Tips for writing realistic dialogue

If you’re writing a short story, novel, or screenplay, it’s crucial that your characters interact with each other with realistic dialogue. Not only can convincing dialogue advance the plot, but it also helps the audience get to know the characters and their motivations, making them more relatable and ultimately more memorable. Conversely, if you’re finding that the dialogue you’ve written seems hollow and forced, your overall story will fall flat.

For a story to feel real and intriguing, your characters should speak how actual people speak. Whether you’re about to write your first draft or you’re in the third round of revisions, learn more about how to write realistic dialogue to create characters and a storyline that your audience will fall in love with.

Consider your character’s personality

When you write the dialogue for each of your characters, consider their personality traits. Are they funny? Tough? Insecure? Think about the ways you can convey their personality through their words. For example, a timid or insecure character might say “um” or “uh” in their speech. If you know someone in real life who matches the traits of your character, think about how they speak and which words they use.

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Use dialogue to show, not tell

The most effective way to craft realistic characters is to “show, don’t tell.” This means that you should use thoughts and words to flesh out your characters instead of explicitly telling the reader who they are. For instance, instead of writing “Frank was an angry man” in your novel, you can use dialogue to show how an angry person behaves. Include dialogue where he is yelling, swearing, or saying antagonistic things toward others. This shows character traits in a much more compelling way.

Use slang or informal speech

There’s a time and a place for formal writing, and it isn’t for your novel or script. In real life, most people don’t speak perfect English and may use slang or swear words. Don’t be afraid to use slightly incorrect grammar, as long as it doesn’t make your dialogue too confusing.

If you decide to incorporate slang words, make sure they suit the character: a middle-aged mother will use much different slang than a teenage boy. It’s also important that you only include slang words that you know the meaning of. If you use slang incorrectly or write dialogue with too much slang, it can come across as ingenuine or cringeworthy.

Consider the relationship between characters

Your relationships affect how you speak to people. You (hopefully) speak differently with your boss than you would with your best friend. Think about the tone you use in the conversations between two characters. For example, if you’re writing a story about a high schooler, they should speak in a more fun, lighthearted way with their friends but take on more formal, respectful language when speaking with their friend’s mother.

Consider the time and place of your story

If you’re writing a period piece, consider researching how people spoke in that period, as well as their social norms. Did they have to address people with formal titles like Mr., or Esquire? Were women allowed to speak to men alone? How did different genders and social classes interact with each other, if at all?

In addition, consider where your characters live or where they are from to write realistic dialogue. People from different regions or states may speak differently or use different slang. For example, those from the Midwest typically call soft drinks “pop” while East Coasters call it “soda.” Taking the time to research the location and time period of your characters will make your dialogue more realistic.

Dive into your character’s background

The occupation and education of a person will greatly influence the way they speak and the words that they use. For instance, if one of your characters is an English professor, you can include more eloquent vocabulary in their dialogue. On the other hand, if one of your characters is a doctor, you may want to do some research on medical terms to include in your doctor’s speech. A doctor might tell someone they have hypertension rather than calling it high blood pressure—there’s different jargon for different industries and fields that can add realism to your characters and reinforce their expertise.

Read your dialogue out loud

Proofreading your writing by reading it out loud is an easy and effective way to catch errors. If you’re not sure if your dialogue is realistic, try reading it out loud. Make some edits if the conversation doesn’t flow well or seems ingenuine, then read it out loud again.

Dialogue is an important part of any story. Taking the steps to write realistic dialogue will make your story much more enjoyable. If you’re still looking for more ways you can flesh out your story, learn how to plan and outline your novel.