How to Write a Conversation Between Two Characters (With Format & Writing Tips)
In literature, it is important to know How to write a conversation between two characters. A conversation is a written or spoken exchange between individuals directed at a particular subject. In writing, it tells more about the character and how they react or converse with other people.
What is a conversation between two characters?
A conversation is a critical part of any type of creative writing, such as plays or novels. It can be used to create a mood, develop a character, or tell a story. A conversation enables the reader to feel like they are essentially part of the scenes that he or she is reading about. A conversation can be used in storytelling to make the story move forward through the revelation of new information concerning what has occurred in the plot or about a character.
A conversation can be used between two characters to create tension or humor without stating it directly in the narration. In a story, a conversation between two characters is usually enclosed in speech marks or inverted commas. The significance is to move a story forward using tension and conflict between two characters. It can also be used to reveal the feelings that the two characters have towards each other.
There are two essential things when it comes to writing a conversation, and those include format and style. The style of the conversation depends on the character in it and also has many factors guiding it, such as personality and social standing. For the main character, different styles of conversation exist compared to the secondary character.
The format is a lesser variable since the conversation is usually in quotation marks. However, there are situations that quotation marks are not necessary. The format usually uses full sentences. For instance, “This lockdown has lasted for too long,” the doctor said. In some nations, they only use one apostrophe or a simple dash, but the most common one is the use of quotation marks. When it comes to formatting a conversation, begin a new paragraph whenever a different character begins to talk.
The separation of paragraphs will make it easier for the reader to know who is saying what in the conversation. The exception is when a character is making a long speech, and in such a case, you may want to break the character’s speech into paragraphs when the subject changes. Begin every new paragraph with a quotation to make the reader aware that the character is still speaking. The closing quotation will be used when the speech ends.
How to Write a Conversation Between Two Characters
When writing a conversation between two characters, there are guidelines for writing such a conversation. In such a conversation, it should be clear who is speaking and that is usually referred to by using a name or by using “she or he said.” However, the second-person pronoun reference can be too repetitive and it is, therefore, essential to mix it up by using the names of the characters as well.
You can also use an action to indicate who is speaking in the conversation. For instance, “I am glad that the Covid restriction has been lifted,” Nora said, her emotions overwhelming her as she hugged her mother.
The conversation should be written using quotation marks around the exact words of the speaker to separate them from the narration that is written as a standard text. Do not use quotation marks around tags that identify the speaker. For instance, “I enjoy a late breakfast.”
However, if there are many sentences like this, the reader will be confused about who is speaking, and extra information may be needed. For example, “I enjoy a late breakfast,” the security guard said. When you add a tag that identifies the speaker, add a comma to connect the tag to the conversation.
Where the tag comes first, it has to be followed by a comma, space, then quotation marks for the conversation. At the end of the conversation, the punctuation comes before the closing quotation. For instance, the doctor asked, “When will you get your Covid booster shot?’ Where the tag is placed after the conversation, the coma comes after the conversation but before the closing quotation.
Conclusion
A conversation between two characters usually depends on factors such as where they live, the time period of their lives, and their age. A conversation moves the story forward by showing the characters’ traits, increasing suspense, or changing the situation that the characters are in. However, there are guidelines or rules for writing a conversation between two characters, as we have highlighted above.
Recommended Post
How to Start a Counterclaim and Rebuttal Paragraph
What is the difference between dialogue and conversation?
Have you ever noticed how we have precisely programmed conversations in words and actions depending on who we are talking to?
If you are the doorman of the building; if you are the hairdresser if you are the receptionist at the gym; if it is a certain friend because each friend will have a specifically programmed speech; if it is with the teacher if it is with a specific family member.
Properly specified and programmed content and gesture are used in each conversation. We also have a few applications for folks we don’t know, and we utilize the default programs for them.
In most situations, the talks appear to be phony. And this is what we term normal or social interaction, but with a few exceptions, generally the closest ones, it’s something robotic.
Gadamer, a highly prominent German hermeneutic philosopher (related to phenomenology) who died not long ago at the age of 102, was attempting to explain true human communication, which he called dialogue. He has a unique and brief sentence. He claims that it is no better than keeping one’s mouth open throughout a discussion.
What does discussion mean in an essay?
Discussion essays are a type of academic writing that is quite prevalent. This article explains what a discussion essay is and how to structure one. There is also some terminology for discussion essays, as well as an example discussion essay on the topic of studying abroad.
What are discussion essays?
Many essay themes urge you to evaluate all sides of a problem and then state your preference. These are referred to as discussion essays or for and against essays. In this sense, the academic definition of the term discuss is comparable to its common meaning, which is two persons discussing a topic from opposing perspectives. A balanced viewpoint is usually required for a discussion essay.
This distinguishes discussion articles from persuasion essays, which provide only one side of the debate. It is critical to properly differentiate facts and views while writing a discussion essay. You will frequently study what others have stated on the same issue and include this material utilizing paraphrasing and summarizing abilities, as well as proper citations.
What should be in a discussion essay?
Discussions are competent dialogues that are rooted in knowledge. A constructive and polite conversation must take into account both opposing ideas, resulting in a balanced opinion throughout the work.
Discussion essays address difficulties that surround a specific topic, most of which are regarded to be open and contested to the debate. As a result, a debate essay must include a detailed explanation of the many perspectives on a particular issue.
Before the writer expresses his personal findings and thoughts, the essay should provide a thorough comprehension of all problems. An excellent discussion essay, like many persuasive essay styles, is predicated on the author’s ability to provide sufficient research and evidence that demonstrate the many points of view on the issue.
Developing a discussion essay
Step One
Choose an acceptable topic for the essay. The topic should be one that you are interested in. You are required to discuss all aspects of the concerns raised by the essay. In-depth research with relevant proof will greatly assist in presenting relevant content for the essay.
Step Two
The discussion essay outline should be created with a pen and paper. The key purpose of this phase is to arrange your views about the subject in writing. A thorough plan for the discussion essay might be produced utilizing the formal traditional framework and numbers to divide the important ideas. Another method for creating an outline is to write down the key topics of discussion that you wish to address in the body.
Step Three
Concentrate on writing the essay in the following format. The assignment’s objectives in the introduction are to introduce all aspects relevant to the topic. The introduction also provides the reader with important contextual information.
You will be asked to clarify any relevant concepts or words used in the essay. Giving the reader a general overview of how the subject is organized guarantees that the flow of thinking is understood throughout the essay body.
Step Four
The body of the essay can be composed using the research sources gathered. Each problem must be stated objectively and separately. You should begin by explaining one side of the argument, followed by the other side of the argument that is linked to the supplied topic.
The body arguments should be progressive, starting with weak arguments or issues and rising to stronger ones. A well-structured debate essay allows the reader to easily follow the flow of thought without becoming distracted.
Step Five
The essay conclusion is the final element of the discussion essay. The conclusion’s duty is to summarize the material from the body of the essay. The conclusion urges the reader to consider the benefits and drawbacks of the argument issue.
In most circumstances, you are not required to take a position on either side of the debate. If you chose a certain side of the debate, you must show your conclusion on the argument.