With Krea
How to write dialogue
To write dialogue, put each character's words inside quotation marks, say who said it, and start a new line every time a new character talks. Make each character sound like themselves, show feelings through what they say and do, and skip the boring hellos. In this course your kid learns talking marks, gives two characters different voices, shows a feeling without naming it, and writes a one-page scene to read out loud. Krea hosts four short films for kids 6 to 13, with Pom, who loves puddles, and Boxy, a cardboard robot, as the example all the way through. Plan about 3 minutes of films and 30–45 minutes of writing and reading. On Kubrio, all four films and the quiz are free, with no account, and your kid ends with a one-page scene where two characters talk.
All 4 lessons and the quiz are free on this page. Your kid doesn't need an account. See every lesson
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▶ 1:45 tourWhat your kid makes
Your kid ends with a one-page scene on paper: two characters with voices of their own, talking marks and a new line for each speaker, and feelings shown instead of told. They read it out loud with someone at home, one character each.
- Ages
- 6 to 13
- Time
- 4 films, about 3 minutes, then 30–45 minutes of writing and reading
- You need
- Paper and a pencil, someone at home to read the scene with
- Host
- Krea
The 4 lessons
Lesson 1. Talking marks
A character's words go inside quotation marks, then comes who said it. Every new speaker gets a new line.
- Pick two characters
- Write one thing each one says, inside talking marks
- Start a new line for each speaker
Where: Paper
Lesson 2. Sound like yourself
Each character sounds like themselves, so you can tell who's talking even with the names covered. A special word for each one helps.
- Decide how each character talks: short and loud, or long and polite
- Give each one a special word they always say
- Write "I'm hungry" two ways, once for each
Where: Paper
Lesson 3. Show the feeling
Telling says "Pom was angry." Showing lets the words and actions carry it, and talking words like yelled, cried, giggled, and gasped show feelings too.
- Pick a feeling
- Write one line that shows it without the feeling word
- Choose a talking word that fits the feeling
Where: Paper
Lesson 4. Cut to the good part
Good scenes skip the boring hellos and start where something happens. A whole page of talk comes alive when two people read it out loud.
- Cut the hellos and start where something happens
- Fill one page with two characters talking
- Read it out loud with someone at home, one character each
Where: Paper and at home
Take the quiz
Krea asks 3 questions about the films. Get 2 right and you finish the course.
Transcript
Lesson 1: Talking marks
Your characters can talk! Today you make them talk in a story, on paper.
Meet Pom. And meet Boxy, a robot made of cardboard. Uh oh. It's starting to rain.
When someone talks, their words go inside quotation marks. Talking marks! They look like tiny commas, way up high.
Then write who said it. Puddles! said Pom.
Now Boxy talks. New speaker, new line. I am made of cardboard, said Boxy.
Two characters, two lines, and you can almost hear them!
Your turn. Pick two characters. Write one thing each one says. Use talking marks, and start a new line for each.
Lesson 2: Sound like yourself
Every character should sound like themselves. Even with the names covered, you know who's talking!
Pom is bouncy. Short words, lots of shouting. Jump! Splash! Again!
Boxy is careful. Long, polite words. Excuse me. Water and cardboard are not friends.
Now hide the names. Jump! Splash! That's Pom. Excuse me. That's Boxy. Easy!
Give each one a special word. Pom always says yes, yes, yes! Boxy always says oh dear.
Your turn. Write I'm hungry two ways. Once for each of your characters.
Lesson 3: Show the feeling
Here's a writer's trick. Don't tell how a character feels. Let their words show it!
Telling sounds like this. Pom was angry. Hmm. You know it, but you can't feel it.
Showing sounds like this. That's my puddle! Pom yelled, and stomped.
Or this. Boxy, your arm is getting soggy! cried Pom, and grabbed an umbrella.
Look at the talking words too. Yelled, cried, giggled, gasped. Each one shows a feeling.
Nobody said angry or worried, but you could feel it!
Your turn. Pick a feeling. Write one line that shows it, without using the feeling word.
Lesson 4: Cut to the good part
Last lesson! Now your characters talk for a whole page. Then you read it out loud!
First, cut the boring hellos. Hi. Hi. How are you? Fine. Yawn!
Start where something happens. It's raining! said Pom. Oh dear, said Boxy.
See? It starts right in the rain. Now you want to know what happens next!
Fill one page. Two characters, talking marks, a new line for each, and feelings that show.
Then read it out loud with someone at home. You're one character, and they're the other!
Your turn. Write your one-page scene, and read it out loud together. You made your characters talk!
Free guides to practise with
Questions parents ask
How do I teach my kid to write dialogue?
Start with the mechanics: the spoken words go inside quotation marks, followed by who said it, and every new speaker starts a new line. Then work on voices. Each character should sound so different that you can tell them apart with the names covered.
What does "show, don't tell" mean in dialogue?
Telling names the feeling: "Pom was angry." Showing lets the character's words and actions carry it: "That's my puddle!" Pom yelled, and stomped. Talking words like yelled, cried, giggled, and gasped also show a feeling without naming it.
My kid's dialogue is all hellos. How do we fix that?
Cut the greetings and start where something happens. Instead of "Hi." "Hi." "How are you?", open with the problem: "It's raining!" said Pom. "Oh dear," said Boxy. Starting in the middle makes the reader want to know what happens next.