Taking Dialogue to
the Next Level
What Makes
Dialogue
Believable?
What Makes Dialogue
Believable?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Flow; not forced
Pulls reader in
Breaks up information
Fits the story
Limited conversation
If your dialogue sounds like a real-life
conversation: Start over.
Writing “dialogue” is like writing fiction,
it gives the impression of real-life.
And improves it.
Attribution
Don’t go too far without it,
or put it in too much.
Basic Rules of Dialogue
1. Conflict in dialogue
2. Advance the plot
3. Flow
Basic Rules of Dialogue
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Conflict in dialogue
Advance the plot
Flow
Drive the story forward
Concise/not chit chat
Variation of characters
Basic Rules of Dialogue
1. Conflict in dialogue
2. Advance the plot
3. Travel and flow
4. Drive the story forward
5. Concise/not chit chat
6. Variation of characters
7. Punctuation perfect
8. What characters want
9. (No Rule) rule
10. Avoid obvious dialogue
Parts of conversation
1. What you say
2. What you don’t say
5 parts of conversation
1. What you say
2. What you don’t say
3. Observable actions
4. Internal reactions
5. Inflection of voice
WEAVING THE THREE
ELEMENTS OF WRITING
Dialogue: When characters
speak
Action: When characters
do things
Narrative: Description,
backstory, thoughts
How do you
learn to weave
or balance
dialogue,
action, and
narrative?
To engage the reader: weave
dialogue, action, and narrative.
1. Listen
2. Read
3. Follow a rhythm
4. Keep character
traits consistent
5. Move inside
character
Should every scene
be weaved? Is it ever
a good thing to have
only dialogue, or only
action, or only
narrative?
Should every scene be weaved?
Is it ever a good thing to have
only dialogue, or only action, or
only narrative?
No, and of course.
A. May not want the pace
distracted or slowed
B. Highlight a character trait
C. Focus on a specific thing
characters are talking about
D. Uncluttered
Weaving allows you to say
more than plain dialogue
“How’s life?”
A. “I’m okay.”
B. “I’m okay.” He turns and
shoves his fist through the
wall.
The Help, by Katheryn Stockett
“Is that Preacher Green’s sermon you’re
playing on the radio?,” she ask.
“Yes ma’am it is.”
Miss Skeeter kind of smile. “That reminds
me so much of my maid growing up.”
“Oh I knew Constantine,” I say.
Miss Skeeter move her eyes from the
window to me. “She raised me. Did you
know that?”
I nod, wishing I hadn’t said nothing. I know
too much about that situation.
From Robert Parker’s Bad Business
“Do you do divorce work?” the woman said.
“I do,” I said.
“Are you any good?”
“I am.” I said.
“I don’t want likelihood,” she said. “ Or guesswork. I need
evidence that will stand up in court.”
“That’s not up to me. That’s up to the evidence.”
She sat quietly in my client chair and thought about that.
“You’re telling me you won’t manufacture it,” she said.
“Yes,” I said.
“You won’t have to. The sonofabitch can’t keep his pecker in
his pants for a full day.”
“Must make dining out a little awkward,” I said.
She ignored me. I was used to it. Mostly I amused myself.
Curmudgeon?
“You damn, mangy crackers get
your little feet off my lawn.” His
dead eyes glowered, and he
pointed a thin finger up at us.
A Viking needing
pickles?
A Viking needing
pickles?
The handle of the weighted axe was
held loosely in his grasp. The sharp end
bounced off his palm.
I peeked up from my counter at register
seven. My breath stopped.
Through blonde wiry hair, Eric the
bloodmaster said, “Could you please
direct me to the condiment aisle?”
A witch loading her
caldron in the
dishwasher?
A full garbage can?
A full garbage can?
“I love what you’ve done with the place,” I
said. Her eyes raised. “I never knew so many
pizza boxes could fit in such a small space.”