Write BETTER dialogue with 1 EASY tip

[HelloFutureMe]

Get my book here! linktr.ee/timhickson

[finaldusk]

I've never been able to put it into words before, but with this explanation, it makes finally sense of why some of the dialogue I've read seemed awkward, stilted, or slow.

Gonna be applying this tip consciously from here on, thanks for the advice.

[Sootielove]

My sister does linguistics and she had a fascinating conversation with her lecturer about this.
Lecturer: "Are you cold?"
Sister: "I'm listening to music."

Context plays into our conversations so heavily they can sound nonsensical. Here, for example, my sister was looking at an open window, so the lecturer asked, implying an offer to close it. She replied with the implication she wasn't cold but she heard something from outside.

[samkathryn]

The best writing advice I ever read about dialogue plays into this—for most scenes, write them as if the characters cannot say explicitly what they are thinking or feeling.!

[JessieTrinket]

Something about giving a really good writing tip but then holding up the cover of the book to a mirrored camera is very funny.

[ellef]

There are some writers on a particular new Netflix series that could have used this advice.

[DarkDefender]

Me the other day: I'm planning to make ramen for dinner. Sound good?

Wife: Ramen's pretty hard to eat while high.

Different goals and perspectives indeed.

[skylark]

One of the best tips for dialogue I’ve come across actually came from an acting class I took. It was that in any scene, each character wants something but is somehow unable to get it. They speak because they’ve decided that’s the best way to get around that obstacle. Thinking about it like that helped solve an issue I had, where characters would say things for the plot or to exposit the worldbuilding, and it always felt dry and stilted when I read it back. Now I try to think, “what does this character want right now, and what tactics are they using to get it? How does what they’re saying further their goals?”

[moffinbont]

What a great point with clear examples! Thank you! This is why I find some dialogues my friends write and clunky and not quite right - I hadn’t been able to put my finger on it.

[milicadiy]

This was really helpful. Thank you.

- an aspiring writer who's bad at talking to other people

[andipopp]

I really had to learn this the hard way, because my autistic mind does not do this in real life, but instead always keeps a direct line of thought in conversations.

[Red-in-Green]

I’ve convinced many people I’m insane by rehearsing the conversations for my books out loud. That’s another big tip.

[tripwire]

Using these tips is also a great way to deliberately characterise stilted or awkward characters. If they aren't put into contrast by more typical dialogue, it comes across as a mistake and doesn't show off any of their personality. Thank you - will be using these in my book.

[monkiy]

If only the writers of Netflix's Avatar had bought your book before doing... those things they did.

[theroadrunner]

Writing believable dialogue is really difficult, but I always found it comes down to knowing your characters. Being able to really get into their minds, understand what they're searching for in a scene, and getting the unique perspective (like you said) really drives the scene forward. I instinctively know how a convo between two characters would go even before I write them interacting simply because I know them that well. And until you know your characters and their motivations/limitations, it's hard to build context clues into their dialogue. Still, believeable dialogue is something even gifted writers struggle with.

[ajiththomas]

You know, something that has always sort of intrigued me about the whole Anakin Hates Sand Meme discourse is that people sort of forget the whole broader more meaningful context of the "I hate sand" line. Namely, the context was a conversation between Padme and Anakin talking about their homes and Anakin remarks that he hates sand, because it's associated with and reminds him of the desert planet Tatooine where he grew up as a slave and where his Mom still remained as a slave after he was picked up by the Jedi Order. So yeah, no wonder Anakin hates sand. Him giving the reasons of it being coarse and getting everywhere sort of obfuscates from the more accurate reason that he hates and resents Tatooine because of his terrible childhood.

[ajiththomas]

I agree.

Also, another writing advice about dialogue that changed my whole perspective of it was Tyler Mowery and his video which described dialogue as a debate about a choice. The example he used completely reframed how I understood and approached dialogue and it certainly helped in crafting more meaningful dialogue.

[barockwerneck]

As an autistic person that DOES answer directly, and would prefer to receive direct answers, I can understand the explanation, and see how it's good dialogue in fiction. But God I hate it in real life.

[DominoPivot]

I've taken up a creative writing class and we'll be covering dialogue in a couple weeks, I'll be sure to read that chapter by then :)

[Drace]

Yes, but keep in mind that realistic dialogue is not necessarily interesting to read. Have you ever read transscripts of conversations or impromptu interviews? They tend to be a mess. Don't go for "natural", go for what conveys personality and information to the reader. (But be subtle. Don't turn dialogue into information dumps.) View the back and forth as cause and effect. Answering with subtext instead of yes or no is good, but you may want to avoid yes or no questions to begin with.