How to write good dialogue

I love dialogue, which is why I use it very carefully and frugally. In writing as in life, the measure to which words and actions agree is the measure of a person's/character's credibility. Well thought out dialogue can do a lot more for the character than just giving them a voice. While narrative develops and describes the character in the same way as we would appraise someone sitting across the room, or describe someone we know to someone else that doesn't, that appraisal will be dramatically influenced when we or they hear the person speak, and even more influenced by what the person says, as much by their choice and use of words as by the meaning they are trying to convey with them. Dialogue in writing does that too and imbues a depth to the character that narration alone can not accomplish convincingly. It can also add mood and feeling much more subtly than descriptive narration. Where appropriate, by listening in with an objective ear on someone else’s conversation you can get a deeper appreciation of the power of dialogue to create mystery, express emotion, expose character and develop affinities between the readers and characters.

 

I actually prefer writing description, but on editing I put in more dialogue, trying to have the characters explain more, in their own words, what's happening. I find that the work actually gets more interesting and character revealing when dialogue has fair play. However, I'm a bit of a control freak, so I do sometimes feel like the characters are taking over. Of course, they aren't--what's happening is that I'm forced to see things their way more. This all a good thing. And this could be why romance novels have a lot of dialogue--the plot is totally character-driven (not because 'women talk more' or want easier writing or any other sexist idea).
Good dialogue is not any easier (or harder) to write than sheds of description. When I was searching for ways to write stronger and revealing dialogue, I started reading (quality) film scripts on the net. It helped a lot, and I recommend the trick to others.

 

dialog breathes life into your characters... gives each of them their own idiosyncratic 'character'... without it, they're merely snapshots, when the reader needs both audio and video to get to know them...

and if we don't know them, we can't care what happens to them...

 

There's no accounting for taste Mercury. Think about soap operas, reality tv and Justin Beiber. You just have to accept that some people are vulgar and like stupid things.

 

I have never read a novel with that much dialogue. In fact I don't think I have ever even read a novel where dialogue outweighs the descriptions.

 

This thread confuses me to no end

 

Well, I don't pretend to know the exact quantification. I'm using a bit of hyperbole to get my point across.


If you get a chance, flip open a paperback to any random page and look at how much of it is in "quotations". It's usually pretty substantial. Multiply that by 350 pages, and in my book, that is more dialogue than I have a tendency to write.

Really I'm concerned that I wont be as commercially successful unless I get in the habit of writing more dialogue.

 

My favorite author (Robert Jordan) has pages of description at a time. His biggest criticism is being overly descriptive. But, with that said, I don't mind it at all. Nor do I mind a lot of dialogue.

All I care about is a good book. So for me it all depends on the author and how they write.

And when I write, I don't think about it. I just go with my own flow.

 

I think dialogue should be considered a valuable and useful tool in writing. Dialogue is immediate. It feels "live." I find it effortless to read too - a good rhythm in a sparse dialogue exchange can spark powerful concepts of emotion, character, and conflict through subtext alone. Dialogue lets the narrator get out of the way. Dialogue lets the characters speak for themselves.

What people say reveals A LOT about their character, their background, their struggles, their worldview, and their culture. And in talking of plot, dramatic tension is huge in driving the plot. Conflict. People at odds. Some of the best, most tense scenes are of two characters talking to each other, trying to get something out of each other.

 

I have read a few books with a lot of dialogue and find them painful to read.

That being said, I find that dialogue is easier once the characters are clear and have a strong voice/personality backing their speech. Usually, I get to the end of the story before I really know the characters' voices well enough to write engaging dialogue for them. I add a lot of it in later.

 

I have read many novels with a lot of dialogue as well.

But, that is not the same as 80-90%. Nor is it the same as having more dialogue than description.

 

I wasn't arguing with you, just saying that I do not prefer books with a heavy dialogue-to-description ratio.

 

That would have made a lot more sense if you didn't quote my post. Seeing as my post was about something completely different.

 

That's your concern? Commercial viability? Please don't tell me you write because someone said there was money in it.

 

I have read Reservoir Dogs, True Romance, and Pulp Fiction by Quentin Tarantino. That guy really puts 90% dialogue in his novels. Oh, wait...

 

I write for attention. If I can't get and keep peoples attention with my writing then I am doing it wrong.

 

You'll never please everyone. In my view, you'll keep a lot fewer people's attention if you have little or no dialogue, because that's what a lot of people want and/or like. Personally, I don't care if a book is almost all dialogue, or if it has no dialogue whatsoever, so long as it is interesting to read.

 

Those movies are so good. His dialogue is amazing in every movie.

 

This.

 

The thing here is, if the dialog is boring, the author needs to brush up on his/her skills. The dialog should be no more or less interesting than the narrative. (which, as far as I can tell, most people seem to prefer less than the dialog!)

 

I personally enjoy writing dialogue. It breaths life into the characters and helps develop their personalities. Though the amount of dialogue or lack there of is entirely up to the writer and shouldn't really hinder the writing.

 

Mercury, maybe you don't like dialogue because you're just not the kind of person to place a high value on social interraction - you say you're a loner, and you sound very intense and introspective, which is probably why you like narative heavy novels. But as has been pointed out before, a high proportion of plot developments occur through interraction between characters, and that interraction usually takes the form of dialogue. Yes, it's possible to have as solitary character thinking to himself for 90,000 words and still have a plot, but no man is an island. Even someone who is thinking to themselves is quite possibly thinking about interracting with other people - even imagined dialogue is dialogue ;-)

 

I agree that there seems to be confusion in society & the media regarding the differences between DID (formerly multiple personality disorder) and schizophrenia. I sometimes see bumper stickers that say "I used to be schizophrenic, but we're okay now," for example.

Schizophrenics experience delusions and/or hallucinations but people with DID have multiple people living inside them (and even they wouldn't refer to themselves as 'we' -- often they're not even aware of the split).

But schizophrenics are apt to talk out loud to themselves, since they may experience auditory hallucinations in the form of voices talking to them. This is not a symptom of DID. Therefore, it is appropriate to say there may be dialogue when a schizophrenic person is alone.

 

Forgot to add, some people with DID do speak out loud to another person/other people in their head, so you're correct that it could also be appropriate for them to have dialogue with themselves.

 

Cool! Where can I get one?

But come on people, stop taking things so seriously. Mental disorders may be tragic for the sufferers, but they make for freakin HILARIOUS comedy