Writing 101: Effective Dialogue Techniques

Welcome to the next post in our Writing 101 series: Dialogue Techniques. The first installment covered common mistakes with dialogue mechanics, which are important to master if you want to write clear conversations readers (and editors and agents) can easily follow. But well-written conversations require more than proper punctuation and grammar. So we’re continuing the discussion today by examining effective dialogue techniques that will make your character’s conversations more authentic and purposeful.

Know When to Use Tags and Beats

Dialogue tags (he said, she asked) clarify who’s talking so readers aren’t confused. That’s really their purpose. So use them when speakers are changing during a conversation.

Beats, on the other hand, add context. These actions, thoughts, and physical gestures can show how the character feels or what they’re hiding. Beats add authenticity and information readers can use to better understand what’s happening in the scene.

Beats also impact pacing and can help you create the desired mood. Maintain a quick and snappy pace in action or highly emotional scenes with quick and snappy beats. Want to slow things down? Use languorous, drawn-out beats.

The best way to know when beats or tags should be used is to read your dialogue scenes aloud. If you find yourself stumbling or re-reading for clarity, that’s a sign that those parts need some extra love, and you may want to see if the tags and beats need to be finessed.

Avoid Adverbs in Dialogue Tags

“You’re a liar,” he said angrily.

This is weak dialogue because the adverb tells readers what the character’s feeling. Effective dialogue shows that emotional state through strong verbs and descriptors. If this is what you’re after, use a beat instead:

He grabbed Sam’s shirt, the fabric bunching in his fists. “Liar!”

Grabbing, fisted hands, and a physical altercation are anger cues. So is a raised voice, which is indicated with the exclamation point. Showing takes more effort and words than telling, but it pays off in dialogue that pulls readers in and makes them part of the action. For more information on the importance of showing in fiction and how to do it well, see our Show-Don’t-Tell resource page.

Keep Tags Simple

Because tags are only there to establish who’s talking, it’s best to keep them simple. A common mistake in this area is thinking that more expressive tags are stronger. But tags like exclaimed, cried, shrieked, or interrupted just make the writing feel forced, like it’s trying too hard. Said and asked, on the other hand, have become common enough to be invisible, which is a good idea for tags.

The occasional fancy tag can work, but if you’re trying to show a certain emotional state or intention, it’s usually best to use a beat.

Instead of this:

 “You have to leave,” she whispered.

“Get out!” she screamed.

Do this:

Her voice dropped to a whisper. “You have to leave.”

“Get out!” Her chest heaved and she blinked away tears.

Bottom line: when you opt for a tag, keep it simple, and let the character’s word choices and actions do the heavy emotional lifting.

Vary Beats to Avoid Repeated Sentence Structures

As we practice writing dialogue scenes, it’s easy to fall back on sentence structures that feel comfortable. This is natural, but it can lead to repetitive structures that call attention to themselves.

He stepped forward. “You know how I feel about you.”
She swallowed. “Do I?”
He pushed a curl behind her ear. “How could you not?”

The words and actions in this interaction are believable, but the way they’re conveyed are not. They’re stilted because they’re all following the same Beat, then Speech pattern. Vary the structures to avoid repetition.

 “You know how I feel about you,” he said, stepping into her space.
She swallowed. “Do I?”
He smiled and tucked a curl behind her ear. “How could you not?”

Experiment with the placement and structure of your beats and tags to maintain a pleasant flow. Once again, reading these passages aloud will help you hear redundancies and stumbly parts that need to be reworked.

Don’t Let Your Characters Call Each Other By Name

This is one my personal pet peeves—when characters who know each other use each other’s names.

“Jim, what do you think happens when we die?”
“Well, Tom, let me tell you…”

When people in real life are in the same room and they start talking, there’s no need to call each other by name. So they don’t. But we do this sometimes as writers when we want to be clear about who the participants are and who’s talking. Remember that this is what tags are for, and don’t fall into that trap.

When should you use names in speech?

• When someone new enters the room or conversation
• When emotions are high
• For emphasis: “Rachel, you don’t want to go there.”
• To indicate a shift (in emotion, mood, tone, etc.): The hair on my arms stood on end as the temperature plummeted. We both began to shiver. “Sebastian?”

Avoid “As You Know, Bob” Conversations

This happens when the author needs to relay information to readers, so they do it through characters who already know what’s going on.

“As you know, Bob, the fall festival’s coming up, where children will be bobbing for apples, begging for candy, and generally peeing their pants with excitement.” 

People don’t rehash old information as if it’s new to them. This isn’t natural speech; it’s a contrived device by the author, who is stepping in to explain something to readers. And readers can see that’s exactly what’s happening.

Here are some tips for using dialogue to convey information:

• Don’t use two characters who already know it. Include at least one person who’s being debriefed or is trying to gain knowledge.
• Instead of writing one big scene where all the information is shared, reveal it in bits and pieces over time.
• Use a variety of vehicles (thoughts, flashbacks, mixed media—diary entries, a newspaper clipping, an old photograph, etc.) so you’re not relying solely on dialogue to get the info across.
• For added authenticity, introduce some subtext. What facts aren’t being shared? Who’s holding them back? Are the other characters hiding what they feel or think about the information, and why?

Use Each Character’s Unique Voice

Every person has their own way of talking, their own individual voice, and the same is true for characters. A gruff ex-military type won’t speak the same way as a bubbly teen, and a university professor probably won’t phrase things like a street performer.

Here are some elements that contribute to a character’s unique voice:

• Word choice
• Sentence length and structure
• Tone
• Personality (verbose, timid, introverted, outgoing, controlling, nurturing, etc.)
• Personal beliefs and values
• Personal experiences
• Areas of insecurity
• Fight-flight-or-freeze tendencies
• Go-to emotional responses (natural reactions when they’re nervous, excited, mad, happy, etc.)

The most important step in identifying a character’s voice is to understand who they are. Get to know them, and you’ll start recognizing how they’ll speak and interact with others. Then you can write each character’s voice consistently, and the conversations you write will be more believable.

For more insight on figuring out a character’s voice and writing it well, see the Voice section of our Other Story Elements resource page.

Final Thoughts

Effective dialogue isn’t just about what’s being said. It’s the words each character carefully chooses, how they and the other players feel about those words, what’s left unsaid, and what’s happening beneath the surface. Use tags and beats strategically to keep conversations clear and create a satisfying rhythm. Give each character their own voice. And use dialogue to show (not tell) readers what they need to see and understand.

Above all, remember that perfect dialogue isn’t the goal. Instead, we want purposeful dialogue. When we write these scenes thoughtfully, we put readers in the room with the characters, taking part in the conversation. And that’s exactly where they want to be.

Other Posts in This Series

Dialogue Mechanics
Show-Don’t-Tell, Part 1
Show-Don’t-Tell, Part 2
Point of View Basics