Power Up Your Dialogue

What’s really good, y’all?

Today, I’m coming back on my writing technique series to offer more tips on how to write better dialogue. 

First, make your dialogue active. By that, I mean, always have your dialogue lead to something. If you have characters arguing over something huge, don’t let them agree to disagree or end the fight unresolved. Make it lead to some resolution unless there’s a specific reason in the story for it go another way. You should also think of how people argue in these situations. Most of don’t use the same tactics as an argument progresses. If the argument escalates, so too do our strategies for that. 

Next, Don’t use anything other than “said” when you’re writing dialogue. I mean, you can used words like “asked” “answered”  “nodded” etc, but don’t get too cute with that. Readers have repeatedly told us they have no issue reading “said” throughout a novel. 

Also, keep your dialogue a little broader in scope to leave more ambiguity hanging in the air. Something like “I’m not sure how I feel about John” leaves more to the reader’s imagination than “I don’t like John.” There are obviously reasons when the second one is needed, but when you can, the broader dialogue adds more intrigue to the story because the reader has to consider the character’s personality and read into what the dialogue could mean. 

Finally, leave the adverbs off the dialogue tags. Don’t have someone say something “angrily” or “flatly”. Have them say it “with sharpness in his tone” or “with little to no emotion.” 

Start playing around with those elements in your dialogue and you’ll be able to create some sharp talking. 

Be good, y’all.