Introduction
Ever been in a conversation where the back-and-forth felt electric? When you write dialogue, you have the opportunity to create such lively exchanges between characters—ones that draw your reader in and leave them yearning for more.
Whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction, dialogue is an important part of any story. It reveals character traits, advances plot, and creates dynamic scenes. To get it right, though, you’ll have to understand the nuances of writing conversations. That’s why I’m here to help!
In this article, I’ll share some key rules and tips for dialogue that will help give your stories a confidence boost—from crafting natural-sounding conversations to adding layer upon layer of detail. I’m also including some examples of dialogue so you can see how others are doing it right. Let’s chat about conversation!
What Is Writing Dialogue?
Writing dialogue is an art and a skill that, when done well, brings life to your characters and puts readers in the middle of the story. It adds depth to the story by creating natural-sounding conversations that move the plot or character actions and motivations forward. But writing conversations isn’t just about transcribing an actual conversation. There are a few rules and techniques you should keep in mind to make sure your dialogue is believable and effective.
So what is writing dialogue? Well, it’s essentially crafting realistic-sounding conversations—and not just exactly how people really talk. You need to think of how people talk in their worlds; convey personality traits; show conflict, reactions and emotions; share information in a conversational way; and use all the components of good grammar to keep it clear and consistent.
When done right, dialogue can be one of the most powerful storytelling elements in your work. With practice, you’ll learn how to craft conversations that are natural yet still help move your story forward or reveal character traits or backstory.
Examples of Writing Dialogue
Dialogue is an essential element to bring life and emotion to your characters’ interaction. It doesn’t have to be just two characters talking through a conversation. You can also use soliloquies, monologues, and even inner thoughts.
To get more comfortable with dialogue, it pays to read other great authors’ examples of engaging dialogue in their stories—or even watch conversations on film and television for inspiration. As you do this, take note of how the writers have crafted natural conversations out of what the characters are saying or feeling.
You’ll also notice that there are common rules you should follow when writing dialogue: keep it brief, break it up into snippets, vary sentence lengths, use contractions to make it feel conversational, use active verbs and informal language, have one character speak at a time (no overlaps), let one speaker finish talking before responding, vary the structure of sentences depending on who’s speaking, add natural pauses between lines—and most importantly, inject personality into the characters’ speech!
Rules for Writing Dialogue
When writing dialogue, there are some rules that you should keep in mind. It’s important to keep the conversation sounding natural and realistic, but also to make sure that it sounds interesting and flows well! Here are a few of the rules you should follow.
Avoid Wordiness
When writing dialogue, it’s best to avoid wordy phrases or sentences. Instead of using two or more adjectives to describe something, try using one strong word that conveys your point. This will help your dialogue sound more natural and make it easier for readers to follow along!
Use Contractions
In written conversations, contractions can be used to help convey how someone is speaking and show how two characters interact with each other. Contractions are also a great way to make your dialogues sound more natural and less formal.
Make It Flow
Dialogues should flow smoothly so readers don’t have to work too hard to follow them. To do this, try adding transition words like “however” or “anyway” which can help move the conversation forward. You can also use pauses such as ellipses (…) or dashes (-) which indicate when one character is thinking before they speak.
Create Tension
Adding tension can help give your dialogues depth and make them more interesting for readers. This can be done through the use of irony or sarcasm; by making characters contradict each other; or by having characters ask questions that reveal something important about what is going on in the story.
Differentiating Dialogue With Character Actions
An often overlooked part of a creative dialogue is the use of character actions. Whether it’s a character rubbing the back of her neck while talking, taking a deep breath, averting gazes, or any other kind of physicality, these actions play an important role in setting the mood and tone within dialogue.
When you’re writing a conversation between characters, give each one some unique traits that show up in their interactions. Because physicality makes your writing more dynamic and expressive, go beyond just words to help create distinct personalities for each character.
Writing Character Actions
Writing character actions should be concise and detailed enough to draw readers into the conversation without being overly complicated or forced. Here are three rules for writing effective dialogue with character actions:
- Monitor how often characters demonstrate physical movements during the conversation. Make sure there is variation so that it doesn’t become monotonous.
