WALT use dialogue in writing

Rules for using dialogue

• Make sure it serves a purpose  - if you could read the story without the dialogue and everything still made sense, you don’t need that dialogue. There needs to be a point to the dialogue. Does it drive the plot forward? Does it tell you something about the character?
• Don’t overuse dialogue tags - said her, said him, said said said said. Sometimes you need to use more interesting tags (replied, quoted, explained, responded) or sometimes you don’t need to use any tags.
• Don’t make them talk in a vacuum  - in life, other stuff happens while you are talking. Making coffee, coughing, checking phones, etc.
• Write dialogue like someone is talking  - most of the time people don’t speak in full sentences.
• Remember who your characters are - an old lady wouldn’t be screaming, a joker would always say something funny, a mean old man wouldn’t use manners.
• Use the right punctuation.

Examples!

Two people talking

“Hi” said Edith

“Hi” replied Lia while she adjusted her glasses.

“How’s life treating you?

“Good”

“Who's your favourite teacher?

“It’s a secret?”

“Mine is Mrs Barlow” interrupted Joshua as he put down his coffee.

“Yeah she was a good teacher” Edith agreed nodding her head.

When two people are talking you don't need to say 'said Edith said Lia' each time. Once you have established who the characters are, they can just talk and you don't need to say it again and again. When you add a new character (Joshua) you need to say who talked afterwards to re-establish the order.

*make sure your characters are not in a vacuum - Joshua put his coffee down, Edith nodded her head, Lia adjusted her glasses. People move as they talk, you need to include that!*

One person talking

Joshua put down his coffee. “My favourite teacher is Mrs Barlow” he thought.

*When only one person is talking you just keep writing across the page, don't skip down*

My examples:

“Hi” said Merrielle

Lia replied “Hi”

“What did you have for breakfast?

“Eggs, Scrambled eggs”

“Did you do anything at school this morning?”

“I went to room 8 and played games”

“What game?”

“I forgot”

“Um, what did you do last night?”

“Mmhm,I forgot”

“Um, what have you been learning at school?’

“Tessellation”

“Thats cool we're learning about that too!”

“What's your favourite colour?”

“Purple”

“Who's your favourite teacher?”

“It kept changing”

“What are you guys doing “ interrupted Edith.

“Nothing” added Lia.

“Talking about anything” said Merielle.

“Cool”

“I'm tired”

“Me too i didn’t get enough sleep last night”

“Okay bye!” we all said.

Finish this example!

The old lady got onto the bus slowly. Left foot up. Right foot up. Left foot up. She went to take her seat at the front of the bus, walking to the back would take her an eternity. She glanced at the front seat.

**add your dialogue here**

“Aloha Mister, may you please be a dear and scootch over a bit please” Politely asked the old lady as she was craving for the seat.

“Ummm, I don’t know if you can see but I was here first and I have to go to the shop for my mum because my mum just sprained her ankle” yelled the young man

“Oh well, I really want this seat but I’ll just go I guess” (The lady walked, but then stopped)

“Wait but the shop doesn’t open until tomorrow and it's labour day!”

“Umm, no SHUT UP”

“Did you just yell at this lady” This woman asked

“No” The young man lied

“Well I think you should get off the bus, If you are going to be rude!” Yelled the bus driver to the young man. So the young man hoped off and the old lady got the chair she wanted.