NARRATIVE WRITINGDialogue: Internal and External

EXTERNAL DIALOGUE

Put quotes around the words that actually are spoken by a character: “But he can’t be a Hindu, a Christian and a

Muslim. It’s impossible. He must choose.”

SWITCHING SPEAKERS

Start a new paragraph each time you switch speakers. Including dialogue tags will help your reader be clear about who is speaking: “Mamaji?” I ask, pointing. “Yes,” he says. “Is this your father,” I ask. He shakes his head. “I don’t know who

that is.”

PUNCTUATION

Put a comma, a question mark, or an exclamation mark between the dialogue and the dialogue tag.

“The worst of it,” he says, “is that I can hardly remember what my mother looks like anymore.”

START A NEW PARAGRAPH WHEN A DIFFERENT CHARACTER IS THE FOCUS.

Usha drops Moccasin. He flops to the floor unperturbed.

“Hello, Usha,” I say. She comes up to her father and peeks at

me from behind the leg. “What are you doing, little one?” he says.

“Why are you hiding?” She doesn’t reply, only looks at me with a

smile and hides her face.

TRY TO VARY YOUR DIALOGUE TAGS…AND CHOOSE WORDS THAT REVEAL TONE.

“What is happening?” Shelby whispered anxiously.

“Shhhh!” Mason hissed. Shelby rolled her eyes. “Seriously! What

is happening,” she insisted. Mason whirled around to face his little

sister. “Not now! In a minute,” he muttered, gritting his teeth.

INTERNAL MONOLOGUE

If your character has an internal monologue—thinking in his head that you want the reader to “hear,” don’t put quotations around it. Instead, use dialogue tags that clearly reveal your character is not talking aloud or make the actions show he is just thinking. When typing you may even italicize the thoughts.

INTERNAL DIALOGUE EXAMPLES

This is insane, Justin thought to himself.

I had never thought of a rhinoceros as a light bulb. He spoke again. “Some people say God died

during…”

Random thoughts kept coming into my mind. Why am I here? What time is my test? Did I let the dogs out this morning?

INDIRECT DIALOGUE

It’s nice to include variety in how you deliver conversations. Indirect dialogue is more a “telling” rather than “showing” of a conversation. When my mother began dropping hints

that I would soon be going to school, I vowed never to go to school because it was a waste of time.

YOUR TURN

Practice writing a scene in which you present some dialogue. Try some internal, external, and indirect

dialogue. Vary your dialogue tags. Focus on proper punctuation. Make sure you start a new paragraph as

you shift your focus to a different character.