Writing Dialogue
Dialogue has several functions in fiction. It can advance the plot. It can provide backstory. It can reveal a character’s emotion or motivation. It can hint at a character’s ethnicity or integrity. And it can make or break your story.
One of the biggest controversies in the writing world is whether or not or how often to use dialogue tags. Some say to use only the tag “said,” and only as often as necessary to indicate who is talking. But I believe it’s often important to know how the character said his or her words. Did he whisper, shout, whine? Some authors don’t want to distract from the flow of the conversation with any kind of description of tone. (Or maybe they’re afraid of accidentally writing a croaker. Don’t know what that is? I didn’t either, until I read the second half of the linked article. Read the first half, too, about Tom Swifties [no relation to Taylor Swifties], which appeared in a popular early 20 thcentury children’s adventure series featuring the character Tom Swift, and which we enjoyed emulating in high school in the late 1960s.)
To avoid using dialogue tags altogether, some writers intersperse “beats,” small actions by the characters, so we have an idea who the speaker is. (James cleared his throat. “I know where your wallet is.”) No matter how you handle dialogue tags, you have to make it clear who is speaking. If it’s a back-and-forth conversation between two people, you may be able to use fewer tags than if three or four people are chiming in.
Ideally, each of your characters should have a unique voice. (If so, you can use dialogue tags less frequently.) Nevertheless, dialogue should mimic natural speech patterns and rhythms. The best way to check for that is to read the dialogue out loud. If you trip over the words, they probably don’t fit natural speech patterns. (Although that might be totally okay if the character is socially awkward. Yes, you can use dialogue to develop your character’s character.)
Dialogue should reflect the dynamics of the relationships between the characters. For example, more formal language might be used when a new employee is speaking to her manager. Sharp, cold words are appropriate between feuding neighbors. Flirtatious phrases might be exchanged in a bar between patrons looking for a one-night stand.
Realistic dialogue shouldn’t state the obvious. Let there be subtext. Let there be emotion under the surface that your reader can interpret for himself. Here is another function for beats and descriptions. If the character avoids meeting his wife’s eyes, is he hiding something? If she says she’s fine, but she’s drumming her fingers on the tabletop, is she really seething?
And, please, don’t make the reader endure small talk. Get to the point. For the sake of pacing, cut unnecessary words and sentences in your dialogue, unless it’s important for the reader to know that the character has to comment on the weather and sports scores every time she meets someone.
Following these suggestions will help you write brilliant dialogue. Use it to set mood, provide vital information, move the plot forward or reveal character. If it is not adding to your story, rewrite it or cut it out.
Now it’s your turn. What’s your favorite tip for writing engaging dialogue? Do you know an author who excels at dialogue? (I love Janet Evanovich’s character Lula in the Stephanie Plum books. Talk about a distinctive voice! You see what I’m sayin’?) Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Originally published at http://arhtisticlicense.com on February 27, 2024.
