into the dialogue lesson.  If necessary, define the term dialogue, think of synonyms, and place the term in context by using it in a sentence. After clearly defining the term, discuss with students the importance and use of dialogue. Talk about how dialogue brings the narrative to life and adds depth and complexity to the characters. When students have a clear understanding of the meaning and use of dialogue, move on to the anticipatory activity. 

Anticipatory Activity

The dialogue writing lesson begins with an activity that gives students immediate insight into the purpose and use of dialogue. Find two short pieces of text, one that does not include dialogue and one that does.  You can use a passage from a student novel or children’s book. Simply remove or add dialogue to meet your needs. Start with the text that does not include dialogue. Read it together as a class. Next, read the text that includes dialogue.  Orally compare the paragraphs by posing the following questions to students:

• What is different about the texts?
• Which text was more interesting to read? Why?

Dialogue Notes

When students have a reasonable grasp of why dialogue is used, it’s time to tackle the how .  Jumping right into notes on dialogue punctuation and format will provide students with a strong point of reference when needed later in the lesson.  The following four dialogue rules are adequate for most grade levels. 

• Use quotation marks before and after the speaker’s exact words. 

             Bianca admitted, “I stole the last piece of candy.”

• Use a comma to separate the speaker from the quote.

            Yolanda stated, “I love my new puppy.”

• When dialogue ends with a period, question mark, or exclamation point, put the punctuation inside the quotation marks.

          “Can we have spaghetti for dinner?” Jason asked. 

• Start a new paragraph when switching speakers.

Click the button below to download the  FREE Dialogue Rules Anchor Chart.

Click here to download the FREE dialogue rules anchor chart! 

Mentor Text

According to Lynn Dorfman, co-director of the Pennsylvania Writing and Literature Project, mentor texts are pieces of literature that you can return to and reread for many different purposes.  They are texts to be studied and imitated.   In terms of dialogue, I Need My Monster and Hey, That’s My Monster! by Amanda Noll work extremely well as mentor texts.  Students love the storyline, and all the rules of dialogue are clearly portrayed.  Noll replaces “said” with a variety of different words including rasped, coaxed, and sniffed, encouraging students to get creative with word choice. Reading the story twice, once before guided instruction and then again before the independent assessment will provide students with a clear and concrete example of dialogue format and punctuation.

Guided Instruction

After reviewing dialogue examples in the mentor text, guide students through the dialogue writing process using example sentences.  Put practice sentences on the board or create your own worksheets for students to add punctuation. After students have added dialogue punctuation to the practice sentences, review as a class for accuracy.  Two example sentences are provided below. 

Incorrect Sentence : Get out of my room screamed Jenny

Corrected Sentence : “Get out of my room!” screamed Jenny.  

Incorrect Sentence : The teacher announced The quiz will be tomorrow

Corrected Sentence : The teacher announced, “The quiz will be tomorrow.”

Synonyms for Said

Before moving on to the group activity, guide the class in a brainstorming activity producing synonyms for the word said.  If time allows, students can search through books to find words authors use in place of said.   

Cooperative Writing Practice

After brainstorming replacements for the word said, place students in groups to complete the cooperative portion of the dialogue writing lesson.  First, pass out a paragraph of text that does not include dialogue to each group. Again, you can use passages from a student novel or children’s book. Simply remove the dialogue before giving the passage to students. Next, students work together, adding dialogue to the text.  In order to be successful, students should pull from what they have learned thus far in the lesson. To do so, they will need access to their dialogue notes, practice sentences, and the synonyms for said list. Assess students as they are rewriting the paragraphs to ensure understanding and accuracy.  The goal is for students to be able to independently add dialogue to their narrative writing.

Independent Assessment

At this point in the lesson, students should be prepared to complete an independent dialogue writing assessment.  Provide each student with a paragraph that does not include dialogue. Instruct students to revise the paragraph to include the correct use of dialogue.  If you’re using a dialogue writing rubric, review the grading criteria before starting the assessment. Example grading criteria for dialogue writing are listed below. 

• Quotation marks are used before and after the speaker’s exact words.
• When necessary, a comma is used to separate the speaker from the quote.
• Punctuation is placed inside quotation marks. 
• A new paragraph is started when a new person is speaking. 

Download the comprehensive Dialogue Writing Lesson from Literacy in Focus on TpT.   Everything you need for dialogue writing success is included!

“Perfect introduction to our narrative writing unit! Thank you!” -Julie C.

