Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Dialogue
Dialogue is, sadly, what many laypeople mistake for the entirety of what a
narrative expert brings to the table. This erroneous perception may stem
from the fact that dialogue of an amateurish nature is the most easy short-
coming to spot—by anyone—when it comes to subpar writing.
This chapter is not intended to teach you or anyone else how to write
professional-level dialogue, any more than this topic is intended to magic-
ally transform anyone into a professional writer.
What this chapter is intended to do is provide a broad overview of dia-
logue's purpose and how it fits in with the storytelling concepts previously
covered.
The Function of Dialogue
Dialogue has one main function: to convey exposition.
the first resort when it comes to exposition: it is the last. But the fact re-
mains that dialogue's main job is to convey exposition, which is probably
why it's often mistaken for being exposition's primary vehicle. “If all dia-
logue is exposition, then all exposition must be dialogue.” No, no, a thou-
sand times no.