5 Tips for Unputdownable Dialogue

First, isn’t it amazing that unputdownable is a word? I can think of many good books it describes. It also describes my baby.

Dialogue can make or break a story. I’ve read books that had dialogue that bogged the story down so much it was painful to read. “Good dialogue… is a delight to read; bad dialogue is deadly.” How to write, Stephen King

How do you tell if the dialogue is not working?

• Ask someone! Beta readers will say a scene with dialogue is boring, long, pointless, or unrealistic.

• There is no meaningful purpose to the dialogue.

• There is a paragraph of pure dialogue with no interruptions.

Good dialogue on the other hand will accelerate the pace of the story, immerse the reader, and immediately build character.

What are the five most important tips for dialogue?

There is so much advice out there. I want to narrow it down to five things that, if followed, will make sure the story is unputdownable.

1. Dialogue must move plot or build character; but mostly move plot
   If dialogue does not move the plot, it needs to go. (Including chit chat, greetings, and farewells) That means it has to further the story along, incite action or show development. Even better, let the dialogue have more than one purpose and further more than one plot line at once. To do this you will need to: 

• Know what the characters want and how they are feeling at the time

• Know who the characters are talking to

• Know what plots points are being developed in the scene

2. Add in quirks
   No one is the same and not every character will talk like you. While you will want to be careful with dialects and accents that can be hard to understand, be sure to consider quirky phrases, types of words, sentence length and cuss words. These quirks give the characters personality and depth. Let the dialogue speak for itself.

3. Use dialogue tags sparingly
   Dialogue needs to be interrupted by other dialogue, dialogue tags, and action tags. Dialogue tag is a phrase like ‘he said’ or ‘she declared’. For the most part, stick to using said or asked. The others should be implied by what the character is saying. Adverbs after a dialogue tag can clarify tone in some cases, but should also be limited. However — and this is a big however — do not use dialogue tags when unnecessary. Try using few or none at all and see if the speaker is still clear. In the end, even dialogue tags can interrupt the flow.

4. Use action tags (also known as beats)
   Action tags are sentences in between or after dialogue that serve two purposes: show who is talking and also show what they are doing. “Give me that!” Kathy reached out her hand. These can be very powerful to give the reader an idea of what is going on. Include body language and movement. Use this to break up long sections of dialogue. Just be sure not to interrupt a lot of action with dialogue.

5. Read aloud and listen
   One of the main pieces of advice I got from authors in my search online was to listen to other people, take notes, and then read aloud the dialogue you have written. Better yet, have someone else read it aloud. If it sounds stiff or boring, it needs more work or needs to be removed.

Bonus Advanced Tips

• Add subtext
  Subtext is what is being conveyed between the lines. Often people aren’t saying exactly what they are talking about. Body language, tone, and style can imply to the reader what is really going on. Here is an article all about subtext.

• Pace the dialogue
  As with any text, dialogue has a certain rhythm. Many short sentences or phrases without interruption from tags can cause tension to rise. Dialogue with fuller sentences and interwoven narration can cause tension to slow down. Pacing can also be used to add dramatic pauses. Here is an article about pacing dialogue.

First, just write

Don’t fret about it. The first go around, write whatever dialogue comes in your head. Let it be long and boring if it needs to. After the initial round comes the cutting down, the tweaking, and the analyzing.

“As a writer, a failure is just information. It’s something that I’ve done wrong in writing, or is inaccurate or unclear. I recognize failure—which is important; some people don’t—and fix it, because it is data, it is information, knowledge of what does not work. That’s rewriting and editing.” – Toni Morrison in a 2014 interview with NEA Arts Magazine 

It is only after all the edits that your work can be unputdownable.

What are your favorite examples of dialogue?