posted
I was enjoying a novel the other day when I noticed that a lot of the dialogue tended to be basically a question and answer session. I've noticed my dialogue running that way, too, and I'm worried. It feels contrived to me, like the only reason the characters are talking is to provide information. At first glance I don't have a problem, I mean it sounds okay, but I'm noticing this structurally. Am I paranoid? Is this something to be mindful of?
Posts: 823 | Registered: May 2009
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Question and answer dialogue, colloquy, is one of the main dialogue types, Two others: echo dialogue, a kind of repetition scheme, and non sequitur dialogue, or does not follow. Potent dialogue uses all three in assorted combinations and permutations.
For example, colloquy and echo; What did you say? I said forget about it. No, what you said before that. "Say" and "said" and "what" echoes. Non sequitur and echo; I'm gonna scream if you don't let it go. Which doesn't follow as an answer to the pending question. "It" echoes the previous "it."
Posts: 6037 | Registered: Jun 2008
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Some real conversations are question and answer sessions, so they don't have to be avoided.
I do think that sometimes writers use it to get info to the reader, and it comes off as "as you know Bob" dialogue.
This really isn't any different than any other dialogue. Make sure your characters are saying things they really would say and not things you just want the reader to know.
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