- Every line of dialogue should do at least two of three things: reveal character, advance the scene, or carry subtext. A line that does only one is weak; a line that does none should be cut.
- Give each character a distinct speech pattern. Differentiate through diction (word choice), syntax (sentence structure), rhythm (short vs. long), and what they avoid saying. The reader should be able to identify the speaker without attribution tags in a two-person conversation.
- Cut the pleasantries. Real conversations start with “hello” and “how are you” — fictional ones shouldn’t, for the same reason scenes should enter late and exit early. Start the dialogue where the tension starts.
- Use “said” as the default attribution verb. It’s invisible to the reader. Reserve alternatives (whispered, snapped) for moments where the manner of speech genuinely adds information the dialogue itself doesn’t convey. Avoid adverbs on attribution tags (“she said angrily”) — if the anger isn’t in the words and the scene, the adverb won’t fix it.
- Let characters talk past each other. In real speech, people pursue their own agendas. Two characters who respond precisely to each other’s points sound like they’re in a debate, not a conversation. Overlap, deflection, and non sequitur create realism.
- Write subtext by separating what the character means from what they say. A character who says “I’m fine” while gripping the table edge communicates through the gap between speech and action. Wayne Booth showed that meaning in narrative lives in these gaps [@booth1961].
- Break up long speeches with action, gesture, or the other character’s reaction. A monologue on the page reads as a lecture. Interrupt it with the physical world — the character pauses to light a cigarette, the other character looks away, something crashes in the next room.
- Read dialogue aloud. If it sounds stilted, it probably is. Dialogue that works on the page mimics the rhythms of speech without replicating its actual redundancy and incoherence.