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Dialogue Writing and Character Development LIBA 9079

Our Dialogue Writing and Character Development course teaches you both the art of authentic dialogue and how to develop rich, complex characters. Get an introduction to the fundamental character archetypes and how they can be modernized, then learn about creating characters through the study and understanding of real people. Building on this knowledge, learn how to avoid common pitfalls such as exposition-heavy dialogue and dialogue tropes. Study video clips from current television shows and films, and take part in practical exercises that strengthen good habits. Practice writing scenes, and get the benefit of regular feedback from the teacher and your classmates.

• Prerequisites

You must be proficient in written English.

Hours and Fees

Course sections.

CRN : F20131 Delivery Method: Teacher-led Online Date(s) Day(s) Time Location(s) Date(s): 23 Sep 2024 – 02 Dec 2024 Day(s): M Time: 6:15 – 9:15 p.m. Location(s): Online (teacher-led) Hours: 30 Fee: $241.34 CRN Delivery Method Note : Teacher-led online classes use a learning management system ( LMS ) and videoconferencing software (which may require a camera and a microphone). A welcome letter with details about the LMS will be emailed to you. Register Now

CRN : S84889 Delivery Method: Teacher-led Online Date(s) Day(s) Time Location(s) Date(s): 20 May 2025 – 29 Jul 2025 Day(s): Tu Time: 6:15 – 9:15 p.m. Location(s): Online (teacher-led) Hours: 30 Fee: $241.34 CRN Delivery Method Note : Teacher-led online classes use a learning management system ( LMS ) and videoconferencing software (which may require a camera and a microphone). A welcome letter with details about the LMS will be emailed to you. Register Now

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Dialogue Generator

Character A (Brave Knight):

Knight enters the tavern, his armor glistening with the remnants of battle. He takes a seat at the bar, ordering a mead.

Knight: Good evening, barkeep. A tankard of the finest mead, if you please. I’ve had a long day on the battlefield, and a drink is much deserved.

Barkeep: Coming right up, noble knight. One tankard of mead, fresh from our barrels. You’ve surely earned it with your valiant deeds.

Knight nods appreciatively, his eyes scanning the room for any signs of trouble. As he takes a sip from his tankard, the bard approaches, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Character B (Witty Bard):

Bard strums his lute, captivating the tavern-goers with his melodious tunes. He notices the knight and decides to engage in playful banter.

Bard: Ah, my brave friend in shining armor! How fares the world of sword and shield? I hope you’ve left enough glory for the rest of us wandering minstrels.

Knight chuckles lightly, seemingly amused by the bard’s wit.

Knight: Fear not, good sir bard, for there’s plenty of glory to be shared. Your melodies might spread joy, but it’s my blade that defends the realm. We each have our role to play.

Bard grins mischievously, strumming a few chords before speaking again.

Bard: Ah, but what’s a knight without a tale to be sung? I reckon you have some adventures to share, some dragons slain, or perhaps a fair maiden rescued from distress?

Knight leans back, his eyes filled with memories of past triumphs.

Knight: Indeed, fair bard, there are tales aplenty. But a knight’s valor is better measured by the ones still untold. I’d rather let my actions speak and allow your melodies to embellish the rest.

Bard raises his cup in a toast, acknowledging the knight’s valor with his characteristic charm.

Bard: Well spoken, brave knight! May your battles be triumphant and your mead forever sweet. Here’s to the harmony of our endeavors, intertwined like the threads of a grand tapestry.

Knight raises his tankard, clinking it against the bard’s cup, a silent salute that appreciates the bard’s words. Together, they embrace the camaraderie that binds their disparate roles in the medieval tavern.

• 🚀 Powered by best AI models
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Unleash AI: Craft Flawless Copy, Effortlessly

Leverage the might of AI to effortlessly produce content that resonates with your audience and outshines the competition. Tailored, impactful, and ready to make a mark.

Crafting Conversations with Dialogue Generator

In the realm of storytelling, whether it’s penning a novel, scripting a screenplay, or designing a video game, dialogue plays a crucial role in bringing characters to life and advancing the plot. However, crafting natural, engaging dialogue that resonates with readers and audiences can be a daunting challenge. This is where the Dialogue Generator comes into play, a tool designed to revolutionize the way writers create conversations between their characters.

