Dialogue

1. Embrace Dialogue as Natural Conversation: Forget you're "writing" and let characters speak authentically.

When we're about to write a piece of dialogue, any dialogue, we must remember to forget.

Unleash natural flow. Writing dialogue often feels difficult because we overthink it, trying to make every word perfect or profound. Instead, approach dialogue as naturally as breathing and talking, two things we've done since birth. The key is to "remember to forget" that you're writing dialogue; slip inside your characters and let them speak from within, as if channeling their voice. This organic approach bypasses the self-doubt and paralysis that often plague writers.

Channel your characters. Great impersonators abandon their own voice to embody another. Similarly, writers should abandon their automatic internal voice and become the character. This isn't New Age mysticism; it's a practical technique to access the authentic voice needed for any character, whether sane or insane, kind or brutal. Your characters reside within you, and pulling their voices from this internal well makes dialogue an organic, rather than forced, process.

Your way is the "right" way. There's no single "right" way to write dialogue, despite what other instructors or books might suggest. Your unique voice, accessed by truly becoming your characters, is the correct approach. This freedom allows for authentic dialogue that delivers your character's true voice to the reader, making the process enjoyable and less of a struggle.

2. Dialogue's Multifaceted Purpose: It's a powerful tool for character, plot, mood, and theme.

Dialogue not only creates space on the page, which is visually appealing, but it's also what brings characters to life in a story, which is emotionally appealing.

Beyond conversation. Dialogue serves multiple critical functions in a story, far beyond mere conversation. Visually, it breaks up dense text, making pages more inviting. Emotionally, it breathes life into characters, allowing readers to connect with them as they interact, revealing their true selves, motives, and internal struggles. Effective dialogue is the engine that propels a story forward.

Dynamic storytelling. Dialogue is a versatile tool that simultaneously:

• Characterizes/reveals motives: Shows who characters are and what drives them.
• Sets the mood: Evokes specific emotions (fear, love, hostility) in the reader.
• Intensifies story conflict: Raises stakes and creates obstacles for the protagonist.
• Creates tension and suspense: Keeps readers on edge, hinting at future events.
• Speeds up scenes: Accelerates pacing through quick back-and-forth exchanges.
• Adds setting/background: Integrates details naturally into conversation.
• Communicates theme: Weaves the story's core message into character interactions.

Engaging the reader. By understanding these purposes, writers can craft dialogue that deeply engages readers, making them care about the characters and their struggles. It's about delivering a real sense of the story's world and its underlying truths, making the narrative vibrant and compelling.

3. Confront Your Dialogue Fears: Overcome self-doubt by understanding common anxieties and practical fixes.

Our fears and misconceptions prevent us from burning through to first thoughts.

Unmasking common anxieties. Many writers, even experienced ones, harbor fears about writing dialogue, leading to self-doubt and paralysis. These "what if" fears include:

• Characters sounding stupid or all the same.
• Not meeting reader expectations.
• Dialogue being flat, boring, stilted, or formal.
• Characters running away with the scene.
• Incorrect balance of narrative.
  Recognizing these fears is the first step to defusing their power.

Practical solutions for common fears:

• Stupid characters: Read dialogue aloud, get feedback from "cool" writers. Remember, people say stupid things in real life; it can be fixed in revision.
• Same-sounding characters: Know your characters intimately. Write first-person sketches, or even scenes from multiple viewpoints. Ensure diverse backgrounds and motivations.
• Flat/boring dialogue: Ensure every line contributes to plot or character. If it's boring, it's often a sign the story itself is off track. This is a second-draft fix.
• Stilted/formal dialogue: Relax and stop trying too hard. Let dialogue emerge from the character's needs, not the writer's agenda.
• Characters running away: Embrace spontaneity. Sometimes, characters taking over leads to a deeper, more authentic story. You can always reign them in during revision.

