Often times, our children sees dialogues as simply a writing tool that helps to put in information without all the extra explaining to do.
For example, it is much easier to them that they write:
"Hello!" My best friend said.
instead of
My best friend waved her hand and greeted me when she saw me.
While there is nothing wrong with the above, dialogues actually hold way more power in how a story goes than what our children allow them to hold. Hence, here are 2 simple ways to make full use of a dialogue in stories!
1) Using dialogues to create suspense
Instead of using "Hey" , "How are you?" and "Bye" as dialogues, try using words that would bring suspense and keep your readers at the edge of their seats!
EXAMPLE:
I kept running and running until my eyes begin to blur from exhaustion. The forest was cold and dark and all I could see were trees towering over me. My heartbeat was racing uncontrollably as my senses heightened when suddenly...
"Mark, help! He got me! Ahh!"
2) Using dialogues to bring the reader to the peak of the story
A good dialogue would create a lasting impact for the reader from how important the piece of information said in that dialogue was.
EXAMPLE:
I stood frozen in my spot as I stared at the back of the woman's head. Oblivious to my presence, she hovered over my my lifeless father's body on the floor as she stabbed him with a shark knife. My whole body shook with intense fear as my heart stopped for a second when I caught her reflection in the mirror.
"Mother?"
Effective dialogues can really spice up your child's stories and be the push that it needs. Hence it is extremely important that your child understands the power of a dialogue in order for them to be able to use them well in their writing!