Introducing Dialogue Generator

The art of dialogue writing is a balancing act between authenticity and narrative necessity, requiring writers to imbue their characters with distinct voices while pushing the story forward. The Dialogue Generator is a cutting-edge tool that simplifies this process, offering a seamless way to generate dynamic conversations tailored to the specifics of your story. By inputting context, character traits, and desired outcomes, writers can use this tool to produce dialogue that not only sounds natural but also enhances character development and plot progression.

Utilizing advanced algorithms and AI, the Dialogue Generator is more than just a writing aid; it’s a creative partner that helps bridge the gap between concept and execution. Whether you’re stuck on a particular scene, looking to add depth to your characters, or just need inspiration, this tool provides a valuable resource for crafting compelling dialogue that captivates readers and enriches your narrative.

How It Works

Creating engaging dialogue is straightforward with the Dialogue Generator. Follow these steps to infuse your stories with realistic and compelling conversations:

• Context: Begin by defining the context of the conversation. This includes the scene’s setting, the relationship between the characters involved, and the underlying emotions or tensions that should be reflected in the dialogue.
• Characters Involved: Specify the characters participating in the conversation. Input their names, personalities, and any relevant traits that should influence how they speak and interact.
• Generate Content: With the context and characters set, the Dialogue Generator will produce a dialogue snippet that aligns with your inputs. This generated content can range from short exchanges to longer conversations, depending on your needs.
• Review and Refine: Once the dialogue is generated, review it to ensure it fits seamlessly into your story. You can refine the output by adjusting the context or character traits and regenerating the dialogue until it meets your satisfaction.

Benefits of Using Dialogue Generator

Incorporating the Dialogue Generator into your writing process offers numerous advantages:

• Saves Time: Quickly generates dialogue, allowing you to focus more on plot development and character arcs.
• Enhances Creativity: Provides a starting point that can spark new ideas or directions for your story.
• Improves Characterization: Helps maintain consistent character voices throughout your narrative.
• Increases Productivity: Overcomes writer’s block by offering suggestions for how characters might interact.
• Flexibility: Adapts to a wide range of genres, settings, and character types, making it a versatile tool for any writing project.
• Refines Dialogue: Offers the opportunity to experiment with different conversational tones and styles.
• Educational Value: Serves as a learning tool to study how effective dialogue is structured and executed.
• Streamlines Revision: Simplifies the process of editing and refining dialogue within your manuscript.

Use Cases for Dialogue Generator

The Dialogue Generator is incredibly versatile, catering to a wide array of writing projects and scenarios:

• Novel Writing: Develop conversations between characters that drive the plot forward and reveal key character traits.
• Screenplay Scripting: Craft dialogue for film or television scripts where character interactions are pivotal to the storyline.
• Game Development: Create dynamic dialogues for video games, enhancing player immersion and narrative depth.
• Creative Exercises: Use as a tool for writing prompts or exercises, helping writers practice and improve their dialogue-writing skills.

Enhancing Dialogue Generator

To further augment your writing process, consider integrating these complementary tools alongside the Dialogue Generator:

• Explore the Story Beats tool to structure your narrative’s key events effectively.
• Utilize the Story Name Generator for inspiration when naming your story or chapters.
• Leverage the AI Storyteller to weave captivating narratives around the dialogues you create.
• Refine your dialogue with the Story Rephrase Tool for more varied and impactful expressions.
• Organize your narrative with the Story Chapters Organizer , ensuring a smooth flow from one dialogue to the next.

These tools work synergistically with the Dialogue Generator, providing a comprehensive suite of resources to take your storytelling from concept to completion.

The Dialogue Generator stands as a testament to the power of technology in enhancing the creative writing process. By offering a straightforward way to craft authentic, engaging dialogue, it not only streamlines the creation of compelling narratives but also opens up new avenues for exploration and innovation in storytelling. Whether you’re a seasoned author or a budding writer, integrating this tool into your workflow can elevate your work, breathe life into your characters, and captivate your readers with every line of dialogue. Embrace the future of writing with the Dialogue Generator and unlock the full potential of your storytelling prowess.

Dive into the world of seamless dialogue creation and transform the way you tell stories. With the Dialogue Generator and its companion tools, your narrative will resonate more deeply with audiences, making every conversation a stepping stone to a richer, more immersive world.

Level up now!

Write 10x faster, engage your audience, and ignite your writing prowess. Unleash your potential now!

Explore Additional AI Tools

Discover a world of creativity and efficiency with our cutting-edge AI tools designed to inspire and transform your digital experience.

Generate a core plot or premise for your story with customizable twists.

Structure your story with a detailed outline of events and character arcs.

