--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I like dialogue in novels. I wanted to…" description: "\"I like dialogue in novels. I wanted to avoid laying history on with a trowel - appearing to be lecturing, as opposed to the characters lecturing their ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f98/elliot-perlman-14111_appearing_i-like-dialogue-in-novels-i-wanted-to-av_1143660.jpg" --- # I like dialogue in novels. I wanted to avoid laying… ![“I like dialogue in novels. I wanted to avoid laying history on with a trowel - appearing to be lecturing, as opposed to the characters lecturing their children or students. Dialogue can humanise the story and make it go down somewhat more smoothly.” quote by Elliot Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f98/elliot-perlman-14111_appearing_i-like-dialogue-in-novels-i-wanted-to-av_1143660.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f98/elliot-perlman-14111_appearing_i-like-dialogue-in-novels-i-wanted-to-av_1143660.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f98/elliot-perlman-14111_appearing_i-like-dialogue-in-novels-i-wanted-to-av_1143660.jpg) > “I like dialogue in novels. I wanted to avoid laying history on with a trowel - appearing to be lecturing, as opposed to the characters lecturing their children or students. Dialogue can humanise the story and make it go down somewhat more smoothly.” [Elliot Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-perlman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Dialogue lets readers experience characters directly, avoiding heavy exposition and making the story feel more natural. **In simple terms:** Dialogue makes stories feel natural. Key Takeaway Use dialogue to show, not tell. Themes writing character development exposition Mood thoughtful creative Type advice literary When to use this quote - novel drafting - teaching - public speaking Key Concepts Narrative technique show vs tell Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance dialogue and description? - When does dialogue become exposition? A Different Perspective Dialogue can still feel forced if overused. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Appearing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appearing/) [Avoid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avoid/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters/) [Characters Lecturing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters-lecturing-3200137/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Dialogue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dialogue/) [Dialogue Humanise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dialogue-humanise-3200138/) [Dialogue Novels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dialogue-novels-3200136/) [Down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/down/) [Go](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/go/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Laying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laying/) [Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/) [Like Dialogue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-dialogue-768173/) [Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make/) [More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more/) [Novels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novels/) [Opposed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opposed/) [Smoothly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smoothly/) [Somewhat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/somewhat/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students/) [Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted/) ## Related quotes > [When I go to the cinema, I want to have a cinematic experience. Some people ignore the sound and you end up seeing something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-ramsay/when-i-go-to-the-cinema-i-want-to-have-a-cinematic-experience-some-2/) [Lynne Ramsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-ramsay/) > [“In this sense, reading the text is like a dialogue with the author, and the processing of two segments could be seen as analogous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-this-sense-reading-the-text-is-like-a-dialogue-with-the-author-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I like dialogue that is slightly more brittle than life. I have always admired and wished to write one of those 1940s film scripts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/i-like-dialogue-that-is-slightly-more-brittle-than-life-i-have-always/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [Something like film, I guess there are so many elements to it, like the dialogue and what makes sense culturally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomston/something-like-film-i-guess-there-are-so-many-elements-to-it-like-the/) [Thomston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomston/) > [My work is like a dialogue between me and unseen powers, like alchemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cai-guo-qiang/my-work-is-like-a-dialogue-between-me-and-unseen-powers-like-alchemy/) [Cai Guo-Qiang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cai-guo-qiang/) > [The whole idea of action being a carrier of information is something that comes directly from theater. That's, in some ways, the one thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keller-easterling/the-whole-idea-of-action-being-a-carrier-of-information-is-something/) [Keller Easterling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keller-easterling/) > [With dialogue, people say a lot of things they don't mean. I like dialogue when it's used in a way when the body language…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-ramsay/with-dialogue-people-say-a-lot-of-things-they-don-t-mean-i-like/) [Lynne Ramsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-ramsay/) > [I need to be in front of my obstacle. I like to have a back dialogue; I like to talk with people; I like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maiwenn/i-need-to-be-in-front-of-my-obstacle-i-like-to-have-a-back-dialogue-i/) [Maiwenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maiwenn/) > [I'm aware that dialogue isn't my strength. I use it as a device. 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Time, patience, and indomitable will must show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/are-great-things-ever-done-smoothly-time-patience-and-indomitable/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Being vegan keeps my body fueled and running smoothly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madelaine-petsch/being-vegan-keeps-my-body-fueled-and-running-smoothly/) [Madelaine Petsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madelaine-petsch/) > [I want to be a playwright the way people are bank tellers. 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