Writing Dialogue that Moves

People communicate with one another every single day. They send messages, write emails, and speak. As often as we speak to one another, writing natural dialogue seems like an easy task. 

Many people find writing natural dialogue to be the most challenging part of storytelling.

• You’re writing for a character, not yourself, so you’re trying to mimic the way they consistently talk.

• You’ll want your dialogue to carry a lot of weight, enough to move the story forward, but not so much that it puts your story on pause. That’s a lot to ask.

• You’ll find it easy to overthink elements of that dialogue such as shifts in tone or nonverbal communication. 
  

No matter what your personal dialogue-based obstacle is, you are valid. You have a conversation style that is all your own, and your task in dialogue is to speak for others. Even if you’re an actor who’s used to playing various roles, this can be difficult. 

The most common pieces of advice that you’re going to get are, “eavesdrop, read, and watch.” 

Reading good (or bad) books, articles, or anything is common writing advice for a reason. Seeing how other authors have handled dialogue can help you when you’re starting to format your own patterns. 

Movies and shows offer structured dialogue you can visualize. Look at the actors on the screen, and notice the way they converse verbally and nonverbally. Eavesdropping on public conversations can help you better understand how people outside of your immediate social circle talk. Books and movies have very intentionally structured conversations that operate to the intentions of the writer. That’s valuable information, but eavesdropping can help you listen for different conversational patterns and learn more about what makes natural dialogue feel natural. 

This is all great advice for writers, but there’s something missing. When you’re eavesdropping, reading, and watching, what are you looking for? From Jordy Rosenburg’s Confessions of the Fox: 

“Wandering by one afternoon, riffling through the University’s entire collection of philosophy, linguistics, and postcolonial theory, I spotted it.

A mashed and mildewed pile of papers, easily overlooked. And yet, a rare and perplexing find. The lost Sheppard memoir? The scholars in my field had scoured the records, debunked everything they’d found.

‘You can just have that,’ the kid at the table said.”

It’s an exchange between two people, it’s simple, and it moves the story forward. Dr. Voth, the scholar, has found a manuscript that marks a significant personal and professional turning point. He’s also the only person in his immediate vicinity who recognizes it for what it is. 

Somehow, through a single line of dialogue, we’re able to capture complete and utter nonchalance, a symbol of the collective who doesn’t understand what’s right under their nose. All we needed was that line to break us out of our reverie so we could slip out with Dr. Voth and start going over this incredible manuscript. 

Sometimes, you need pages of discussion. Then again, maybe all you need are one or two lines. This dialogue wasn’t straightforward, but considering the setting, it was believable. If people are buying used books and manuscripts, someone is probably overseeing those exchanges. They will have multiple patrons, and they’ll hurry one transaction to make room for the next. 

Think About It, Don’t Overthink It

The reason that dialogue happens in the first place is because people are present, and they sometimes happen to speak to one another. Some conversations are planned, and some aren’t. 

You don’t always plan to have small-talk with the person at the front desk before checking into your hotel, but that happens sometimes. That can happen to your characters as well, and even if that conversation doesn’t directly move the story along, conversations like that can give readers essential information about your character, their objectives, and their settings. 

People don’t speak in complete sentences all the time. They might get interrupted or distracted by something. Otherwise, they’ll speak in a natural fragment that’s socially understood.

“Thanks!” said the clerk.

The mailman gave a polite nod. “Just doin’ my job!”

Also, especially between close friends, conversation can easily jump from topic to topic. Silence can happen as well, and it will be up to you to decide how to fill it. Make it a steady, comfortable, peaceful silence or make it awkward. 

Questions are also an important part of conversation, but in the real world, are questions always a strict progression to a clear answer? Some people give cryptic or intentionally vague answers in an attempt to avoid topics. Other times, people answer questions with questions. 

When writing, start by coming up with an objective to your conversation. Your objective can carry any level of weight and purpose (getting to know another character better, ulterior motives, accomplish a task). 

Then, turn to your character. Your character can meet their objective, almost meet their objective, or lose. How are they going to handle this? How are they going to feel, what are they going to think? A part of that will be influenced by their setting. Is it a comforting setting? Is it loud or highly stimulating?

Bring that energy to your conversation. 

Your words might not flow naturally or feel like the best possible words in the given situation, especially if you’re setting up a conflict, but practice makes progress. What you write now will serve as a solid starting point for what your manuscript will become. 

Are you looking for further guidance on how to write dialogue that moves your story forward? Contact us, and let’s talk through it!