Whether in fiction or nonfiction, characters play a large role in driving a story along. Granted, they can’t do so if they remain quiet, and that is where conversations, or dialogue, come into play. Learning how to write dialogue between two or more characters throughout a story helps further the plot, develop the characters’ personalities, and make a story more believable to a reader, thus making the story that much more enjoyable. If you’re wondering how to write dialogue for your book, these tips can help guide you through the process.
For some writers, dialogue can flow very naturally; for others, imagining what characters are saying can be tricky. The following five pointers are here to offer some guidance for wherever you stand when it comes to writing dialogue.
Dialogue Attribution
This is how you let your readers know who is speaking during a dialogue that involves two or more characters. Normally, attributions like “he said” and “she said” are the most common; however, keep in mind that you don’t always have to have these after or within every line of dialogue, especially when it is a conversation between two characters. Not only does this help avoid sounding potentially repetitive, but it also helps keep the dialogue flowing.
Here is a sample dialogue between two characters with limited attributions and some descriptive detail to help paint the scene:
Not wanting to startle him, Maggie knocked on the side of the entryway. Doc perked up and looked her way. His wrinkled face was unreadable, but it did not seem like he was mad anymore.
“Hey. Have you eaten yet?”
“No. Haven’t been hungry.”
“I brought some lasagna.” She held up the covered dish.
He stood up from his chair. “Your… spinach and mozzarella lasagna?”
She smiled warmly. “Fresh out of the oven.”
He inhaled and a faint smile crossed his face. “Wow. I can’t remember the last time I ate that.”
“It hasn’t been that long, but long enough, I guess.”
“Well… since you’re here, might as well have something to eat. Care to join me?”
Emotion Through Dialogue
While descriptive detail is excellent for setting the tone of your story, use your characters’ words to inject emotion into the story, as well. If you are writing a suspenseful dystopian novel, use dialogue to help give scenes a sense of urgency through what the characters say. If you are writing a scene where a man and a woman finally express their love for one another, use emotion to really draw out how they feel for one another.
You can also incorporate descriptive detail into your dialogue to help bring more emotion to the scene. The following example blends together descriptive details and dialogue to show a character attempting to offer comfort to a hurting companion:
Silently, Evelyn walked over to Jack, who still didn’t turn around. She reached for his hand and took it, unsure if he would shy away from her. Instead, he surprised her by gripping it tightly, then turning to face her. Now, she could clearly see what he was feeling: sadness… grief…
“I’m sorry for making you feel this pain again, Jack. But I wanted you to know that I’m more than just your partner in all this; I am also your friend. You can open up to me. I’ll listen.”
A few tears ran down his cheeks. “I was there… The ones I lost, I was there… yet even then…” He turned his head to look away from her.
“You had no control of anything that happened. You fought for them as hard as you could.” She reached her free hand up and placed it on his cheek, getting his attention back on her. “If you couldn’t save them, no one could,” she continued, not breaking eye contact. “While they are gone, their memory will live on because of you and all who knew them. But don’t close yourself off from caring about those who still remain. You have not lost Barnaby, William, Sandra, your family. They are all still alive thanks to you.”
Ongoing Dialogue
If you have one character who has a speech or a longer dialogue, it is okay if he or she speaks for multiple paragraphs at a time rather than just a few sentences. Separating a longer dialogue for a single character in multiple paragraphs not only helps with the flow of the story but also helps the reader follow along in a clear and concise manner and lets them know when a character is still speaking and when they are done.
Excellent examples where authors show a character having a longer dialogue in the story can be found in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and H.G. Wells’s The Time Machine. Below is another example of one character telling another character their backstory over the span of two paragraphs:
“These are dangerous times we live in,” Gerwyn began. “In Norway, we had heard stories of fellow clans crossing the sea and discovering a land both abundant in life and in death. Our clans faced an enemy that did not want us on their shores, so we fought so that we could create settlements to start new prosperous lives for future generations. That is why we came here. I was not jarl when we arrived, but I was one of our strongest warriors. I was placed on the front lines with my brothers and sisters as we fought for a piece of land to call our home. We won. Our settlement remains on the field of victory to this day, yet that does not mean it is safe.
“We were unprepared for the first attack by the Anglo-Saxons. Our jarl died protecting us…” He trailed off, taking a moment to swallow hard. “… as well as many others. I took action, took control to ensure whatever remained of our settlement would survive. Once every enemy was eliminated, we mourned our losses, then rebuilt with me as the new jarl. That day, I swore I would do everything within my power to protect my clan. So long as I have a single breath in my body, I will do what it takes to keep those I care for safe.”
(Note: Per the Chicago Manual of Style, when a character has multiple paragraphs of dialogue, you begin each new paragraph of dialogue with opening quotation marks but only end the paragraph with closing quotation marks when the character is finished speaking [as shown in the example above]).
Try Some Exercises
If you find yourself struggling with how to write dialogue, take a step back from your story and try some exercises to help get your creativity flowing. There are a few different things you can try:
- Write Who You Know: If you have a favorite show, movie, video game, book, etc., try writing new dialogue between some of the characters you know well. Or imagine having a conversation with a family member or friend. Figure out something you two would be talking about (e.g., vacation, dinner plans, Christmas shopping, etc.) and write out what you and the other person would most likely say.
- Act It Out: Are the words not flowing on paper? Why not try acting out a dialogue? You can do this either by yourself or with another person. Much like the previous exercise, figure out a topic for discussion and either talk through it aloud by yourself or with another person, such as a friend or family member. Listen to the words as they flow. Feel free to record yourself, as well, to listen to later for reference, if needed.
- Read Aloud: If you have dialogue written down for characters but are unsure if it is what you want your characters to say, try reading their dialogue aloud. Say the dialogue in the way you imagine your character would. Words sound much different when spoken aloud versus within your mind. You could surprise yourself, and the dialogue could sound exactly like what your character would say. Or if it doesn’t sound quite right when read aloud, play around with the words until they match how you visualize your character.
Listen to Your Characters
As you write your story and your characters continue to develop, there may come a time they will begin speaking to you. Crazy? Perhaps. Impossible? Never, as it has been proven time and time again with authors of the past and the present. You are breathing life into your characters using words, so it is only natural if they start to take on a life of their own within your mind. If one character, say your protagonist, is speaking loudly to you one day, listen to what they have to say and write it down. If your antagonist and protagonist are fighting on another day, write down their argument. You will be pleasantly surprised how well dialogue flows when you listen.
