How to Develop Great Fiction Dialogue

Dialogue, like plot and setting and characterization, is an essential part of any fictional story, be it a novel or a short story. When characters speak, readers expect them to sound like human beings (in most cases!) and they also expect characters to abide by certain rules that we all follow when speaking in the real world.



Rule #1: Avoid Exposition

Characters shouldn't be expected to recount the events of a story, and doing so can significantly hamper the flow of the narration. Let the characters be characters and leave the storytelling up to the narrator.



Rule #2: Keep It Real

A lot of beginning writers have a tendency to turn their characters into someone who belongs in an action flick. The best way to avoid this is to read dialogue out loud. If it sounds cheesy coming from your mouth, it's going to sound cheesy to your readers.

Beginning writers can also run the risk of having their characters over-explain. It can be tempting to hammer a point home, but it's often unnecessary. Unless a character enjoys being extremely specific, writers should try to keep dialogue simple and conversational.

If the sole purpose of a character's dialogue is to tell another character something he/she already knows, take it out. Writers often use this trick to convey some sort of information to the reader, but the conversation will feel forced because in the real world, two people don't normally tell each other information they both already know (unless one is being a smart alec, of course!).



Rule #3: Avoid Writing Accents

Mark Twain did a fantastic job pulling off Huck Finn's accent, and a great job with Huck's friend Jim. But Mark Twain was an anomaly. For most writers, writing a realistic accent in dialogue can be a harrowing ordeal with numerous pitfalls. First, it needs to be perfect. Second, it needs a purpose. Third (and most importantly), the reader needs to believe it. Most writers who try to write an accent for a character aren't able to avoid all three pitfalls.

There is an easy solution. If you want to give a character an accent, simply tell the reader that the character speaks in an accent. Avoid trying to type out the accent and running the risk of being inconsistent. Let the reader imagine the character's accent as he/she reads the dialogue.



Rule #4: Stick With "Said" for the Dialogue Tag

Lots of writers try to "mix it up" by using dialogue tags like "he roared" or "she whimpered" or the ever-popular "he hissed." Don't do it. Stick with "he/she said" or, if the dialogue is in the form of a question, use "he/she asked" and don't try to mix things up by using "he questioned." The goal of any good writer is to write dialogue that speaks for itself, and using words like "whimpered" and "hissed" betrays a writer's inability to handle dialogue. Think of alternate tags as a crutch, and this rule should only be broken when it's absolutely necessary to convey a particular moment in a striking way.



Rule #5: Learn From the Masters!

Mystery author Lori Rader-Day is a GREAT writer of dialogue. Her characters feel real and--even more importantly--developed. One of things she does that you can practice at home is developing multiple perspectives. This forces you as a writer to think about how your narration will change depending on whose perspective you're writing from. If you want to read my full article in Suspense Magazine, you can do it for free by following this link: https://suspensemagazine.com/blog2/2021/04/12/rules-of-fiction-with-ken-brosky/



If you're ready to get professional editing help to take your novel to the next step, consider working one-on-one with me! You can find more information at: https://kenbroskyauthor.com/editing-services/