Readers pick up a novel to be entertained, to temporarily escape from the mundane, to enter a world where they can enjoy the escapades of a formidable hero, and to empathize with his laughter and tears. Readers are concerned with twists and plots and they can easily get absorbed in the flow of the ensuing story. They don’t notice the details of the craft that go into the weaving of the story they are reading and overlook the style and techniques the author employs. The more critical and analytical of readers, however, will notice the writer’s skill and artistry, especially when the dialogue blends well with the narrative. Novice writers can learn from reading established and critically acclaimed novels by observing how their authors effectively blend dialogue with the narrative.

Dialogue alone is effective in shifting pace and providing quick information especially between two characters talking. The attribution of “he said” or “she said” makes it easy to identify who is talking.

Example: Larry drummed his fingers on the table. “We have to spend an all-nighter for the client presentation tomorrow.”

“Today’s my third wedding anniversary. My wife is expecting me home early,” Abbott said.

“Can’t you postpone your celebration for one day?” Larry said.

“Can’t we request the client to give us more time?” Abbott said.

Here we have two characters trading ideas. Too much attribution, however, can bog down the pace. Once the writer establishes which character initiates the conversation, he can employ the attribution of “he said” once for each character and continue the dialogue, and the reader will still be able to follow who is talking.

Example: Larry drummed his fingers on the table. “We have to spend an all-nighter for the client presentation tomorrow.”

“Today’s my third wedding anniversary. My wife is expecting me home early,” Abbott said.

“Can’t you postpone your celebration for one day?”

“Can’t we request the client to give us more time?”

In the case of three or more speakers, this type of attribution can feel repetitive and slow down the pace.

Example: Larry drummed his fingers on the table. “We have to spend an all-nighter for the client presentation tomorrow.”

“Today’s my third wedding anniversary. My wife is expecting me home early,” Abbott said.

“Can’t you postpone your celebration for one day?” Larry said.

“Can’t we request the client to give us more time?” Abbott said.

“Maybe we should take a break and head down to the bar for a drink,” Nat said.

“My wife will kill me if I smell of alcohol,” Abbott said.

The attribution becomes repetitive and makes the author sound afraid that the reader might forget which character is talking. This is where descriptive narration blends well with speech.

Example: Larry drummed his fingers on the table. “We have to spend an all-nighter for the client presentation tomorrow.”

Abbott said that today was his third wedding anniversary, so his wife was expecting him home early.

Larry said, “Can’t you postpone your celebration for one day?”

Abbott in turn asked if they could request the client to give them more time. Nat broke the tension and suggested that they should take a break and head down to the bar for a drink.

Abbott said, “My wife will kill me if I smell of alcohol.”

Descriptive narration and dialogue blend well as it does away with overcrowded attribution. The flow does not impede the speech of characters and the blending gives an effect of togetherness.