In A Bottle of Beer, there is really no dialogue. I’d realized this early on, kept it in mind as I wrote, but found little reason to call it into the story. Afterwards, I wondered why.
Dialogue is an excellent vehicle to progress story and feed information that might otherwise be what is called "info dump," that is, getting the necessary background information to the reader that is necessary for comprehension of the action and characters. Example:
John and Mary made arrangements to meet at the library at seven o’clock that evening.
versus:
"Tonight at the library at 7:00?"
"See you there," she replied.
In BoB, though Yolanda has had seven siblings, three husbands, and a multitude (maybe) of children, at this point in her life she is basically alone. She is waiting to meet one more man. That is the story. While conversations could have been useful in some of the backstory, it would bring these characters to life while in the immediate linear narrative, Yolanda is alone and therefore silent. There is no conversation between her and the runner because there is no need for it. Both know what they’re there for.
I’m hoping that this was the best way to do this, and if in fact, it’s a major reason why the editing is consisting of so much cutting: the weight of the telling must not show.
The Lost Children: A Charity Anthology