"YOUR MONKEY IS IN THE OFFICE"

A powerful tool with writing is recording dialogue. Have you ever just placed yourself in a spot and listened to the conversation spoken around you? What would your thoughts be if you overheard this interchange?

“Hey Mattie, your monkey is in the office.”

“Oh…Okay? I thought I left it in the girl’s bathroom? Thanks Justin.”

Had I not known the background and simply overheard that conversation, this is the picture I would have created in my mind…I would have been so curious.

Even in journal entries, using dialogue makes what you say more powerful. It reveals character and personality, real people have conversations. Dialogue adds versatility and can emphasize a point with minimal words. Dialogue is a great method for getting information across in a bite-sized way. It can express who you are and what you feel more effectively than a long monotonous paragraph.

Here is how I would write the monkey journal entry:

I was standing at the drinking fountain filling my water bottle when Justin walks up.

“Hey Mattie, your monkey is in the office.”

“Oh…Okay? I thought I left it in the girl’s bathroom?” Did I really just say that out loud! “Thanks Justin.” I hurried to the office and retrieved my monkey. It didn’t matter so much where I left my monkey, I was just happy to have my lunchbox back.

Journal prompt: Record a conversation, between yourself & others or a conversation overheard.