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Q&A I have a dialogue that I can't write directly. What would be a good alternative?

How do you know what the sparrows are thinking? I mean that sincerely. If you're watching them, you attribute dialogue to them because they're obviously communicating things to each other. They ...

posted 5y ago by Cyn‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Answer
#4: Attribution notice removed by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-20T00:40:45Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/45710
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T12:05:02Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/45710
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by (deleted user) · 2019-12-08T12:05:02Z (almost 5 years ago)
How do you know what the sparrows are thinking?

I mean that sincerely. If you're watching them, you attribute dialogue to them because they're obviously communicating things to each other. They just don't use speech or other formal language.

You know what they're "saying" because their body language and interactions with each other and objects around them makes it clear to any observer. As well as clear to the other sparrows.

## Perhaps your solution isn't in the description, but in the narration.

If you were telling this story to a friend, you'd add in the dialogue in a way where no one would think the birds spoke in words.

> The brown sparrow was eating his bread crumb when the gray one plopped right between his and his food and told him "mine!" She glared at him until he backed away then she began to eat the bread. He snuck towards her, trying to grab a small bit that had fallen off, but she cheeped "back off dude!" until he gave up and flew away.

So allow your narrator some poetic license. If a human observer can tell what the sparrows are thinking, express those interpretations through your narrator.

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2019-06-03T19:32:14Z (over 5 years ago)
Original score: 1