With the holiday last week and unfortunately a death in the family, I’m a day late on this week’s post. I apologize for the delay and hope you enjoy learning about how to write dialogue.

One of the best ways to get better at something is by studying how others do it. In my attempt to become a better dialogue writer, I’ve been reading Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows. Writing dialogue is hard. Bargudo makes it look easy. Here’s an excerpt from her book:

“If you would just relax—”

“I don’t want to relax.”

“Why? What are you so afraid will happen? Afraid you might start to like me?”

He said nothing.

Despite her fatigue, she trotted ahead of him. “That’s it isn’t it? You don’t want to like a Grisha. You’re scared that if you laugh at my jokes or answer my questions, you might start thinking I’m human. Would that be so terrible?

“I do like you.”

“What was that?”

“I do like you,” he said angrily.

She’d beamed, feeling a well of pleasure erupt through her. “Now, really, is that so bad?”

“Yes!” he roared.

“Why?”

“Because you’re horrible. You’re loud and lewd and … treacherous. Brum warned us that Grisha could be charming.”

“Oh, I see. I’m the wicked Grisha seductress. I have beguiled you with my Grisha wiles!”

She poked him in the chest.

“Stop that.”

“No. I’m beguiling you.”

“Quit it.”

She danced around him in the snow, poking his chest, his stomach, his side. “Goodness! You’re very solid. This is strenuous work.” He started to laugh. “It’s working! The beguiling has begun. The Fjerdan has fallen. You are powerless to resist me.”

What makes this passage work? It sounds realistic. It sounds like something someone would say. Yes, the characters are living in a different world than ours, but you can still envision them speaking these words.

If you’re struggling with writing dialogue, as I often do, here are my suggestions:

1. Listen to people talk. Yes, this sounds kind of creepy, but like the Nike slogan suggests just do it. The next time you’re talking with a friend or in a coffee shop pay attention. People rarely talk linearly. Often they’ll refer back to something they mentioned earlier in the conversation without warning. Often they won’t directly answer a question. Listening to the ebbs and flows of conversations can help you write your own.
2. Say your dialogue out loud. Does it sound weird? If so, that’s a clear sign you need to tweak it.
3. Study how other authors write dialogue. If you read something and think, wow that passage was really strong, flag it in some way. Go back and study why it works. Is there a particular rhythm to it? Is there a way that the author phrases something that reminds you of a friend or family member? Try to pinpoint what works.
4. Sketch out a couple of different responses to things and pick the best one. Your characters can respond in a myriad of ways to any one thing that another character says. Take something simple like “How are you?” Your character could say, “Fine”; “Good, thanks”; “Okay”; “Why do you ask?”; or “None of your business” among many other responses. They could even get creative and say, “Well, I just watched a superhuman move a bus, so how do you think I’m doing?” It’s up to you. I find when I sketch a few options, it’s easier to identify the best one.

There you have it, my suggestions for writing dialogue. Let me know what you try and what works for you.

What other suggestions do you have for writing strong dialogue?