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Writing and Publishing Advice

5 Quick Tips for Writing Better Dialogue

Image Caption: Image Source: (Aaron Burden / Unsplash)

Image Caption: Image Source: (Aaron Burden / Unsplash)

Dialogue is a core piece of many stories and is an opportunity for the reader to get to know characters and their relationships. Here are 5 quick tips for writing better dialogue.

1. Use Action Tags to Add Variety

Dialogue tags are meant to tell the reader who is speaking, and when done correctly are almost invisible. Using said and asked can be repetitive, so it might be tempting to use words like shouted, exclaimed, or groaned. And a lot of writing advice out there says you should mix it up—that said is boring and doesn't tell the reader anything about how the dialogue is conveyed by a character. But the secret is to limit the use of tags to when they are necessary for the reader to follow a conversation and use action tags. Action tags show instead of tell how a character is delivering dialogue. Look at the two sentences below, which one do you think is more effective?

  • "Don't touch me!" Mary shouted.

  • "Don't touch me!" Mary slapped Phil's hands away from her. 

2. Use Contractions

When writing dialogue an easy way to make it sound more realistic is to use contractions. People tend to use contractions when they are speaking unless they considering or emphasizing their words. 

3. Skip the Fluff

In real life, people tend to begin a conversation with small talk and formalities like asking "how are you?" But these exchanges don't really add to a story and aren't really interesting for the reader. There are times when it might serve the story, but the vast majority of the time it slows the narrative and readers tend to skim these sections. 

4. People Lie

Characters don't have to always tell the truth, and in fact, they are more realistic when they don't. People often leave out details or even change them in order to fit what they want. Or they lie because it's easier than telling the truth. 

5. Avoid Using Names

In conversation, people don't often address others by name. Unless a character is trying to get another's attention or emphasize their point. Using names too often interrupts the flow of a conversation, and makes it seem less realistic.