Dialogue

You write it the same way as you would if it was 3rd person.

"I'm not going," she said.
"But you promised," I reminded her.

as opposed to:

"I'm not going," Susie said.
"But you promised," Kate reminded her.

Have you tried reading a novel written from a first person POV?

prrrfukt said:

Ok, I'm not sure if there was a thread posted about this, I haven't seen one but I only did a "skim through" so forgive me for reposting this, but I was wondering if anyone had any tips on how to write dialogue for a novel that is in first person POV.

Any information is helpful!

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I've never noticed any difference between dialogue written for 1st-person POV and that for any other POV. What characters say to each other is independent of POV. Someone else might have a different opinion.

The same as you would write dialogue for any POV. It needs to be true to the character speaking it, sound real, convey information by adding to the characterization, plot, action, etc.

Glad you found the responses helpful, but if one thinks about it....

The question asked how to write dialogue in first person POV, which implies knowledge of what First person POV is.

If one knows what First Person POV is then if one is observant, as an aspiring writer has to be, one might realise there are examples everywhere (in addition to books) of how to write dialogue in First Person.

1. Newspaper interviews.

2. Magazine interviews.

3. Every time you watch or overhear anyone relating an earlier conversation they had, to another person - Films? TV? At school? On the train/bus?

4. Every time someone relates a conversation to you and every time you relate a conversation to anyone else.

Yes -that's how it's written, too.

As to what words to use and how to construct the dialogue so it is interesting and readable and flows -that only comes from reading and experience. Omit all the "Um's and Ah's" for a start and get to the point. Make sure everything the characters say is said for a reason and not just waffle to fill space.

Good luck.

Well, in first person, every word of the novel is dialogue. All of it. The POV character is telling the entire story, speaking it, so the entire narrative must be in his voice, as well as any quoted dialogue he speaks. The only exception is the dialogue of otehr characters, which must be in their voices.

You have to know how the POV character speaks, and every word of narrative must be in his unique voice. This is where many go wrong in first person. They treat the narrative as if the narrator isn't the POV character, and this just doesn't work.

Jamesaritchie said:

Well, in first person, every word of the novel is dialogue. All of it. The POV character is telling the entire story, speaking it, so the entire narrative must be in his voice, as well as any quoted dialogue he speaks. The only exception is the dialogue of otehr characters, which must be in their voices.

You have to know how the POV character speaks, and every word of narrative must be in his unique voice. This is where many go wrong in first person. They treat the narrative as if the narrator isn't the POV character, and this just doesn't work.

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Well, not exactly. Dialogue means between two people (di = 2). Monologue is one person speaking (mono = 1). But I wouldn't say 1st person narrative is exactly monologue or soliloquy either. I'd just call it 1st person narrative, as neither dialogue nor monologue sounds like the correct term (to me).

prrrfukt said:

I thought the actual mechanics behind it were more complex, I've never written a novel before...forgive me for not knowing. . . . I remember reading somewhere that dialogue is very important and it can ruin your novel if it's not done properly

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As folks said up top, the dialog words remain the same. It's the setting of the words that changes.

Actions, description, and dialog are filtered through the knowledge and attitude of the POV character. If John, Christine and Mary are all in a scene with dialog, they each experience it differently.


John's POV might give us:

He'd been looking forward to this. Somebody would give himself away. He was sure of it.

On the other side of the room, Redfield preened and shuffled like the unmitigated ass he was. "In my opinion, the butler did it. It's obvious. No one else had the opportunity."

"I have to disagree." Mary did her fingernails. Hard to believe she was even paying attention.

It was time to toss this out in front of everyone and see if it netted him a reaction. "I very much doubt the butler is an expert in South African krait venoms."

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Mary's POV might be:

Dear Redfield, always so elegant and so pretentious, said, "In my opinion, the butler did it. It's obvious. No one else had the opportunity."

She finished a nail before she spoke. "I have to disagree." She managed to look quite foolish. It was delightful when people underestimated her.

John said, "I very much doubt the butler is an expert in South African krait venoms." He evidently expected the murderer to fall back with a cry of shock. He looked disappointed when no one did. Obviously, Christine was not best pleased with him for this flapping of the mouth. How amusing.

