Novel Concept #2 — On Realistic Dialogue

Oops… “realistic dialogue” is a trap!

If it was truly realistic, it would be meandering and dull.

“ Dialogue is an idealized version of speech, designed to expose the character’s personality, education, and point of view. You always want to write from the point of view of a character trying to achieve a story goal; not from that of an author trying to write great dialogue.
 
Just about every line of dialogue should be exposing a character trait and raising the level of conflict that will lead to a climax.”

Try not to let characters overuse each other’s names. In reality, we rarely invoke another person’s name during conversation.

• Read it aloud (it should flow naturally)
• Don’t let them ramble. Everything your characters say should have purpose.
• Don’t use conversation to convey obvious information. If information should be obvious already between two parties engaged in dialogue, it’s unrealistic they would bring up that obvious information. Also known as, “As you know, Bob”.

Sit somewhere busy and listen (without being a creep) to people’s conversation snippets.

If it’s hard to read, you’re doing it wrong.

Reading plays & manuscripts can help research on what great dialogue looks like. Resource: Drew’s Script O’Rama

Leave as much out AS POSSIBLE.

“ Pretty much never let your character say what he or she actually means. (Brief exemptions are allowed for confessions.) There should always be subtext. Saying what they mean is called “on the nose” and it’s boring. Every line of dialogue should be about what the character wants, or is trying to hide, or both.”