How to write dialogue

Dialogue is not real conversation. It is conversation that works — every line should reveal character, create tension, or advance the story. Real talk is full of filler; good dialogue is not.

What dialogue does

Reveals character. The way someone speaks — their words, rhythm, evasions — shows who they are. A character who avoids a question tells you something.

Creates tension. Subtext — what people mean but do not say — is the engine of good dialogue. Two people arguing about dinner while really arguing about their relationship.

Advances the story. Dialogue should move the plot or a decision forward, not just fill space.

How to write it

Give each character a distinct voice. A nervous person, an angry person, and a measured person speak differently. Match the language to the character.

Cut the small talk. Start the scene at the point of tension, not with hellos and weather. Enter late, leave early.

Use subtext. What the character actually says is rarely the point. Let them talk around what matters — that is where the drama is.

Keep it short and punchy. Real people rarely deliver paragraphs. A back-and-forth of short lines reads faster and better.

Let it do a job. If a line does not reveal character, raise tension, or move the plot, cut it. In a short story, every line of dialogue must earn its place.

Tag it sparingly. "said" is fine and invisible. Fancy tags ("he exclaimed breathlessly") are distracting. Use action beats ("She set down the cup.") to break up lines.

Formatting basics

Put spoken words in quotation marks, one line per speaker, a new paragraph for a new speaker. Punctuation goes inside the quotes. Keep the speaker clear without over-tagging.

Common mistakes

Writing dialogue as real, rambling conversation. Characters all sounding the same. Using dialogue to dump information. Telling the reader who is speaking ("he said angrily") instead of showing it. On-the-nose dialogue where people say exactly what they mean.

Practical tips

• Read your dialogue aloud; hard-to-say lines need rewriting.
• Ask of each line: does it reveal character, create tension, or move the story?
• If two characters agree for a whole scene, add disagreement.

Checklist

• Each character has a distinct voice.
• I started at the point of tension, not small talk.
• I used subtext so lines hint at the real stakes.
• I kept lines short and cut filler.
• Every line has a job.
• Formatting is clean with spare tags.