Writing Tip: Talking With Props

I spend a good portion of my writing workshops discussing the importance of dialogue, and how it drives the emotion of a story. That means you must keep your dialogue interesting, and I've found that props are a good writing trick to do that. Here's what I'm talking about...

The last thing you want is your reader to get bogged down in your dialogue. For instance, you don't want this:

"What was that about?" Justin said.
"Oh, nothing," Ashley said. "He just wanted to know what time rehearsals started."
"And he had to call you?"
Ashley said, "What's the big deal?"
"Well," Justin said, "unless I'm mistaken, that's at least three calls from him today."

Okay, I kinda get the picture here. Justin is jealous about some other guy who keeps calling Ashley. But...there's no action, no movement, no props. It's got potential, but it's bland. Watch what happens if I take that same scene and dress it up just a tiny bit.

"What was that about?" Justin said.
"Oh, nothing," Ashley said. She snapped the cell phone shut and tossed it on the couch. "He just wanted to know what time rehearsals started."
"And he had to call you?"
Ashley flipped a few stray hairs behind one ear. "What's the big deal?"
Justin walked to the window and stared out at nothing in particular, his hands on his hips. He tried unsuccessfully to keep his voice emotionless. "Well, unless I'm mistaken, that's at least three calls from him today."

Suddenly the tension is broken up - and yet, in a way, intensified - by action and props. When Ashley snaps the phone shut and tosses it aside, she's intentionally trying to act nonchalant. Her hair flip is a sign of irritation.

Justin, for his part, uses his walk to the window as a way of counting to ten in order to calm himself down, but it apparently isn't working.

A cell phone, a strand of hair, a window. None of these are necessarily crucial to the scene, but they add a touch of imagery and action to your scene. Your reader, besides simply hearing the dialogue, can practically see this conversation play out.

Practice adding props and action to your dialogue. While you don't want to overdo it, you'll appreciate the flavor it brings to your writing.

Comments

[noodle]

This makes total sense but I never thought about it before. Very good tip, thanks! I can see how this would make writing more fun.