Importance of adding Dialogue to your story-self help writing

Narrative prose is one speaker telling a story. It is a format of storytelling,  

Dialogue is conversation between two or more, or it can be your inner conversation

 At the seminar I attended a few weeks ago, the speaker talked about narrative as a way of creating balance in your story. Narrative observes, not comments. I have talked in previous posts about the difference between showing and telling a story. I will add that even if you are writing self-help, interjecting dialogue can personalize the goal of the book.

Dialogue humanizes your characters, and it humanizes your inner conversations. You can set up your character's personality, or you can bring out a point through dialogue.  

Within a work of narrative prose, an author often includes dialogue, exact words spoken directly by the characters, rather than a paraphrased version given by a narrator, I often talk about showing verses telling, and a good way to create the "showing" of your story is through dialogue. You can set up your character through dialogue.

Example: Mary is a manipulative personality, and her dialogue supports this without saying it, or calling attention to it. The reader will pick it up.

Ex:  John and Mary, married 15 years with 2 children, have been attending a marriage counselor for the past 3 months.

"Hurry up honey, Let's go, John said, our appointment is in 30 minutes, and it takes 20 minutes to get to Dr. Joyce's office."

"John, I really don't feel well, I think we should cancel our appointment"

But, Mary, the sessions have helped us and our family so much. I really want to continue."

"I do too, but I promised Kelly that I'd take her shopping."

 "Why did you promise Kelly something when you knew it was our session time? Besides, I thought you wanted to cancel because you didn't feel well."

 

"I don’t feel well, but you know how Kelly gets when I promise her something and don't follow through," Mary answered, thinking about those red shoes she wanted to buy."

Character's behavior must be motivated by psychological disposition. Even though I told you Mary is manipulative, through this brief conversation, you are forming your own personal opinion of Mary.

Nearly every genre of writing is capable of using dialogue to create the most interesting, personal and compelling story. Your readers want to identify with one of your characters. Even if the character is you, they want to get in there with you and feel and understand what you are going through.

EXERCISE:

Take a page of your writing and add dialogue to it and share it with us.

Use of Cliches

Last week I attended a workshop hosted by Greater Los Angeles Writers Society, one of the premier writers organizations in Los Angeles. The title was Top Ten Errors Writers Make. Let me first say, and this is real important that if you are writing anything that you want published, you must invest in a proofreader, or copyediting.
Spell Check does not always work with proofreading, spelling and g...rammar. The facilitator, Editor, Helga Schier talked about agents and editors are particularly sensitive to the writing and will make a determination on whether they can help you solely based on the simple fact of using correct grammar, or misspelled words, such as dye instead of die. Do not rely on spellcheck.

One of the things that was interesting to me, is the use of clichés, which can be important markers for character development. I never thought about it like that, but clichés can personalize your characters.
Who do you see when you hear these clichés?
"Play your cards right"
"Dog tired"
"Grass is always greener"
"Bored to death"
"This is the first day of the rest of your life"

Think about it, clichés can also DEFINE a personality or relationship. When I read "Dog tired", I think of a hard working man, who is working two jobs because his wife is sick. Or a single mother, working 12 hour shifts to make sure her children have all their needs met. It speaks about the integrity of the person, it defines what they will do for the good of their family.

If you are writing non-fiction clichés can add depth to your writing, "This to shall pass" or " " A closed mouth is never fed"
Sometimes a clichés can lighten up serious writing. As a writing exercise, pick a cliché and add it to your writing and see how it feels. Does it change the purpose of the writing? Does it compliment it? Does it cause your reader to reflect, or think?

Share with us what you discover.