Relaxation is key. Good writing, especially dialogue, flows best when you're relaxed and not overly concerned with mechanics. By bringing fears into the open and practicing, confidence replaces anxiety, allowing your authentic voice to emerge.

4. Tailor Dialogue to Genre & Character: Match the story's rhythm and character's unique voice.

Readers pick up certain kinds of stories for specific reasons.

Genre dictates voice. Just as every writer has a unique voice, so does every story, largely defined by its genre. Different genres come with specific reader expectations for dialogue, pacing, and character interaction. Understanding your story's category—genre (fantasy, mystery, romance), mainstream, or literary—is crucial for crafting dialogue that resonates with your target audience.

Dialogue types by genre:

• Magical (Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Romance): Eloquent, dramatic, often formal (e.g., no contractions), lyrical.
• Cryptic (Literary/Religious): Indirect, subtle, ambiguous, with hidden meanings that challenge the reader's beliefs.
• Descriptive (Literary/Mainstream/Historical): Weaves in setting, history, or cultural context without info-dumping.
• Shadowy (Horror/Mystery): Ominous tone, foreshadowing, creates terror and suspense.
• Breathless (Action/Suspense/Thriller): Fast-paced, short bursts, high emotion, minimal description.
• Provocative (Mainstream/Literary): Challenges thinking, explores universal truths, often philosophical.
• Uncensored (Young Adult): Raw, edgy, honest, reflects authentic teen speech and emotional directness.

Meeting reader expectations. Your characters' dialogue should align with the overall rhythm and purpose of your story. A fast-paced thriller demands rapid-fire exchanges, while a literary novel might feature more contemplative, slower dialogue. Delivering dialogue that meets these genre-specific needs is a constant challenge but essential for deeply satisfying readers.

5. Propel the Story Forward: Every line must advance plot, reveal obstacles, or deepen conflict.

Dialogue is only a means to an end—it's not the end itself.

Purposeful conversation. Every scene of dialogue must serve a purpose: to move the plot forward, integrate the theme, or deepen character conflict. Pointless or "ho-hum" dialogue, like characters chatting about mundane to-do lists, risks boring the reader and stalling the narrative. Dialogue is a dynamic tool meant to increase struggle and propel the story.

Dialogue as a plot engine. Effective dialogue can achieve several objectives simultaneously:

• Provides new information: A "zinger" that shifts the plot or character perception.
• Reveals new obstacles: Creates immediate conflict, forcing the protagonist to react.
• Increases suspense: Raises stakes, making the situation worse for characters.
• Furthers the theme: Characters articulate the story's universal truth, prompting reader reflection.
• Shows character transformation: Profound words exchanged mark significant internal shifts.
• Reveals/reminds of goals: Characters state their intentions, keeping the reader engaged with their journey.

Avoid isolated characters. Dialogue thrives on interaction. Keep characters in social settings as much as possible, avoiding prolonged scenes of isolated self-analysis. When characters interact, their struggles become externalized, creating immediate conflict and driving the story forward in a compelling, visual way.

6. Master the Art of Weaving: Blend dialogue, narrative, and action for a dynamic, three-dimensional scene.

Writing a story means weaving all of the elements of fiction together, just like quilters weave the various patterns of their quilts or ice skaters weave in and out of each other on the ice.

The tapestry of storytelling. A truly immersive story requires a seamless blend of dialogue (characters' words), action (physical movement), and narrative (characters' thoughts, observations, background). This "weaving" creates a three-dimensional experience for the reader, mimicking the simultaneous thoughts, actions, and conversations of real life. When done well, it's invisible; when absent, the story feels flat.

Strategic integration:

• Dialogue into action: In action-heavy scenes, brief bursts of dialogue add realism and character depth, preventing the scene from feeling stagnant. Even a character alone can talk aloud to themselves.
• Narrative into dialogue: Anchor descriptive or background narrative within conversations. Instead of long exposition, weave character thoughts, observations, or past details into their spoken words, making the information more engaging and less like an "info dump."
• Balanced scenes: Most scenes benefit from a balance of all three elements. This balance creates a natural rhythm, preventing scenes from becoming top-heavy with just one element, which can feel unreal or boring.

