You have written the perfect story with the perfect characters who have the perfect flaws with the perfect ending, just for readers to open your book and hate the dialogue. Maybe it is ineffective or unnatural, but without a doubt, it is killing your story.
Dialogue is intimidating, especially for writers who lack experience. Dialogue can feel unrealistic and ineffective. Every line you write may feel like it is just taking up space on your page. In this guide, we will explore how to make a story dialogue more effective without killing the story or your self-esteem.
What Is Dialogue?
Dialogue is a word thrown around in the writing world, but what does it mean? Dialogue is the conversation between two or more characters. Dialogue is not only exclusive to books. There is also dialogue in films and plays. Dialogue is not only what is being said. It is also how the characters say it, when they say it, why they say it, and what they do not say. When done right, dialogue can feel like eavesdropping on real-life conversations.
What well-written dialogue does
- Reveal parts of the character’s identity.
- Advance the plot.
- Build conflict.
- Explore the theme.
Simple Rules for Writing Dialogue
There are not many hardcore rules in literature; most of them are suggestions. However, if you want to write great dialogue, try to follow these technical dialogue rules.
Basics for making dialogue work
Quotation marks: Every spoken line goes inside quotation marks.
Start a new paragraph for each speaker: It becomes easier for readers to differentiate who is speaking.
Use dialogue tags: Tell readers who is speaking and how they are speaking.
Read this article if you want to learn more about dialogue tags.
How to Show Character Through Dialogue
Everyone sounds different, so should characters. How people speak is influenced by who they are, where they come from, their experience, and countless amount of factors. Let a character’s identity shine through dialogue.
Think of word choice. A teenager will not speak like a professor. The teenager might use slang and shorten words. On the other hand, the professor would use formal and academic language. In the same way, a sarcastic character would sound different from a timid character.
To accurately portray each character’s identity in dialogue, try to place yourself in their shoes. If you were at that time, in that place, in that situation, how would you react? It might take a few tries before you get it right.
In addition, avoid shoving characterization aside for a dialogue to tell the protagonist what they need. It sounds staged and breaks immersion. It is no longer the character speaking, but you talking to the audience. Use characterization in the dialogue. It not only shows who the character is, but it also helps distinguish which character is speaking. You should be able to tell who is speaking without looking at the tags.
Read our beginner-friendly guide to characterization to advance your writing.
Write Dialogue from Each Character’s Viewpoint
To learn how to write a story dialogue, you need to write dialogue from each character’s viewpoint. Similar to characterization, each character has their own agenda, thoughts, and emotions. They all have baggage.
To accurately display a character’s personality, write from their perspective. For example,
Daniel zipped his jacket up and held the door open.
“Are you coming or not?” he smiled.
Sara gripped the handle of her umbrella, debating with herself whether or not to call for a taxi.
“I didn’t bring a jacket.” She slowly made her way to the door.
“You didn’t?” Daniel echoed. He grabbed Sara’s free hand and led her out.
In this example, you can clearly see that Daniel does not mind the rain while Sara is skeptical. They both react differently to the same situation. It tells us a little of who they are and what decision they make that drives the plot. Daniel is the dominant one who makes the decision. Sara, on the other hand, is passive and more influenced by others.
Also, Sara does not say exactly what she means. She is subtly hinting at it, and although Daniel does not directly reject what Sara wants. He is dismissing her wants. From this short example, we have already learned much about who Sara and Daniel are.
How to Use Subtext in Dialogue
The most engaging part of dialogue comes from what the characters do not say directly. Subtext is the hidden meaning beneath the words. Instead of spelling every word out, let readers interpret how they wish.
For example,
Instead of saying, “I’m hurt that you ditched our anniversary.”
You would say, “Did you have fun last night?”
Most people would not say their feelings out right. That would be too vulnerable; instead, they hint at it, and most of the time, it can cause conflicts. In the example above, the character would be more hurt by their partner not choosing to spend their anniversary with them. The character should not say it outright. They should express what they are feeling indirectly, and one of the reasons can be that they are not fully aware of those feelings. It adds realism and forces you to be creative in the way you write dialogue.
Tips for writing subtext
- Use body language.
- Let characters deflect questions.
- Allow silences to speak instead of words.
What to Avoid When Writing Dialogue
There are many different ways to learn how to write a story dialogue, and many different things you can include. However, there are some things you should avoid at all costs.
Pitfalls to avoid
Info-dumping: Whether it is to recap everything that has happened or say things the characters already know, info-dumping is never a good sign
Perfectly polished sentences: People do not speak perfectly. They speak in fragments, stutter, mix words, and pause mid-sentence.
Small talk: No one reads a book for small talk. No one wants to read a book with small talk. It is better to get to the point.
Quick Tips to Make Dialogue More Realistic
You may hear what to avoid and what is killing your writing. In that case, here are some micro tips to enhance your writing.
Use interruption: Let characters cut off each other mid-sentence. It adds to realism.
Answer a question with a question: Characters do not always have to answer things directly; let them deflect.
Change the subject: Some characters have short attention spans, or they are deflecting.
Let the body language contradict dialogue: A character says one thing and then does something opposing their statement.
Use silence: What a character does not say can be as powerful as what they say.
Your Turn to Write
Learning how to write a story dialogue takes time. It does not happen overnight. For many writers, it is the most fun and rewarding part of writing. That can also become a reality for you.
Start with the basics: Learn what dialogue is and the fundamental rules. Make sure you can differentiate who is speaking with both dialogue tags and without. With practice and patience, the rest will come. In the meantime, write. You will naturally become a better writer if you regularly write.