Create short stories or narratives based on your inputs.

Plan and structure the chapters of your story for optimal flow.

Analyze and improve the pacing and engagement of your narrative.

Refine your story’s language for clarity and impact.

Generate realistic dialogues for your characters.

Get feedback on structure, character development, and themes.

Experience your stories narrated with character-specific voices.

Generate captivating names for your stories.

Create unique and engaging stories with a touch of randomness.

Map out the crucial moments in your story.

Unlock Your Creative Genius!

Transform your writing process with our cutting-edge tools. Write with unparalleled speed, captivate your audience effortlessly, and ignite your creative spark. Embrace the future of writing today!

Write A Dialogue Between Two Friends About Online Classes

Today I am going to write a dialogue between two friends about online classes.

Dialogue Between Two Friends About Online Classes

In the free period, two friends meet and have a conversation on the topic of online classes

Maria : How are you? Saira : I am fine, what about you? Maria : I am also fine, how are your studies going on? Saira : My studies are going well. You know that due to the pandemic classes are being conducted online. Maria : Yes, I am also studying through online classes.

Saira : Have you realized that the classes are more enticing with the new ways of teaching? Our teachers have also become more creative with their approaches. Maria : I have seen that too. These online classes are very good for all of us. We learn something new every day even though there’s a pandemic. Saira : But I have some problems too with online classes.

Maria : What problems are you facing during online classes? Saira : Even though I enjoy online classes. But I lost that seriousness at which we study in our class. During class in college, we have a teacher all the time who looks after us. There we know,  if we don’t study with focus. We will be reprimanded by the teacher but here we don’t have that fair. That’s why I lost my focus.

Maria : Yes you are right, Some students lose focus if the teacher doesn’t look after them. But now we should realize our responsibility that we cannot go to college. So we have to study by ourselves too. Saira : Yes, I am trying to realize this and focus on studying by myself. Maria : Right, I would say best of luck to you. Anyway gotta go now so talk to you later. Saira : Sure no problem, goodbye.

3 thoughts on “Write A Dialogue Between Two Friends About Online Classes”

Nothing to say……………………………………………………………………..

thank you for that sir

Thnx for that Sir

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• SFCC Library and Creative Writing program offer free online Fall 2024 Writing Generation Series

Released: August 9, 2024

Register once at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WriGenFall2024

Series includes readings and writing generation sessions by esteemed writers Carla Crujido – September 18 reading; September 25 creative session Kasia Merrill – October 23 reading; October 30 creative session Jake Skeets – November 13 reading; November 20 creative session

Santa Fe Community College’s Library and Creative Writing program present the Fall 2024 Writing Generation Series beginning September 18. Each author will read at an introductory session. The following week the author will engage the participants in a writing exercise/creative session. Attendees can go to any of the sessions by registering just once at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WriGenFall2024 . The sessions begin at 6 p.m. on Wednesdays and will feature these authors: Carla Crujido (September 18 reading; September 25 creative session); Kasia Merrill (October 23 reading; October 30 creative session) and Jake Skeets (November 13 reading; November 20 creative session.) Registrants will receive a Zoom link via email the morning of each event.

Valerie Nye, SFCC Library Director and associate professor Austin Eichelberger from the Creative Writing program are coordinating the series, which was launched last spring. The sessions are free and open to the public.

“We were thrilled by the positive response the series received last spring,” Nye said. “Participants were emotionally moved by the authors’ readings and inspired by the creative writing sessions. The online format allowed people to join from throughout the region, as well as other parts of the country.”

Eichelberger added, “We’re excited to offer a new line-up of diverse voices. The talented writers certainly will spur attendees to explore their own voices in writing.”

The following authors will participate:

Carla Crujido

Bio:   Carla Crujido is the author of the short story collection, “The Strange Beautiful” (Chin Music Press). Her work has appeared in Moss, Bellingham Review, Crazyhorse, Yellow Medicine Review, Ricepaper Magazine, and elsewhere. Carla is the nonfiction editor at River Styx Magazine and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the Institute of American Indian Arts. She lives in the Pacific Northwest.

Kasia Merrill – October 23 reading; October 30 creative session

Kasia Merrill

Jake Skeets

For additional information, please contact SFCC Library Director Valerie Nye via email at [email protected] or by calling 505-428-1506. For more information about SFCC’s Creative Writing program visit sfcc.edu/programs/creative-writing/ .

