Dialogue is one of the most important parts of a story. Effective dialogue is the life force of a book—it brings characters to life, reveals emotions, and draws readers in. Strong characters drive a plot, as I mentioned in this article.
But all too often, dialogue is poorly executed. It can sound fake, awkward, or redundant.
How can you write strong, effective dialogue?
1. Individualize
Make each character’s dialogue unique. Everyone talks differently. Don’t rely on clichés or stereotypes to differentiate characters. For example, slang for young characters and incorrect technology terms for older characters is a clumsy way to show age differences. Slang does not count for individualizing characters. A little pirate slang is okay. Too much, and your readers will get mixed up on words like “hornswoggle” and “cackle fruit.” Similarly, modern slang changes rapidly and can disappear in ten years or a single month. Try to avoid it.
Instead, use subtle differences to make characters different. Observe how you talk compared with other people you know. Some talk in short sentences with simple words, while others talk with longer, detailed sentences. Charming people use sentences with soft, rounded words like “darling,” “enchanted,” and “wonderful.” Charismatic leaders use bold, confident words like “goal,” “drive,” and “risk.” Kind, or people-pleasing people habitually use phrases like “no worries,” “just let me know,” and “whatever works for you.” Some use uncommon or industry-specific words; others use familiar words. If you struggle to create a unique dialogue for your character, find a celebrity or influencer with a similar personality and study their way of speaking.
2. Reality Check
Make dialogue realistic Although you obviously don’t want to make characters stutter, stumble over their words, or interrupt themselves with “um” or “like,” you can still make characters sound realistic. Depending on the setting, adapt your characters to sound believable. Listen to conversations and study the way people talk. We often speak with shortcuts like “sounds good” or “you tell me” when answering questions. We also use counterintuitive statements such as “I wouldn’t know” or “I could care less.” Sprinkling in realistic touches of dialogue can make your story feel refreshingly real.
3. Airway Check
Let your characters breathe. This is a simple tip: read your writing out loud and make sure that your sentences aren’t too long for characters to realistically say on a single lungful of oxygen or you will risk losing your reader’s concentration. Phew. See what I mean? Break sentences up with commas, or make shorter sentences. Readers will lose focus when sentences are too long. Although readers are generally more forgiving when for regular writing, dialogue is supposed to be a real person speaking. If readers can’t imagine your character talking that long without breathing, you’re already spoiling the magic show.
4. No Info Dumping
Don’t use dialogue to reveal information characters would already know. Restating facts such as “Mother died nine years ago,” “You need to win this contest to win that scholarship,” or “He is the most powerful man in America” doesn’t make any sense. If a character needs no reminder, use a different vehicle other than dialogue to share the information. As a rule of thumb, if the sentence could begin with “as you know,” delete it. Similarly, do not use dialogue as an opportunity to explain massive amounts of worldbuilding information.
5. Less Is More
In high impact moments, use less dialogue. When the character finds out everything they have been told is a lie, don’t make them explode into paragraphs of shocked dialogue. Instead, a simple, “Why? Why didn’t you ever tell me?” has more impact.
6. Make It Musical
Conversations have a flow, with upbeats, downbeats, long sentences, and short statements. Read it out loud to give it a realistic flow. Alternate between long sentences and short sentences and between complex and simple sentences.
7. Leave Things Unsaid
In conversations, a lot is said by implication. Allow the reader to understand this. “You know how he gets when he’s sad,” “And we all know to avoid her when she’s angry,” “You know what I mean,” and so forth.
8. Simplify Speaker Tags
“Said” and “asked” are classics for a reason. “Shouted,” “screamed,” and “yelled” can be reserved for special occasions. Similarly, reserve exclamation marks for special occasions. Definitely avoid “growled,” “hissed,” “snarled,” “barked,” and the like.
9. Surprise Your Reader
Does your character make a cool speech, or use a compelling phrase (such as, “for Narnia, and for Aslan!”)? Save these phrases for the most important moments. Does your character usually talk in short sentences? Make them explode into a longwinded speech at an important moment. Does your character never talk about his family? Make him abruptly open up at a key moment. The more you build up suspense, the more willing your readers will be to listen to a spiel.
10. Don’t Explain
In many books, characters explain their emotions with the accuracy and articulation of a professional therapist. “I feel betrayed because you said this, and it reminded me of my childhood when my feelings were invalidated by my mom when she ignored my dreams to become an artist.” Not exactly in that detail, but pretty close.
Most people do not completely understand their trauma and all its side effects, let alone how to clearly explain it to someone they just met. Yet many book characters glibly explain their emotion in the very moment they are feeling it. To be realistic, allow your characters to be overcome by emotion. “You betrayed me. Just leave. Get out. No, just go, I don’t want to talk about it.”
By following these tips, you can create dialogue so authentic and realistic that your readers can hear your characters’ voices. Keep practicing—soon enough, you’ll be crafting conversations that crackle with energy and move your story forward.
Sending love,
Anastasia xoxo