Dialogue Craft
Core Principles
Character Voice
Each character should have a distinctive voice based on:
- Vocabulary - Education, background, profession
- Rhythm - Short/long sentences, interruptions
- Syntax - Formal/informal, complete/fragmented
- Idioms - Regional, cultural, generational
Subtext
What characters mean vs. what they say:
- Characters rarely say exactly what they mean
- Conflict between text and subtext creates tension
- Actions can contradict words
- Silences speak volumes
Techniques
Exposition Through Conflict
Bad:
SARAH
I'm your sister who you haven't seen in five years since mom's funeral.
Good:
SARAH
Five years and you couldn't even call?
MIKE
I was at the funeral.
SARAH
For an hour. Then you vanished.
Oblique Dialogue
Characters talk around the real issue:
SARAH
How's the apartment?
MIKE
It's fine.
SARAH
Just fine?
MIKE
What do you want me to say?
(They're really discussing their relationship, not the apartment)
Interruptions and Overlaps
SARAH
I think we should—
MIKE
—talk about this later?
Silence and Pauses
SARAH
Did you love her?
Mike doesn't answer. His silence says everything.
Voice Differentiation
| Character | Vocabulary | Rhythm | Traits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professor | Academic | Measured | Complete sentences |
| Teen | Slang | Fast | Fragments |
| Soldier | Direct | Clipped | Commands |
| Poet | Imagery | Flowing | Metaphor |
Common Pitfalls
- On-the-nose dialogue - Characters stating feelings directly
- Expository lumps - Information dumps
- Generic voice - All characters sound the same
- Name overuse - "Well, Sarah, I think..."
- Redundant dialogue - Saying what action shows
Best Practices
- Read dialogue aloud
- Cover character names—can you tell who's speaking?
- Cut anything that doesn't reveal character or advance plot
- Use silence and action as dialogue
- Let subtext do the heavy lifting
Converted and distributed by TomeVault — claim your Tome and manage your conversions.