Santa Fe Community College celebrates its 40th Anniversary as the pathway to success for individuals and the community. SFCC provides affordable, high-quality programs that serve the academic, cultural, and economic needs of the community. The college welcomes over 10,000 students per year in credit, noncredit, workforce training, personal enrichment, and adult programs. A “Best for Vets” and a “Military Friendly” school.

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Building Fictional Worlds

Creative director, visual artist, writer, editor

The School of Visual Arts online courses are hosted in Canvas, our College-wide learning system. Most computers (5 years old or newer recommended) can access the course(s) without a problem. The courses work with Windows (Windows 7 and newer), Macintosh (Mac OSX 10.10 and newer), and Linux (chromeOS). Participants will need a minimum screen size of 800x600 (the average size of a netbook) and good broadband (Minimum of 512kbps) Internet connection to participate in the online courses.

One business day after completing registration, you will receive a confirmation email from the Registrar’s Office which includes a schedule, username and password .

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• Search for an email with subject line: “Your SVA Class Schedule” - sometimes the email goes to spam or junk.
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• Reach out to [email protected] to request for the confirmation email to be resent.

Steps to Access Your Online Course

• Login to myid.sva.edu
• Select the Canvas LMS icon
• The Canvas application is your online classroom. Here you can find your Zoom links and course materials such as supply lists, discussion boards, recorded lectures, etc. You will use Zoom for live video meetings. Your instructor will show you around how their particular course is organized.
• For more information on Canvas, please visit the online courses section of the SVAIT User Guide.

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• If you are still having trouble finding your course through Canvas, please reach out to [email protected]

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A Survey on the Application of Online Machine Translation in Thesis Writing by English Majors

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Bibliometrics & citations, recommendations, english majors’ online learning technology needs in china.

With the development of online education, deficiencies of online learning technology affect students’ learning effect greatly. For detecting more technical problems, aid in the progress of technology and promote the development of online English ...

Dependency-Based Chinese-English Statistical Machine Translation

We present a Chinese-English Statistical Machine Translation (SMT) system based on dependency tree mappings. We use a state-of-the-art dependency parser to parse the English translation of the Penn Chinese Treebank to make it bilingual and then learn a ...

Chinese-Japanese Machine Translation Exploiting Chinese Characters

The Chinese and Japanese languages share Chinese characters. Since the Chinese characters in Japanese originated from ancient China, many common Chinese characters exist between these two languages. Since Chinese characters contain significant semantic ...

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Utah Bans 13 Books From All Public Schools

This is the first time titles have been prohibited statewide, according to a free speech organization. The list includes books by Judy Blume and Margaret Atwood.

By Elizabeth A. Harris

The state of Utah has ordered schools to remove 13 books from classrooms and libraries, including books by Margaret Atwood and Judy Blume, because they have content considered pornographic or indecent under a new state law.

The edict issued on Friday was intended to comply with a law that went into effect on July 1, which says that local education agencies — including school boards and the governing boards of charter schools — should prioritize “protecting children from the harmful effects of illicit pornography over other considerations.” Traditionally, schools and librarians have decided whether a book is appropriate for children based on a range of factors, including its literary or artistic value.

Any materials that include a description of sex or masturbation would run afoul of the new rule. When a local education agency removes a book because it violates the new law, it must notify the state board of education. And when something is removed by three school districts — or by two school districts and five charter schools — it must be removed statewide.

The Utah State Board of Education said it was required by law to compile the list and was committed to compliance.

PEN America, a free speech organization that has been tracking efforts to restrict books for several years, said this is the first time it has seen a state require all of its schools to remove a list of titles.

“This is different,” said Jonathan Friedman, the managing director of the U.S. Free Expression Programs at PEN America. “This is literally the government saying that ‘Oryx and Crake,’ by Margaret Atwood, cannot be shelved in public schools.”

The new law in Utah is one of several regarding book access to take effect this summer. Proponents of these restrictions say they are necessary to protect children from encountering sensitive topics while alone in the library or in the classroom without the guidance of their parents.

The Utah list includes several books by the best-selling fantasy author Sarah J. Maas, including “A Court of Thorns and Roses” and “A Court of Mist and Fury.”

The list also includes “Forever,” by Judy Blume, an award-winning graphic novel called “Blankets,” by Craig Thompson, and “Tilt,” by Ellen Hopkins, which follows three teenagers as they navigate issues like teen pregnancy and a romantic relationship between two young men, one of whom is H.I.V. positive.

  More about Elizabeth A. Harris