When to break the weave. While weaving is generally preferred, there are times to intentionally focus on a single element. For instance, dialogue-only scenes can highlight a character's neurosis or speed up a conflict. Narrative-only scenes can delve deep into a character's mind or provide essential background. Action-only scenes can convey intense, non-verbal moments. The key is conscious choice, driven by the scene's purpose and desired pacing.

7. Leverage Character Quirks & Enneagram: Use distinct speech patterns and personality types for authentic voices.

The quirkiness of a character's speech should be something we think consciously about.

Distinctive voices. Beyond plot and theme, unique speech patterns distinguish characters and enhance their roles. These quirks should arise organically from the character's personality and purpose, not be arbitrary. Examples include:

• Twisted tongue: Lisping or stuttering (use sparingly to avoid annoyance).
• Rocket/Turtle: Fast or slow talkers, reflecting their overall pace of life.
• Baby doll/Bass drum: High-pitched or deep voices (convey through tone description).
• Calculator: Methodical, carefully chosen words (image-conscious, manipulative, or scared).
• Ace: Minimalist, one-word answers, grunts (reserved, uncommunicative).
• Apologizer: Constantly saying "I'm sorry," mumbling (shame-filled, easily manipulated).
• Shield: Defensive, quick to deflect (feels constantly under attack).
• Channel changer: Sentence fragments, jumps subjects (distracted, unfocused, or genius).
• Dialect: Sprinkle foreign words or slang (use subtly to avoid tediousness).
• Cannon: Loud, all caps (forceful, attention-grabbing).
• Switchblade: Edgy tone, directives (tough, controlling).

Enneagram for depth. The Enneagram, a system of nine personality types, offers a powerful tool for developing authentic characters and their motivations. Each type has core motivations that influence how they speak and act:

• 1 (Reformer): Driven by "rightness," confrontational.
• 2 (Giver): Seeks love/value, offers unsolicited help.
• 3 (Achiever): Needs success, image-conscious, fast-paced.
• 4 (Artist): Seeks understanding, dramatic, emotional.
• 5 (Observer): Needs knowledge, withdrawn, thoughtful.
• 6 (Questioner): Seeks security, skeptical, worries.
• 7 (Adventurer): Seeks happiness, positive, chatters.
• 8 (Leader): Seeks strength, protective, aggressive.
• 9 (Peacemaker): Avoids conflict, soft-spoken, merges with others.
  Understanding a character's Enneagram type can instantly inform their dialogue, making it ring true.

8. Avoid Common Dialogue Pitfalls: Recognize and eliminate artificiality, redundancy, and unnecessary elements.

Unless we know we're making a mistake, we can't correct it.

Identify dialogue "buggers." Even talented writers fall prey to common dialogue mistakes that weaken authenticity and reader engagement. Being aware of these pitfalls is crucial for refining your craft.

• John-Marsha Syndrome: Constant use of character names in dialogue ("Ron, I heard... Oh yeah, Karen?"). It sounds unnatural and artificial, unless used sparingly for specific effect (e.g., power dynamics).
• Adjective, adverb, and inappropriate tag addiction: Over-reliance on adverbs (e.g., "said ragingly," "smiled sweetly") or using actions as tags (e.g., "he nodded," "she laughed"). Let the dialogue and accompanying action convey the emotion and tone.
• The Disconnect: Dialogue lines that don't logically follow the previous speaker's statement. Each line should respond and set up the next, maintaining flow.

