Why Writers Use Dialogue & Incidents to Tell Stories
Every great story needs forward motion. Characters can't just sit around thinking—something has to happen. For thousands of years, storytellers have relied on two powerful tools to keep a story moving: the words characters say to each other (dialogue) and the events that occur (incidents). Together, these tools push the plot forward, show us who the characters really are, and force characters to make tough choices.
Let's look at some milestones in how writers have used dialogue and incidents across the centuries.
Here's the big question this lesson answers: How exactly do the words a character speaks and the events in a story make things happen? By the end, you'll be able to spot—and analyze—how dialogue and incidents serve three key purposes: propelling the action, revealing character, and provoking decisions.
Core Principles: The Three Functions
When you read a story or watch a play, dialogue (the words characters say) and incidents (the events that happen) aren't just there for fun. They serve three key functions. Once you know what to look for, you'll start noticing them everywhere.
Propel the Action
Reveal Character
Provoke a Decision
Often All Three at Once
Visual Map: How a Single Moment Ripples Through a Story
Below is a diagram showing how one incident or line of dialogue can branch out and affect a story in multiple ways. Notice how a single moment can propel action, reveal character, and provoke a decision—all at the same time.
As you can see, the dialogue or incident sits at the center. It sends out ripples in three directions. Sometimes it only does one of these things. But in the strongest, most powerful moments, a single line or event does all three—that's when the story really grabs you.
How It Works: A Step-by-Step Approach
When you're reading a story or watching a play, how do you actually analyze whether a line of dialogue or an incident is doing one of these three jobs? Here's a simple method you can use every time.
Let's break each step down so you can use this like a toolkit.
Step 1: Identify the Moment
Find the exact line of dialogue or the specific incident. Quote it or describe it precisely. Don't be vague—point to the exact words or event. For example, instead of "Romeo talks to Juliet," say "Romeo says, 'But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?'"
Step 2: Trace the Consequences
Ask yourself: what happens because of this moment? Does it start a new conflict? Does it change the relationship between characters? Does it move the characters to a new place or situation? If the story would be different without this moment, it's propelling the action.
Step 3: Look at Character
What does this moment tell you about the character who speaks or the character who is affected by the event? Consider their word choice, their tone, and their reaction. A character who screams "I don't care!" clearly does care, or they wouldn't react so strongly. That reaction reveals character.
Step 4: Spot the Decision Point
Does this moment force anyone to make a choice? A character hearing bad news might decide to run, fight, or forgive. If the moment creates a fork in the road, it's provoking a decision. The decision then becomes the next turning point in the plot.
Use this flowchart whenever you encounter a key moment in a story. It helps you organize your thinking and write a strong analysis. Remember: one moment can check more than one box!
Detailed Breakdown: Dialogue vs. Incidents
Let's look more closely at the difference between dialogue and incidents, and how each one can serve the three story functions. The table below gives you specific signals to watch for when you're reading.
| Story Element | What to Look For | How It Functions |
|---|---|---|
| Dialogue — Direct Speech | Exact words in quotation marks; tone, word choice, and sentence length | A character's words can start a fight (action), show nervousness through short choppy sentences (character), or issue an ultimatum (decision) |
| Dialogue — Response/Reply | How another character responds—agreement, silence, anger, change of subject | A response can escalate or de-escalate conflict (action), reveal loyalty or betrayal (character), or show a character choosing sides (decision) |
| Incident — External Event | Something that happens to the characters: a storm, an arrival, a discovery, a letter | External events create new problems (action), test characters under pressure (character), and force choices (decision) |
| Incident — Character Action | Something a character does: runs away, steals, helps someone, slams a door | Physical actions change the situation (action), demonstrate bravery or cowardice (character), and can be decisions themselves |
| Dialogue + Incident Together | A character says something while doing something—words and actions combined | The most powerful moments often pair dialogue with action. Example: a character says "I'm fine" while crying—revealing that their words hide their true feelings |
Worked Example: Analyzing a Scene
Let's practice the four-step method with a short scene. Read the passage below, then follow along as we analyze it.
Strengths & Limitations of This Approach
Analyzing dialogue and incidents is one of the most useful skills in reading literature. But like any approach, it works best when you understand its strengths and its limits.
| Strengths | Limitations |
|---|---|
| Gives you a clear framework for understanding why a story is structured the way it is | Not every line of dialogue is equally important—you need to pick the key moments |
| Works for all kinds of texts: novels, short stories, plays, movies, even video games | Some stories rely more on narration or internal thoughts, so dialogue may play a smaller role |
| Helps you write stronger literary analysis essays with specific evidence | Labeling a moment as "reveals character" isn't enough—you must explain what it reveals and how |
| Trains you to read more actively and notice things other readers might miss | A single moment can serve multiple functions, which can make analysis feel complex at first |
Connection to Advanced Literary Analysis
The skill you're building here—identifying how dialogue and incidents function in a story—is the foundation for more advanced literary analysis that you'll encounter in high school and beyond. Here's how it connects to bigger ideas.
| What You're Learning Now | Where It Leads |
|---|---|
| Identifying how dialogue propels action | Plot structure analysis — mapping exposition, rising action, climax, and resolution |
| Analyzing how incidents reveal character | Characterization techniques — direct vs. indirect characterization, dynamic vs. static characters |
| Spotting how moments provoke decisions | Theme analysis — the decisions characters make often reveal the story's deeper message or theme |
| Quoting specific dialogue as evidence | Evidence-based argument writing — using textual evidence to support a claim in an essay |
| Noticing when one moment serves multiple functions | Close reading — examining every detail of a passage for layers of meaning |
In high school English, you'll be asked to write full essays that argue how a character's development is shaped by specific dialogue and events. You might also study dramatic irony (when the audience knows something a character doesn't) and how dialogue creates it. The skill of noticing cause and effect in a story—this moment caused that result—is something you'll use in almost every literature class from now on.
For now, the most important thing is practice. The more stories you read with these three questions in mind (action, character, decision), the faster and more naturally you'll spot the key moments.
Practice Problems
Try these five problems on your own. Read each question carefully, think about your answer, then click "Show Answer" to check your thinking. The problems get a little more challenging as you go.
Lesson Summary
In this lesson, you learned that dialogue (the words characters speak) and incidents (the events that happen in a story) are the engines that keep a narrative running. Every key moment in a story can serve one or more of three functions: it can propel the action by creating new conflicts, raising stakes, or introducing twists; it can reveal aspects of a character by showing their personality, values, fears, and motivations through what they say and how they react; and it can provoke a decision by forcing a character to choose a path, creating a turning point that sends the story in a new direction.
You practiced a four-step analysis method: (1) identify the exact moment, (2) trace its consequences, (3) examine what it reveals about character, and (4) determine whether it provokes a decision. The most powerful moments in literature often do all three things at once. By using specific evidence—quoting exact dialogue or describing precise incidents—you can build strong, convincing literary analysis. This skill is the foundation for every kind of close reading and essay writing you'll do in English class from now on.