introduction mood

what examplehow personality

anger example

sorrow example

humour example

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Dialogue reveals personality and moodDialogue reveals personality and moodto help us to help us understand the understand the character and add to character and add to the story.the story.

ItIt should be neither emptyshould be neither empty

nor mechanical and dull!nor mechanical and dull!

oh.

Main Elements for Writing DialogueMain Elements for Writing DialogueMake sure the dialogue reveals Make sure the dialogue reveals something about the character’s something about the character’s personalitypersonality

Make sure we consider not only Make sure we consider not only whatwhat is is said but said but howhow it is said. it is said.

Use dialogue Use dialogue sparinglysparingly and only where and only where it is it is appropriateappropriate

DIALOGUEDIALOGUE reveals reveals something about a something about a character’s personalitycharacter’s personality

What a shy What a shy and quiet and quiet

chap!chap!

Characters reveal themselves by

whatwhat they say

Mr Hardman glared at his assistant and roared out his anger, “Get your feet off that desk now, Get your feet off that desk now, you crawling worm! Do you think you crawling worm! Do you think I pay you to sit about doing I pay you to sit about doing nothing all day? Move it, creep!”nothing all day? Move it, creep!”

Why thank you, MatildaWhy thank you, Matilda,” Miss Honey said, still smiling. “That is a That is a remarkable answer. Excellent. remarkable answer. Excellent. Really excellentReally excellent,” she added.

““I d-d-don’t know what to do. I I d-d-don’t know what to do. I won’t b-b-be able to do it. I just won’t b-b-be able to do it. I just can’t…”can’t…” whispered Ed.

Characters reveal themselves by Characters reveal themselves by

howhow they deliver dialogue . . . they deliver dialogue . . .

““Won’t! Won’t! Won’t!” Won’t! Won’t! Won’t!” she stamped petulantly.she stamped petulantly.

“What have we here?” he mutteredmuttered mysteriouslymysteriously, huffinghuffing and puffingpuffing all the while.

“Aha! Eureka! How wonderful I am!” Holmes whoopedwhooped triumphantly in gleetriumphantly in glee, adding smuglysmugly, “My genius is without end.”

“What have we here?” he all

the while.

“Aha! Eureka! How amazing I am!” Holmes and adding , “My genius is without end.”

grinding his teeth and hissinggrinding his teeth and hissing

snarled, spitting malevolentlysnarled, spitting malevolentlynastilynastily

growledgrowled

Dialogue can also revealDialogue can also reveal

by the by the wayway it is delivered it is delivered

Anger

roared

bellowedyelled

screamed

ragedhowled

exploded

(furiously)

(noisily)

(piercingly)

(angrily)(ear-splittingly)

(shrilly)

(apoplectically)

SorrowSorrowsobbedsobbed(bitterly)(bitterly)

weptwept(silently)(silently)

sighedsighed(wearily)(wearily)

moanedmoaned(pitifully)(pitifully)

wailed(mournfully)

howled(chillingly)

cried (pathetically)

ululated (terrifyingly)

HumourHumour

laughedlaughed

(uproariously)(uproariously)

giggledgiggled

(girlishly)(girlishly)

guffawedguffawed

(outrageously)(outrageously)

sniggered (suggestively)sniggered (suggestively)

chortled chortled

(cheekily)(cheekily)

““What on earth is going on!”What on earth is going on!”

she stuttered uncertainly.she stuttered uncertainly.

he roared furiously.he roared furiously.““I d-d-don’t know what to do . . . . .”I d-d-don’t know what to do . . . . .”

““What on earth is going What on earth is going on?”on?”

he whispered in alarm.he whispered in alarm.

““I d-d-don’t know what I d-d-don’t know what to do . . . . . .”to do . . . . . .”

she moaned pitifully.she moaned pitifully.

““What on earth is going on!”What on earth is going on!”he chortled.he chortled.

““I d-d-don’t know what to do . . .”I d-d-don’t know what to do . . .”she giggled helplessly.she giggled helplessly.

So, finally . . So, finally . . Dialogue reveals Dialogue reveals personality and personality and mood bymood by

how it is saidhow it is saidwhat is saidwhat is said

and how it is and how it is delivereddelivered