- Use established emotions as points of reference when adding physical details to conversational scenes—but also add meaningful movements that are clearly linked to those feelings or reactions.
- When possible, link concurrent conversations with body language and gestures rather than having separate conversations among different characters at separate tables or locations in the room. This allows readers to incorporate multiple interactions into one scene and keep them engaged with what’s happening in the story!
More Advanced Techniques for Writing Dialogue
Creating a believable conversation is an art, but it’s also one that you can learn with practice. Here are some more advanced techniques for writing a dialogue that’s convincing and engaging:
Short Sentences
Rather than long complicated descriptions or statements, use shorter sentences—just like you would in an actual conversation. Short sentences keep the dialogue moving quickly and give the conversation a natural-feeling flow.
Different Speech Patterns
Give each of your characters their own speech pattern. This helps to make them distinct and original—and more realistic too. So look out for traits like rhythm, vocabulary, oaths, curses and accents—and add them to your dialogue to give it that special touch.
Focus on Interaction
Make sure there’s interaction between the characters in their dialogue—so don’t just have them talking at the same time, or one character dominating the conversation. Keep track of who’s talking and when with punctuation marks like dashes, ellipses and quotation marks so readers can easily follow along.
Ask Questions
Adding questions is a great way to provide an opportunity for other characters to respond—and demonstrate how characters think about each other, or how they feel about certain topics when discussing them. So don’t forget to include some questions in your conversations!
FAQs on Writing Dialogues
Writing dialogue can be daunting, especially when you’re just starting out. Thankfully, there are some easy ways to make sure your dialogue is on point. Here are some frequently asked questions on writing dialogue.
What should I be aware of with punctuation?
When it comes to punctuating your dialogue, use quotation marks and em dashes to express who is speaking. For example: “I’m so excited,” said John. Also, don’t forget to separate your sentences with a comma or period as needed.
How do I properly format a character’s name?
Make sure you format the character’s name consistently throughout the paragraph or conversation. For example, if you use John throughout the conversation, don’t suddenly switch to J for no reason—the reader will get confused about who is speaking!
How can I make the characters sound different when I’m writing?
Writing a believable and natural-sounding conversation doesn’t just depend on punctuation; it also involves including specific details that make each character feel unique. When you write dialogue, consider such details such as:
- Idiosyncrasies in syntax and grammar
- Unique word choices
- Different emotional expressions
- Subtle differences in speech speed and energy levels
- Cultural references that are specific to each character
These minute differences will help create unique personalities for each of your characters and make your conversations more authentic and realistic.
Examples of Dialogue
Now that you know the rules of how to write a dialogue, let’s look at some examples.
A conversation between two people can be anything from a banal exchange between neighbours to a revealing and intense discussion between loved ones. Even short, seemingly insignificant conversations can have a huge impact on the story of your piece or serve to show character development—so pay attention to every word.
Example #1
Ali: Hi, Jozy! Haven’t seen you in what seems like years! How did the big move go?
Jozy: It was pretty hectic, but you know us, we manage! We survived.
Ali: That’s great news. Well, I won’t keep you then. Catch up soon?
Jozy: Absolutely—let me give you my new number before I forget!
Example #2
Gulzar: You called this urgent? What could be so important that it needs to be done now?
Emram: We need to discuss the revisions for the Johnson Project before sending them off tonight.
Gulzar: Oh right…I had forgotten about that… Still, couldn’t it have waited until tomorrow?
In both examples above, the dialogue is easy and natural—just like real-life conversations. Notice how both characters talk in full sentences rather than with one or two words; this adds more detail and colour to the dialogue. Also, note how in Example #2 Gulzar is anxious or annoyed by Emran’s urgency—this helps us understand his character better and also reveals his attitude toward Emram’s request.
Conclusion
With practice and patience, all writers can master the art of dialogue, and inject the conversations of their characters with life. It’s important to remember that dialogue should move the story forward and have a purpose and convey purpose. Dialogue can be used to help build up tension in a story, to express character traits and emotions, and to set the tone and mood. Pay attention to the rules of dialogue writing and use the example dialogues for reference when needed. With a good understanding of the rules and practices for writing dialogue, you’ll be crafting meaningful and powerful conversations that draw readers in.