Make Your Dialogue More Engaging With These Tips
Are your characters sounding more like robots than real people? Does your dialogue feel as lively as wet noodle? Fear not, budding author! Writing better dialogue is a skill you can learn and master. Follow these tips to write engaging dialogue in your next (or current) WIP.
1. Eavesdrop Like a Pro
Shhh...Don't tell anyone, but the secret to dialogue is all around you. The next time you're at a coffee shop, on the bus, or waiting in line at the grocery store, tune into the conversations around you. People often talk in fragments, interrupt each other, trail off, and use slang. Real-life speech is messy and imperfect, and that's what makes it authentic.
And you'd be surprised at what people say when you're in close proximity! I was asked to do this exercise when I took at class with the delightful Elizabeth Stuckey-French. I thought "surely no one is going to say anything interesting." But there I was, in the amazing Prarie Lights bookstore in Iowa City, when I overheard someone say:
"And believe it or not, her father was the head of the Chicago Mafia."
It feels so silly looking back on it, but that was the inspiration for a short piece I wrote. When you eavesdrop, you can get a sense of how people talk and might even get inspired for your next piece.
2. Play with Your Characters
In order to write believable dialogue, you must intimately know your characters. What are their quirks? Do they have a catchphrase? Are they sarcastic or sincere? Knowing your character well can help you write dialogue that naturally reflects their unique personalities.
Now, sometimes you can get too bogged down in planning out your characters and get stuck in "analysis paralysis." That is, you spend so much time trying to get things perfect that you don't actually end up writing anything. In those cases, it's best to just get a general sense of your character and start writing. Most of the time, your characters will start to reveal themselves the more you write, making it easier to go back and re-do your dialogue to sound more genuine.
3. Avoid the Info Dump
Nobody likes a know-it-all. When characters start spewing backstory or world-building details like they're reading from a textbook, readers' eyes glaze over. Instead, sprinkle bits of information naturally within the dialogue. Trust your readers to pick up on the clues you're leaving for them.
If you're writing a first draft, info dumps are okay. They help you understand your characters and your story better. But, editing them out in the next iterations is always best!
4. Make it Snappy
Elmore Leonard, crime-fiction author of works like Get Shorty and Pronto said "try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip." Short punchy exchanges keep the story moving and maintain readers' interest. Avoid long monologues, and use shorter sentences when you can. Also, interjections and action beats can break up the dialogue and keep it more lively. If a line of dialogue doesn't serve a purpose, cut it.
5. Dial Up the Tension
Great dialogue crackles with tension. Conflict and contrast make conversations engaging. Even in friendly dialogues, a little bit of tension can add spice. NowNovel has a great resource on how to dial up the tension in your dialogue.
6. Read It Aloud
Your ears are the best editors. Reading your dialogue out loud can reveal awkward phrasing, unnatural sentences, and other hiccups. If it doesn't sound right when spoken, it won't read right either.
7. Add Some Humor
Laughter is the best medicine—and it works wonders for dialogue, too. Whether it's a dry quip, silly pun, or a character's unique way of seeing the world, humor can make your dialogue sparkle. Just remember to keep it true to your characters and the tone of your story.
8. Practice Makes Perfect
Finally, the golden rule: keep writing! Like any skill, writing great dialogue takes practice. Experiment, make mistakes, and learn from them. Before you know it, your characters will be chatting away like old friends.
You're Ready to Start Writing!
Dialouge can be a tricky beast to master. But with time, you'll get there. Keep these tips in min while you're writing and your dialogue will improve in no time. Want to receive writing tips like this in an email every Tuesday? Sign up for my newsletter here.
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