Improving Dialogue for Creative Writers
gain insight into their thoughts and feelings. However, writing good dialogue can be difficult for even the most experienced writers. To help you become a better dialogue writer, here are ten ways to improve your dialogue:
1. Read Aloud: Reading your dialogue aloud is one of the
best ways to improve it. This will help you to identify any awkward phrasing or
unnatural speech patterns that you may have missed while reading silently. It
will also help you to gauge the flow of the conversation and ensure that the
dialogue is realistic and believable.
2. Use Contractions: Using contractions in dialogue is a
great way to make it sound more natural and conversational. Contractions add a
sense of realism to dialogue, as they are often used in everyday speech. They
also help to make conversations feel more casual and relaxed.
3. Avoid Overusing Adverbs: Adverbs can be useful when used
sparingly, but they can quickly become overused and cliché if not used
correctly. Try to avoid using too many adverbs in your dialogue, as this can
make it sound contrived and forced.
4. Keep It Short: Long-winded conversations can be boring
for readers, so try to keep your dialogue short and snappy. This will help to
keep the reader engaged and interested in the conversation.
5. Vary Speech Patterns: Not all characters should speak in
the same way, so try to vary their speech patterns to reflect their
personalities. For example, a character who is confident and outgoing might
speak more quickly than a character who is shy and introverted.
6. Show, Don’t Tell: Instead of simply telling readers what
characters are thinking or feeling, show it through their dialogue. This will
help to give readers a better understanding of the characters’ emotions and
motivations.
7. Use Dialogue Tags Sparingly: Dialogue tags (e.g., he
said, she asked) can be useful for providing context for conversations, but
they should be used sparingly as too many can disrupt the flow of the
conversation. Try to rely on action beats instead of dialogue tags whenever
possible.
8. Avoid Exposition: Exposition is information that is
provided by one character to another in order to explain something that has
happened or is about to happen. While exposition can be useful for providing
background information, it should be avoided in conversations as it can sound
forced and unnatural.
9. Include Subtext: Subtext is an underlying meaning or
message that is implied rather than explicitly stated in dialogue. Including
subtext in your conversations can add depth and complexity to them, making them
more interesting for readers.
10. Listen To Real Conversations: Listening to real
conversations is a great way to get a better understanding of how people talk
and interact with each other. This will help you to write more realistic
dialogue for your stories, as you will have a better understanding of how
people actually speak.
By following these tips, you should be able to write better
dialogue for your stories that engages readers and brings characters to life.
Remember that practice makes perfect, so don’t be afraid to experiment with
different techniques until you find what works best for you!
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