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In First Person POV (Christine) this might read:

I really wished we weren't having this conversation.

"In my opinion, the butler did it. It's obvious. No one else had the opportunity." That was Redfield. One could ignore Redfield. I always did.

"I have to disagree." Mary seemed detached. I couldn't understand why. We were talking about her husband, after all. There was a certain slyness in her eyes as she studied the Ravenous Red she was painting on her nails.

John picked this moment to come out with, "I very much doubt the butler is an expert in South African krait venoms."

I would have liked that kept under wraps a little longer, but John wasn't going to listen to me.

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Same dialog . . . different scenes, because the dialog is being observed by different people.

Jamesaritchie said:

Well, in first person, every word of the novel is dialogue. All of it. The POV character is telling the entire story, speaking it, so the entire narrative must be in his voice, as well as any quoted dialogue he speaks. The only exception is the dialogue of otehr characters, which must be in their voices.

You have to know how the POV character speaks, and every word of narrative must be in his unique voice. This is where many go wrong in first person. They treat the narrative as if the narrator isn't the POV character, and this just doesn't work.

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This is obviously not the matter being addressed here. And as far as "you have to know how the POV character speaks", to write good dialogue in any POV you have to know how every character involved in the conversation speaks.

You can learn a lot about the rhythm and tempo of dialogue from old time radio programs, thousands of which can be found at the Internet Archive. Dramatic radio is almost all dialogue.

CaroGirl said:

Well, not exactly. Dialogue means between two people (di = 2). Monologue is one person speaking (mono = 1). But I wouldn't say 1st person narrative isn't exactly monologue or soliloquy either. I'd just call it 1st person narrative, as neither dialogue nor monologue sounds like the correct term (to me).

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No, dialogue means any spoken words. There ar etypes of dialogue, and monologue might be a better term, but it's all teh same. First person POV is all dialogue, and the first person POV character is telling the reader the story orally, in dialogue, even if there are no quotation marks. The only way you can get consistent first person voice is to understand this.

The first person character is telling the reader the story, and whether you picture that character sitting across the table from you, or across the campfire from you, you're being told the story, and every word of it must be in the POV character's voice. You have to use his word choice, his cadence, his slang, his sense of humor, the works.

The dialogue he uses with quotation marks is what he says to other characters. The narrative without quotation marks are what he says to you.

Jamesaritchie said:

No, dialogue means any spoken words. There ar etypes of dialogue, and monologue might be a better term, but it's all teh same. First person POV is all dialogue, and the first person POV character is telling the reader the story orally, in dialogue, even if there are no quotation marks. The only way you can get consistent first person voice is to understand this.

The first person character is telling the reader the story, and whether you picture that character sitting across the table from you, or across the campfire from you, you're being told the story, and every word of it must be in the POV character's voice. You have to use his word choice, his cadence, his slang, his sense of humor, the works.

The dialogue he uses with quotation marks is what he says to other characters. The narrative without quotation marks are what he says to you.

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You're using the term "dialogue" incorrectly. Narrative is narrative and dialogue is dialogue (conversation between 2 or more characters). These terms aren't interchangeable. As writers, we need a common understanding of meanings of words. That's where dictionaries come in handy.

Definition of DIALOGUE
1
: a written composition in which two or more characters are represented as conversing

2
a : a conversation between two or more persons; also : a similar exchange between a person and something else (as a computer) b : an exchange of ideas and opinions <organized a series of dialogues on human rights> c : a discussion between representatives of parties to a conflict that is aimed at resolution <a constructive dialogue between loggers and environmentalists>

3
: the conversational element of literary or dramatic composition <very little dialogue in this film>

4
: a musical composition for two or more parts suggestive of a conversation


Definition of NARRATIVE
1
: something that is narrated : story, account

2
: the art or practice of narration

3
: the representation in art of an event or story; also : an example of such a representation

Also, not every first person narrative is written as if the narrator is telling the story orally, many are meant to be read as written accounts of events that happened to the narrator. Since the way someone speaks is generally different from the way they write, then the first person narration would be different accordingly depending on if it's meant to read as a written or spoken account.

Okay, gang, let's not start a flame war over word definitions. CaroGirl, you will not change James' mind. James, different authors utilize the narrative aspects of a first person story in different ways.