Academy · Dialogue
How do I write dialogue that feels real?
How do I write dialogue that sounds like people actually talk?
Beginner
Real dialogue is shorter than you think. People interrupt, trail off, repeat themselves, change the subject, and answer questions sideways. Cut every line that explains what was just said. Cut every line that announces what the speaker is about to do. Read it out loud; if your tongue trips, the line is wrong. Two characters speaking should sound different on the page even with the tags removed. The fastest way to test that is to delete every tag in a draft scene and read it; if you cannot tell who is speaking from the words alone, the voices are not differentiated yet.
Standard
Dialogue is action. Every line either changes the relationship between speakers, advances what one of them wants, or shifts what the reader believes. Lines that do none of those are throat-clearing and the page slows. Pair lines with physical beats (a shrug, a refusal to look up, hands going still) so the reader has a body to watch while the words land. The beat carries the subtext the line cannot say. Avoid stacking dialogue tags with adverbs ("she said angrily") and trust the verbs and beats to do the work.
Example
Flat: "I am angry at you," she said angrily. Better: She set the cup down without looking at him. "Fine."
What to try
- Open a dialogue-heavy scene and run the Improve Dialogue quick action
- Read the scene out loud and cut any line that does not change the relationship