4 Tips For Writing Fluent Dialogue

Dialogue. We do it every day, but why does writing it prove so difficult? It's hard to standardize how dialogue is supposed to be written, as there are many factors—like a character's personality, language quirks, upbringing, place of residence, context, and so on—that give rise to different kinds and tones of speech. Conversely, it's much easier to point out the landmines that can make dialogue appear stiff and unnatural so you can avoid them. That's why, this week, I'll be giving a few practical tips to help you create dialogue that sings.

Resist writing the way you speak

This sounds like a massive contradiction, but although we strive to make dialogue as true to life as possible, it is also harmful to write exactly the way you speak. The major reason: filler words. Daily conversation is chock full of filler words. Words like um, ah, well, right?, and more, punctuate nearly every sentence we speak. Even public speakers need to make conscious effort to avoid it.

People don't notice all that much when you use filler words in day-to-day conversation, but when it's written out—and when it's written often—it becomes extremely jarring to the reader. These filler words become unnecessary information that the reader has to filter out, and that dampens the reading experience quite a bit. If that happens, then regardless of whether the plot is gripping or the characters are intriguing, the reader would be mightily tempted to drop your book. And that's a result you wouldn't want to see.

Another reason writing the way you speak is not a good idea is that we often stutter, lose our train of thought, and rephrase our words. These habits do not translate to a pleasant reading experience on paper. They will only make the characters appear incoherent, and readers will be hard-pressed to find (and follow) any thread of logic in their dialogue.

Avoid small talk

Whether it's to make a new acquaintance, ease the atmosphere, or soften up the other party before broaching a difficult topic, small talk is an inerasable aspect everyday life. However, small talk has no place in the world of fiction. Why? Because to keep your reader hooked, every line should either push the plot forward, reveal insight into a character, foreshadow a coming event, or provide information that is crucial to understanding the story. And small talk does none of that. Unless, of course, this small talk has a layer of subtext hidden inside it or serves as a pretext to something more. Otherwise, it's only going to clog up space.

Avoid using maid-and-butler dialogue

Simply put, maid-and-butler dialogue is a poorly executed attempt to reveal information through dialogue. Exposing information—be it about the world, other characters, or an event that occurred—through dialogue is a splendid approach. But when the characters involved already know that information yet have to rehash it through dialogue just for the benefit of the reader, it comes off as incredibly stiff and unnatural. If the reader becomes aware that this information was revealed in this way just for their sake, they will be ripped away from the fictive dream you have woven, and immersing themselves again might prove difficult.

So, rather than think of your readers (or use them) as a direct audience, introduce a character who doesn't know of this information into the picture. They will serve as a 'representative' for your readers who are hungry for this information.

Avoid repeated mention of character names

In a conversation between two people, one person usually only calls out the name of the other to greet the other party (say hello or goodbye) or to emphasize what they're about to say. In writing, it is highly tempting to make use of character names to indicate who is speaking (or who is being spoken to), when trying to avoid the use of dialogue tags. However, doing this makes the dialogue stiff and robotic.

"Have the movers arrived, John?"

"Not yet, Sarah."

"Well, give them a call to hurry them up, John."

In a minute, Sarah. I need to pack up a few things in the basement."

Does that sound like computer-generated text to you? Because it does to me. Removing the names in the last two sentences won't make it difficult for the reader to tell who is speaking. The first two sentences hold enough clues that they can pick up.

Bonus: Subtext is your friend

Subtext is the magic spice that makes dialogue delicious. It's all the things your character is not saying. They're the words your character hopes—or fears—the other party will pick up on. They're the ink between the lines. I'll take a passage from Francine Prose's Reading Like A Writer to better describe just what this means.

I read a book just a few days ago that made use of subtext to an astonishing degree. The result was a palpable tension—both romantic and story-wise—that oozed out of every page. Reading the interactions between these characters, deciphering the layer of meaning hidden in their words, and going through emotional upheavals when one character misses (or catches on to) the things not said was an utter delight.

Got any more tips to share about writing dialogue? Share them in the comments! Until next time!

Your friendly neighborhood editor,

Chiedozi.