Often narration calls for dialogue to be used. Dialogue can add dramatization and excitement to narration, and it is often used to reveal conflict directly, without the narrator's intruding commentary. Dialogue can help readers gain insight into the personality and motives of the characters. Many narratives include the exact words stated by the characters, often in conversations between them. Dialogue must be appropriate to the characters and illustrate the personality of each of the characters. Care must be taken not to overdo the use of dialects which may seem artificial; dialogue should advance the story not slow it down. Only those conversations that further the story should be included. Writers should take care not to be too flowery and avoid "fancy" language. Much editing will probably be necessary to accomplish effective use of dialogue. Mark Twain was able to give life to his characters in Tom Sawyer using dialogue while many other writers destroy their credibility by inappropriate dialogue.

In using dialogue, be sure that your word choice and the manner of speaking is realistic according to the character's education, background, age, location, etc. You want to use dialogue to make your characters more realistic and interesting. Also, be careful not to use dialogue that is not essential to the narrative.

Be sure to punctuate dialogue correctly by setting it off from the speaker with commas and by enclosing it in quotation marks.

• Maria said, "This is the best spaghetti that I have ever tasted."
• "Go to bed early tonight," said John, "because we are leaving at 5:00 in the morning."

Direct thoughts also need to be treated as dialogue with correct punctuation.

• As my heart beat faster and faster in fear, I thought to myself, "This is ridiculous. I have nothing to be afraid of."
• "No," he thought, "I will not fail the test this time."