Two Types of Dialogue

As a line and copy editor, my eye (or ear) sometimes picks up on awkwardness in prose and it isn't immediately clear there's been an error made by the writer. When my editorial spidey senses tingle like this, I begin to look at the piece as a developmental editor. One way the awkwardness appears, and it's an often overlooked aspect, is in the type of dialogue a writer is using during a scene.

Two Types of Dialogue

1. Direct dialogue

2. Summarized dialogue

Direct dialogue.

This is what you typically expect dialogue to be, a character directly saying what needs to be said. If your character is skeptical of something they're reading, you might write "That's what they want you to believe!" Donald said.

Summarized dialogue.

This is how good writers zoom in and zoom out in their prose, by choosing to summarize the meaning of what could have been spoken. So in the example above, if your character is skeptical of something they're reading, you might summarize as [Donald shut the book with an exasperated sigh].

Why we mix them.

The best way to entertain your readers, is by using a mix of both. Intermingling the dialogue as direct (when it is important or necessary) and summarized.

This isn't an easy task because it doesn't come naturally to every writer. My best suggestion to you (dear writer) is to draft with wild abandon, and then practice rewriting with this specific aspect in mind. It is ALWAYS easier to go through a finished draft of a scene and decide which dialogue could be summarized, rather than stumble through a draft thinking "what should I summarize, this line? the next line? the first line?!" It's a feel, not a formula.

One more example.

Here, is an example I wrote. Same scene, same moment, varying degrees of dialogue used. Hopefully, you can see where each type of dialogue comes into play, and how using each changes the feel of the scene.

[Direct dialogue only]

Papers riddled the office table, overflowing to the carpet below. A low murmur was building in the room, "they said it was anomalous...", "...who cares, it's hundreds of lights years away.", "who invited the suits?", "where's the geek convention?", "What's Regulus-443?", "...yes, they said in the goldilocks zone!", "it's water-heavy??".

“This doesn’t move the needle.” Senator Bibb stated.

“I beg to differ, just look at this! Life-sustaining properties!” Dr. Reese said while looking over the documents, graphs, and charts of the newly discovered planet.

The SETI telescopes had also noted smog-like industrial gases in the alien planet’s atmosphere. “Technosignatures” as the scientists liked to say, meaning some BEING was polluting their planet’s air through industrialization.

They both looked at the final page of the report. An artificial, narrow-band radio transmission had been detected… playing on loop.

“This will change everything.” They said in unison.

[Summarized dialogue only]

Papers riddled the office table, overflowing to the carpet below. A low murmur was building in the room, as government officials and university researchers conferred on the subject of planet Regulus-443, the newest goldilocks zone candidate that appeared to be a water-heavy planet.

Senator Bibb disagreed with the main scientist, Dr. Reese. He had said as much to her on the phone, stating his skepticism openly. Yet here she was, taking over his war room with documents, graphs, and charts that explained the life-sustaining properties of the newly discovered planet.

The SETI telescopes had also noted smog-like industrial gases in the alien planet’s atmosphere. “Technosignatures” as the scientists liked to say, meaning some BEING was polluting their planet’s air through industrialization.

They both looked at the final page of the report. An artificial, narrow-band radio transmission had been detected… playing on loop.

With this newest bit of information, their earlier disagreement meant nothing.

[Mixed—direct and summarized—dialogue]

Papers riddled the office table, overflowing to the carpet below. A low murmur was building in the room, as government officials and university researchers conferred on the subject of planet Regulus-443, the newest goldilocks zone candidate that appeared to be a water-heavy planet.

“This doesn’t move the needle.” Senator Bibb stated.

“I beg to differ.” Dr. Reese said while looking over the documents, graphs, and charts that explained the life-sustaining properties of the newly discovered planet.

The SETI telescopes had also noted smog-like industrial gases in the alien planet’s atmosphere. “Technosignatures” as the scientists liked to say, meaning some BEING was polluting their planet’s air through industrialization.

They both looked at the final page of the report. An artificial, narrow-band radio transmission had been detected… playing on loop.

“This will change everything.” They said in unison.

Statement on AI

I do not use AI to assist me with any of my services. Your content will never be entered into an AI tool/model by me.

On the flip side, I do not allow material I provide to be used for the purpose of training AI.