Enhancing Character Development Through Dialogue

Have you ever watched an old science fiction movie from the 1950s? I remember watching those as a kid and being bugged by how they would start the movie with several minutes of narration explaining what was going on before the action actually started. That was so dull! I would listen to it and wonder why they didn’t just have the actors talk to one another about what was going on. That would have been much more interesting.

Advancing the Plot with Conversational Clues

Dialogue should be used to guide us through a story. It moves the plot forward.

Through dialogue, good writers place hints, foreshadowing, and subtle revelations that pique the reader’s curiosity, keeping them engaged.

Good stories, and I mean all good stories, are based on conversations and interactions between the characters in the stories. Consider L. Frank Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” Most of the action is driven by conversations between Dorothy and the people she meets.

Dorothy and the Good Witch of the North:  “Oh what shall I ever do? How will I get home?” The Good Witch tells her to see the great Wizard and off she goes down the yellow brick road.

Dorothy and the Scarecrow:  “I wish there was some way to get out of this cornfield.” This leads to a charming conversation during which Dorothy suggests he go with her to see the Wizard to get a brain.

Dorothy and the Tin Woodman: “Get an oil can!” This is followed by the story of how he came to be made of tin and how he lost his heart in the process. Dorothy invites him along to see the Wizard too.

Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion:  “Don’t you dare bite Toto! You ought to be ashamed of yourself. You’re nothing but a big coward.” This leads to the Lion’s confession of his own cowardice. True to her kindly nature, Dorothy invites the Lion along as well.

And on and on.

Making us care

In these conversations, we see Dorothy revealed as kind, caring, and self-sacrificing. As the story progresses, we find that she is more concerned about her friends getting their wishes granted than she is about taking care of her own needs.

That’s why we love her!

We would rather hear the characters in a book talk about a problem than read a narrative describing the problem. It’s much more interesting that way and we develop an affinity with the characters, even though they don’t really exist. Dialogue doesn’t just give us information; it gives us a feel for the character and makes us care about them.

Balancing Dialogue and Narrative for Effective Storytelling

Of course, you’ve got to have some narrative as well. Like a graceful dance, storytelling demands a harmonious balance between dialogue and narrative, each complementing the other and never stepping on each other’s toes. Mr. Baum understood when to allow the characters to speak, their voices carrying the story forward, and when to describe the action from the narrator’s perspective.