Asher Sisneros

In this English essay, I will write on whether accuracy, succinctness, or liveliness are more important in nonfiction dialogue. 

It depends on the manuscript. When dealing with a history book, accuracy is most important. By nature, history books demand more accuracy than autobiographies because autobiographies are just one person’s perspective. History books are laying the facts from a third person point of view. They demand more attention to accuracy, because inaccurate dialogue could provide a false representation of the facts. Clearly, accuracy is more important than succinctness or liveliness in history books, but I argue the opposite for autobiographies. 

Autobiographies are different. The writer has to earn the reader’s attention. If a dialogue sequence is accurate and boring, the reader will grow dissatisfied. It is the writer’s duty to captivate the reader and motivate them to keep reading. For that reason, accuracy is least important in an autobiography’s dialogue. One may conclude that I am advocating for lying, but that is not true. Writers should not disregard accuracy for the sake of style, and they should also not disregard liveliness for the sake of accuracy. Writers can, and should, use both. The question is over whether accuracy, succinctness, or liveliness are more important. Comparing the two, I regard liveliness as more important. 

What about accuracy and succinctness? This one is easy. The only difference between accuracy and succinctness is that succinctness is brief and to the point. Succinctness is accuracy without access filler, so naturally, succinctness is better than accuracy. 

Finally, in an autobiography, is it more important to have succinct or lively dialogue? This dispute is harder to answer. Lively dialogue keeps everything fresh and entertaining, encouraging reading. Succinct dialogue is accurate, while also avoiding unnecessary sentences. It is, in one word, efficient. Efficient writing is also pleasurable to read. Without unnecessary phrases or sentences, the dialogue is faster pace. That makes the reader travel through the events quickly, as if they were in a time machine. Through succinctness, the reader will know everything that’s important, and nothing that isn’t. For that reason, I believe that succinct dialogue is better than lively dialogue.