Streamline for impact. Other common issues include:

• As-You-Know-Bob Tendency: Characters stating information they already know for the reader's benefit ("Well, Carol, my Aunt Maude is coming again... you know, the one whose teeth always fall out..."). This is contrived; use narrative or action for background.
• The Speech: Long, uninterrupted monologues. Break up speeches with other characters' interruptions, internal thoughts, or actions to maintain reader interest.
• Ho-Hum Moments: Dialogue that does nothing to further plot, develop character, or create tension (e.g., mundane introductions or small talk). Every line must have a purpose.
• Perfect Grammar Problem: Dialogue that sounds too formal or grammatically perfect for the character or situation. Embrace natural speech patterns, including contractions and informal language where appropriate.
• Redundancy Issue: Repeating information in dialogue that has already been conveyed in narrative or action. Once is enough.

Practice and revise. Recognizing these mistakes is the first step. The second is to actively revise, reading dialogue aloud to catch unnatural phrasing. Don't fear making mistakes in the first draft; they are opportunities for learning and refinement.

9. Punctuate for Pacing & Professionalism: Use mechanics to control rhythm and enhance readability.

Every story has its own rhythm, and much, maybe most, of that rhythm comes from the way the dialogue scenes are punctuated.

Rhythm through punctuation. Proper punctuation is fundamental to crafting dialogue that flows naturally and effectively controls the story's pace. A misplaced comma can disrupt the rhythm of an entire scene. Key rules include:

• Quotation marks: At the beginning and end of every dialogue passage.
• Internal punctuation: Commas, periods, question marks, and exclamation marks always go inside the closing quotation mark.
• Ellipses (...): For words that trail off or indicate hesitation.
• Dashes (—): To show an interruption or a character breaking off mid-sentence.
• Avoid colons/semicolons: They look unnatural in dialogue.
• Exclamation marks: Use sparingly; let the words themselves convey excitement or intensity.

Paragraph construction and contractions.

• New paragraph for each speaker: Every character's dialogue, along with their accompanying actions or internal musings, gets its own paragraph. This simple rule prevents confusion and improves readability.
• Contractions for authenticity: Generally, use contractions (e.g., "can't," "she'll") as they reflect natural speech. Exceptions exist for emphasis (e.g., "I did not").

Strategic use of italics and tags.

• Italics: Use sparingly for emphasis on a word/phrase or to indicate a character's internal thoughts, especially emotional ones or epiphanies. Overuse dilutes their impact.
• Tags: Identify speakers primarily through action or the viewpoint character's thoughts, rather than relying solely on "said" or inappropriate tags (e.g., "nodded," "laughed"). The strongest tag placement is often at the end of the first sentence of a dialogue block.

Professional polish. Mastering these mechanics ensures your dialogue reads smoothly and professionally, making your manuscript more appealing to agents and editors. It frees your mind to focus on the creative aspects of storytelling.

10. Embrace Reticence and Strategic Tension: What's unsaid can be as powerful as what is, building suspense.

The less your character tells us about himself, while letting on that there's more to know, the more likely we'll be to keep turning the pages to find out the rest.

The power of the unspoken. Not every character needs to spill their guts in every scene. In real life, people learn reticence, holding back personal details until trust is established. This natural human behavior, when mirrored in fiction, creates powerful suspense. When a character hints at deeper issues or remains silent in a tense moment, the reader's curiosity is piqued, compelling them to read on.

Strategic tension and humor.

• Degrees of tension: Tension isn't always overt shouting. It can be subtle disagreement, a character's silence, or an ominous tone. Varying the intensity keeps the reader engaged without causing fatigue.
• Conflict at the core: Every dialogue passage should have conflict—mental, verbal, or physical—with something at stake for the viewpoint character. This internal or external struggle drives the scene.
• Humor as relief: Judiciously placed humor can lighten a heavy story, providing a moment of relief after tension. It also hooks readers, making them anticipate more funny moments.

Crafting compelling endings. End scenes and chapters with dialogue that leaves things open-ended, creating suspense. A startling statement, a lingering question, or a character's unresolved reaction can compel the reader to turn the page, even if they planned to stop. This technique leverages the inherent human desire for resolution and understanding.

Last updated: August 6, 2025