Help senior students write dialogue that sounds real and does real work in a story. Every step — from natural rhythm to subtext to distinct character voice — is paired with a hands-on activity, so students are actively writing and revising their own dialogue from the very first slide.

Covers natural vs stiff dialogue, subtext and what characters leave unsaid, dialogue tags vs action beats, formatting conventions, distinct character voice, revealing relationships through speech, using dialogue to advance plot (not just fill space), balancing dialogue and narration, and common pitfalls like exposition dumps.

Finishes with a peer/self discussion check and a complete original dialogue scene.
Includes worked exemplars throughout, continuous practice activities, an independent writing task, and a consolidated answer key with a self-assessment checklist.

The fifth in the Creative Writing Skills series, building on Idea Generation, Character Development, Setting, and Narrative Structure — suited to senior students refining craft-level skills.

File information: Non-editable PDF, Not an editable PowerPoint
How to use: Upload to your LMS for digital learning / Print selected pages for classroom use / Display pages to guide discussion and activities / Adapt in presentation or design platforms if desired (formatting may vary)