How to Write Authentic Dialogue
Real talk: writer to writer…
When I started writing fiction, I really enjoyed writing dialogue—until I realized how terrible I was at it! And then, when I figured out what I was doing wrong, things got worse before they got better.
My dialogue felt forced and sticky. But over time, I improved.
If writing dialogue has made you feel this way and you want to learn how to do it better, this article will help!
Dialogue is an essential part of writing narrative fiction, and it's one of those things we must master, or the story falls flat.
Nothing's worse than reading a conversation between two characters that goes nowhere and serves no purpose, except maybe reading dialogue that spoon-feeds information the author wants us to know. It's like being forced to eat peas. (I hate peas.)
Today, we'll dig into what dialogue is and what it does and learn how to write it well by avoiding common mistakes.
What is dialogue?
Dialogue is an exchange of spoken words between two or more characters in the story. This isn't the characters talking to themselves inside their head. That's a monologue. And this isn't about language either–plenty of languages don't make any noise, body language, or sign language, for example.
These are the words spoken between folks in conversation.
Dialogue seems pretty straightforward when you think about it like that, but what purpose does it serve?
Ah, writer friend, that's the juicy question.
What does dialogue do?
High-level dialogue serves many purposes in narrative fiction. Here are a few examples:
Advance the plot (moving your characters into and through new events in the story)
Reveal character desire
Deepen the reader's understanding of the character's personality and motivations
Enhance or develop the setting
Foreshadow events
Determine pacing
Show stakes
Touch theme
Set tone
Whew, that's a bunch of things. And they all matter, but it's a lot to hold in your head when you're just trying to get your character to converse in your first draft.
So knowing what dialogue can do and should do is important, but finding a practical way to apply it is KEY!
How can we learn to write "good" dialogue?
Well, first, what's considered good dialogue?
In a nutshell, good dialogue gives the reader a reason to keep reading. It adds something at just the right time to move the story forward and expand the reader's understanding of the situation in a way that interests them.
I have a fast and dirty trick to share with you, but it takes a little setup to get there, so bear with me for a minute.
Take a minute to think about why people actually speak to each other in real life.
(INSERT TIME FOR PROCESSING ... 😉)
You are spot on if you said they do it to communicate their thoughts, ideas, and emotions! But why do they want to communicate those things? What determines what we say, how, and when we say it?
Three things: Personality, Desire, and Circumstance.
IRL, we use dialogue to convey what we want or to hide what we don't want others to see.
Author, actor, and screenwriter James Scott Bell said, "Dialogue is an extension of action," and I couldn't agree more.
Dialogue is how we go after what we want with our words, so understanding who our characters are, their motivations, and how those things change from moment to moment in the story is critical.
So, as writers, here's the takeaway:
When you're writing a scene with dialogue, think about what each player in this scene wants.
Everyone has an agenda. Everyone desires a particular outcome, and these players' circumstances will impact what they say and how and when they speak.
For example, let's say your main character is Charlie, and we're in his POV. He's a senior in high school, and generally, he wants people to think he's a badass. That's the personality type he thinks is cool and wants to reflect.
Except over the summer when none of his "cool" friends were around, and he was just "himself," Charlie met a lovely girl, who we'll call Dianna, and they fell in love. But Dianna was leaving to return home after the summer, so they agreed to try a long-distance relationship.
When Charlie returns for the first day of his senior year, he tells all his buddies about his summer adventures with Dianna, and he presents it in his bad-boy, badass fashion; maybe he doesn't even use her name, perhaps he calls her some hot chick and then even alludes to the fact they went past first base–which they didn't—because (and here's the key) Charlie wants his buddies to think he's cool.
Can you imagine the dialogue in this setting? High school. A bunch of dudes hanging around lockers, slapping backs and laughing.
Is Charlie going to admit any vulnerability here? Heck no. He's not going to say he's in love with this girl, right?
No, he'll stay true to his persona because his motivation and desire at the moment are to look cool, even though deep down, he really does love Dianna and wishes he could still be with her.
Now, let's say a moment later, Charlie gets a tap on the shoulder. He turns. It's Dianna.
He's stunned, speechless, in fact. Why?
He's surprised and doesn't know what he wants because he's processing. But she's pissed, disappointed, and heartbroken, but mostly pissed, and that's what registers for Charlie and, therefore, what the viewer or reader can see.
Dianna heard everything. What will she say? How will she say it?
Well, she chose to confront Charlie in front of his friends, so we can assume she wants to be seen and heard; however, we'd need to know more about her personality, how tightly she clings to her persona, and who she's with to determine her response.
But let's say she's alone and generally a straight-shooter. She speaks her mind. She's angry because she thinks Charlie was talking about either her or another girl he was with over the summer. Either way, she thought they were in love, and he had betrayed her. She might not say anything more than "You asshole." Slap. And run the other way.
Now, what is Charlie going to say in front of his friends? The girl of his dreams has just confronted him in front of the people he's trying to play cool for. How has his desire changed? What does he want in this moment? To protect his reputation or go after the girl? What is he willing to lose in this moment?
All that will determine the next line that comes out of Charlie's mouth. The dialogue he chooses and the way he delivers it will convey what he wants most in the moment. It can tell us what he truly desires and how he feels if he chooses his persona over the girl. Spoiler: he does.
If you're saying to yourself, hey Stacy, this setup is familiar; I've seen this before. You'd be entirely correct!
This is from the 1978 movie Grease, starring John Travolta and Oliva Newton-John. Charlie is Johnny, and Dianna is Sandy.
It's an oldie but goodie and an excellent study of how personality or persona, desire, and circumstances shape the dialogue in a scene.
Unsurprisingly, watching movies is one of my favorite ways to study dialogue.
Try this the next time you sit down to watch your favorite show. ⤵️
Ask:
What is the character feeling?
What are the circumstances?
What do they desire, and how does their dialogue reflect their attempt to achieve it?
Common mistakes to avoid:
There's a ton more to learn about dialogue, but here are some common mistakes writers tend to make that you can watch out for in your manuscript:
Characters exchange information they already know in dialogue (like each other's names)
Forcing exposition into dialogue because the author wants the reader to know something, even though the character is not motivated to share this information.
Small talk about nothing, pleasantry exchanges that don't reveal anything about this situation, desires, or motives of our characters
Using repetitive dialogue tags when the speaker is known to the reader
Stilled and formal dialogue that doesn't match the character's personality or circumstances. Basically, being too grammatically correct and not considering the character's age, characterization, or personality. Stilted writing hurts pacing and readability.
Takeaways for crafting good dialogue in narrative fiction:
Good dialogue gives the reader a reason to keep reading. It adds something at just the right time to move the story forward and expand the reader's understanding of the situation and the character in a way that interests them.
Good dialogue begins with knowing the layers of your character's background, personality, desires, and motivations.
Spend time getting to know these folks, where they came from, what they're afraid of, how they wish to be viewed by others, or if that even matters to them. Sometimes, that means writing the scene with awful dialogue (it's okay–you'll fix it later) and then returning to it in revision to make changes because, at that point, you know more about them and how they will react, given the situation.
Characters are always going after what they most desire in the moment and are affected by the surrounding circumstances, leading them into action. Those elements will determine how they speak, what they say, and when they say it.
Avoid common mistakes and don't worry if you’ve made them. We all do or did and can learn to do it better if we stay willing to grow and stick around! '
Remember, writing is a practice. You can learn all the skills you need to craft a novel you are proud of.
Write true to your characters and it will ring true to your readers!
