Underdeveloped dialogue will ruin even the most exciting, well-developed story. Like anything else, writing engaging, dynamic dialogue is a unique skill that takes time to develop. In this post, I’ll go over 5 ways to sharpen your dialogue and make it come alive.
Use Tags Strategically
Dialogue tags and action tags, when used strategically, can keep the reader clear on who is speaking as well as show them what is going on with the characters’ body language and environment during the conversation. Some writers struggle to use them, leading to a scene that reads more like a script than prose. Other writers bog their scene down by using too many of them. It can be hard to find a balance.
When placing dialogue or action tags in a conversation, the first consideration should be clarity. This can be done through either action tags or dialogue tags. If the reader loses track of who is speaking, then there either aren’t quite enough tags or the tags themselves are unclear.
The second consideration—specifically when placing action tags—should be adding color and life to the scene. Without action tags, the reader will be led to picture two characters simply standing in empty space as they talk. However, if you tag every line of dialogue with an action, the scene will feel too busy and the reader won’t know where to put their focus. Writing high-quality action tags that add to the scene without detracting too much from the conversation can be a hard balance to strike. It might take some playing around before you find that balance.
One of the best ways to get an idea of how effectively your action and dialogue tags are functioning in a scene is by getting a fresh perspective. Critique partners and beta readers will tell you when they get lost in a conversation or when they can’t picture what’s going on. I also recommend reading your dialogue scenes aloud to get a sense of the rhythm and flow.
Related: Self-Editing Part 4: Line Editing
Cut the Fluff (or Most of It)
Readers may think they want dialogue that sounds just like the way real people speak. But real speech is overflowing with fluff—filler words, half-finished sentences, non-verbal sounds, and on and on. While filler words and phrases like um, anyway, you know, well, like, and I mean provide our real-life brains a buffer to help us compose our answers on the fly, filling your dialogue with them will quickly bore the reader. While you can certainly use a sprinkling of them if it fits your style, your character, and the tone of the book, keep it light.
Don’t Forget Interiority
No matter your chosen point-of-view—whether it’s limited or omniscient—don’t forget to dip into the minds of your character(s) regularly throughout the scene. Show the reader what they’re thinking and feeling as the conversation progresses. Show what conclusions they’re drawing and what internal decisions they’re making. Your readers will feel a much deeper connection to your character(s) as you show them what’s happening under the surface of the scene.
Incorporate Personality
If you want your characters to feel three-dimensional during dialogue scenes, liven them up by imbuing their presence on the page with a few unique quirks. This could be a turn of phrase they favor, an unconscious movement they make whenever they’re upset or happy or worried, or a particular way of moving or interacting with their environment. The possibilities are endless.
Before you choose your character’s unique quirks, first think about their personalities as a whole and consider whether they truly fit with what you know about them, including their upbringing and background. And when selecting quirks for your characters, remember that less is more. If you include too many characterizing details, they will start to compete with each other in your reader’s mind. It’s better to pick between one and three of these little quirks and then make sure they show up fairly consistently throughout the story.
Create Tension with “Sideways” Responses
In fiction, dialogue filled with straight, on-the-nose responses gets boring very quickly. Each character should have their own agenda that should be shaping each of their responses. Rather than having every character respond to every question or idea posed by the other in a complete and straightforward manner, make their responses more of a side step—whether that’s a subtle shift in direction, an incomplete answer, a silence, a question of their own, or even an abrupt change of subject.
The more “sideways” your characters’ responses to each other are, the greater the tension will be in the scene, so keep that in mind. If it’s not meant to be an especially tense scene, then keep the sideways answers down to a few minimal side steps. On the other hand, a conversation full of sideways responses can bring a very agitated conversation to a particularly intense head when a character says or does something that finally demands a straightforward answer, causing another character to reveal something they were trying to hide.
Wrapping Up
Whether you’re writing a lighthearted chapter book or an intense high fantasy series, dialogue is one of the most important elements to master. I hope these tips help you write better dialogue, and I’d love to hear any you have to add!
Happy writing!
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