Writing dialogue isn’t always easy, and it doesn’t come natural to all writers. Here are some basic Dos and Don’ts for writing dialogue to help you refine your dialogue-writing skills.
- Do write dialogue.
Whether fiction or memoir, essay or even poetry, direct speech can help draw the reader in. Which of the following sentences is most inviting to you as a reader?
1.
(a) She told Dennis not to look out the window.
(b) “Dennis,” she said. “Don’t look out of that window.”
2.
(a) Sally had learned at school that neatness is more important than imagination.
(b) “What lovely handwriting!” Sally’s teachers had always told her, but no one had ever praised her for using her imagination.
3.
(a) Edward set the hay on fire as the wizard commanded, but secretly, he wondered whether this was fair on the farmer.
(b) Edward set the hay on fire at the wizard’s command, but inwardly, he asked, What’s the farmer done to deserve this?
For me, it’s (b) in all of the above examples.
There is some variation in how to delineate direct speech. Different publications prefer double or single quotation marks while other authors prefer to put whispers or thoughts into italics instead of quotations. Either way, a direct quote generally feels more immediate and engaging to the reader than reported speech.
On a secondary note, if you’re new to authorship, it’s worth learning standard punctuation for dialogue. You can break the rules for artistic effect, but nothing shows a novice writer as much as common inaccuracies.
Additionally, don’t let the mechanics of written dialogue let your readers down. Be sure to know the rules before you break them with aplomb.
2. Don’t be afraid to say “said.”
You may have noticed, many famous authors use the simple dialogue tag: said. Unfortunately, it seems they teach kids to avoid the word somewhere in the high-school system. The result? Hordes of aspiring authors hopping uncomfortably through sixty different synonyms, distracting the reader and taking their attention out of the flow of the story. I still remember reading Pollyanna as a child and feeling bewildered by the way the aunt keeps “ejaculating” instead of saying things. It’s okay, and often better, to stick with the simple use of “said.”
3. Don’t use dialogue as an info-dump.
Dan Brown is one of the authors that do this. When he wants the reader to understand a raft of background information, he makes his characters recite it at one another awkwardly and irritatingly. Dan Brown’s research, adventure, mystery, and suspense skills may carry most of his readers along happily enough. Still, his amateurish dialogue is not one of his greatest strengths. Can you think of another famous author that does this to your irritation?
4. Don’t write speech in an orderly sequence of grammatically correct sentences.
Unless you’re writing a conversation between two Professors of Linguistics, your dialogue should be full of colloquialisms, idiosyncrasies, and at times, bad grammar.
For example, most people wouldn’t say, “Nevertheless, I cannot entirely comprehend the sheer audacity of such a move.” Rather, they are more likely to say something similar to, “Yeah, sure, but I can’t believe what he did there.” If you run your dialogue through a grammar app and it keeps flagging your character’s poor grammar, don’t sweat. Instead, read the dialogue out-loud and test whether it sounds like real people talking.
5. Don’t go overboard with regional dialects or accents.
I’m remembering the way Charlotte Bronte wrote working-class Yorkshiremen nearly two centuries ago, filling her dialogue with dropped consonants and obscure vocabulary.
However, do keep in mind basic respect for regional or ethnic groups when writing dialogue. A mere century ago, even James Herriot made fun of the local Yorkshire farmers’ speech, having grown up in Glasgow. The question writers should ask themselves is, “How would I feel if I belonged to Yorkshire?” Is the use of regional dialect done in a respectful way representative of how the dialect actually sounds? Over-exaggeration of regional dialects can be found offensive or as a form of stereotyping.
6. Don’t give up.
Writing realistic dialogue that moves the story along without feeling contrived is a complex skill. It takes time to perfect, so play with it. I’d recommend reading Victoria Wood’s comedy scripts to discover her application of individuality in dialogue. Take mental notes on people whose mannerisms make them instantly recognizable. For example, Donald Trump rarely seems to speak an entire sentence, but the way in which he wields phrases has become a love-him or loathe-him phenomenon. Give your hero or villain a distinctive way with words.
Fiona M Jones is a creative writer living in Scotland. She has had over 100 short pieces published–stories, creative nonfiction and sometimes poetry. Fiona’s online work is linked through @FiiJ20 on Facebook and Twitter.
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