How to write dialogues

In a story, dialogue gives life to a scene and substance to the characters who speak. If dialogue is to reflect the conversations these characters would have in real life, it must be well written to sound accurate. Here are some tips on how to write dialogues.

1)     When you rite dialogues: listen

Before writing dialogue between your characters, you should of course get to know them and imagine them speaking as if they were real people. You can of course draw inspiration from people you know well and the way they are and speak. Another solution is to pay attention to the way strangers around you speak: in a café, on the subway, at work or on television. Notice their expressions and turns of phrase, the type of vocabulary they use.

2)     Don’t repeat yourself

One of the common mistakes of a first-time writer is to write unsurprising dialogue, where each line echoes the previous one. While direct answers are sometimes recommended, they should usually be avoided. This way, your dialogue will become more dynamic.

3)     When you Write dialogues: be subtle

Dialogue expresses the explicit. However, humans rarely use the explicit alone. In any dialogue there are implicit issues, which are not expressed in words. Thoughts, feelings and behaviors complement what is expressed in the dialogue. The image and the dialogue must allow the viewer to understand what a character is feeling, what the author is trying to say.

4)     Use silence

Well-written dialogue should not sound like a question-and-answer game between characters. Pauses and silences sometimes intrude on an actual discussion. This should also be the case in dialogue. This will make it all the more realistic. Also, in narrative, silence can add intensity to an unfolding scene and depth to a character. So don’t hesitate to sprinkle your conversation with well-chosen pauses.

5)     Read out loud

Once you have written your dialogue, you still need to proofread it. To do this, put yourself in the shoes of your characters and act out the scene by lending them your voice. You can even ask someone you know to give you the line.

Finding the balance between what is expressed in the story and what is expressed by the characters can be a perilous exercise, but not insurmountable. By avoiding some simple mistakes, it is quite possible to write dialogue successfully without too much difficulty.