Just as characters converse and create conflict and action, so does each story have its own unique dialogue between itself and its readers.
The story’s dialogue is created through three powerful beats that perpetually engage, challenge and provoke the imagination of readers – this includes the readers of fictional or non-fictional literature, as well as those who watch films or television, whose response to the visual mediums relies on how they read what they watch on the screen.
What are the 3 Beats of Story Dialogue?
In storytelling and writing, the story becomes more engaging if writers create an interactive communication between itself and readers with a dialogue between:
- The actions of the characters – the characters reveal their true nature.
- The words spoken by the characters – characters convey their feelings through what they say and how they say it
- The thoughts of the characters – the characters reveal their secrets, fears and emotional state of being to the reader.
Action: He walks into a room.
Words: Don’t do this to me!
Thoughts: Why should I allow this to happen?
Mastering the 3 Beats of Story Dialogue
Once a story is structurally secure, and plotted, with a universal thematic purpose, its outer and inner lives are fully explored, and its characters fully developed, the writer can create magic within the world of the story.
Unifying the 3 beats throughout the crafting of the story allows the reader to experience the story in motion, from its alluring opening to its inevitable and emotionally rewarding ending, turning a dull and formulaic narrative into an engaging and interactive experience.
How to write DIALOGUE
In THE WRITE JOURNEY course we fully explore 10 functions of Dialogue, how to convey exposition in your story, crafting functional subtext, and you will write scenes with dialogue that your coach will evaluate.
