2.
- -Who called?
- -Your dad.
- -I don’t believe it, he replied, sitting up on the sofa and scratching his chin.
- -Said it was urgent you call back.
- -Well, I’m not.
- -Why?
- -You know the reasons.
- -No, I don’t.
- -Well, I won’t because he never calls me.
- -But he just did.
- -This is different.
- -How so? she asked.
- -It just is.
- -How so?
- -He’s only calling because he thinks I’m dying.
- -Why would he think that.
- -Mom told him.
- -Why would she lie?
NOTE
What works and doesn’t work about this exchange? (The characters are exchanging and developing ideas. It feels like a real conversation)
What do you think about the format? (Cool, some writers identify direct speech with dashes and/or single quotations)
RESPOND
What are some rules you might follow to strengthen this dialogue?
- Don't bounce your reader back and forth with dialogue that makes them feel like they're at a ping-pong match
- Don't ask questions just so the other speaker can answer them. People anticipate these questions and answer them for themselves.Lines 11-15 above, for example, could be combined into a single response)