Writing Prompt: That’s What She Said
4/4 February Mini-Course: Hooked by Dialogue.
A great opening line of dialogue has the power to snag reader interest and draw them deeper and deeper into your story.
A well-crafted line can convey tone, setting, and character all in one fell swoop. Prompting questions that drive them to keep reading.
In Cormac McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men, the line is:
“The coin flipped high into the air and he caught it and slapped it down onto the back of his left hand.”
A suspenseful tone and the immediate feel of the story’s dangerous world and also it introduces a key element of the story — the coin flip.
In just one spoken line — brilliant! Here are some tips to do that yourself.
It’s About the Speaker
Someone has to say it, so it must be character-driven. Use that precious opening space to reveal clues about the speaker, their personality, motivations, or intentions.
Let it drip with texture.
“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”
Jane Austen, in Pride and Prejudice, introduces the theme of marriage and social status, and reveals the societal expectations and attitudes of the time.
Say something catchy
A memorable line of dialogue can stick with readers long after they’ve finished the book. Make it unique. Surprising or humorous.
Avoid all clichés.
Joseph Heller’s Catch-22, starts with:
“It was love at first sight.”
Spoken by the narrator, this line is unexpected and humorous, especially given the events of the novel.
Watch that Tone
Reflect the tone of your story in that dialogue, whether it’s humorous, serious, or suspenseful.
If it’s character driven, and they’re deeply part of their world, it’ll probably spill out of them the right way. The words turnin’ and shap’d by their life.
Takeaway
Dialogue can be a great hook if you remember to:
- Make reveal an enthralling character
- Let them say something truly memorable
- Then just make sure it lines up with everything else
Writing prompt:
- Think of a character, from a place, with an accent and a history, then make them say something that’s odd. Full of personality and stuff. Let it all kinda fall out of their mouths. Or let them weave eloquent whispers.
- Read other writer’s stories this week and let them know if you loved their opening lines. And what about it landed for you?
“Occurs to me, don’t nobody think they’ll end their day with fewer arms den they got up with. Nobody thinks about it. Ye just don’t. I got two, I’ll always have two. Damn sumbitch itches even though it’s not there. Just ain’t fair.”
300 words for the story bits.
- Tag your story as you like, e.g. Fiction or Flash Fiction But don’t use Writing Prompts please.
- 🙏 link back to the prompt so others can find it too.
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