How to Write

Using Dialogue

Dialogue by itself should be powerful enough for a reader to understand what you mean without having to specify how it is said and who says it. Every character has a unique personality, and this personality should be reflected in the way they speak. Readers don't need to know a character's entire backstory to develop some sort of relationship with them. Let the character do the talking.

It's also important to understand when dialogue is needed, and when it isn't. Often, I find that authors make characters talk to themselves to convey information, but that's rarely necessary. Show the reader through your character's actions, and also do not make your character repeat something your reader already knows. If it is present to confirm a reader's ideas or suspicions, then, yes, that's great, but your readers are smarter than you think. They do not need to be handheld through the entire book.

Even so, an author should always apply the common grammar rules when they decide to use dialogue. This means using quotations and commas correctly. Also, please consider how your reader is reacting yo your writing. It's important to add variety in order to keep your reader engaged.

Perhaps one of the most overused words (in regards to dialogue tags) is "said."

Ex: "I didn't know" she said

"You should have" he said

"How was I supposed to know? I can't read minds!" Lana said

It gets a little repetitive, especially when there are several people talking.

You can substitute the word 'said' for something else, but you should not neglect the use of 'said.' I find that, sometimes, large words draw attention away from the actual sentence.

Ex: "I didn't know," she defended

"You should have," he said

"How was I supposed to know? I can't read minds!" Lana sputtered.

It's an improvement, but still not quite reaching its full potential. If you'd like, you can split the dialogue by inserting an action or description between the two parts. 

Example 3 [Good]: "I didn't know," she defended.

"You should have," he said.

"How was I supposed to know?" Lana sputtered, "I can't read minds!"

Note that there is usually some sort of punctuation mark after the end quote. If that punctuation mark is a comma, the word following the quotation is typically not capitalized, unless it is a proper noun (person, place, thing, etc.).

Ex: "Who said we had to play by the rules? Where in the contract we signed does it say that we have to abide by the rule book?" he said

"Well... nowhere, I guess" she said "but that doesn't mean we don't have to follow them"

"Of course it does" he said

Just...no. 

It's a little choppy, kind of of awkwardly worded, and improperly punctuated. Not to mention the repetitive use of 'said.'

Ex: "Who said we had to play by the rules?" He challenged, "where in the contract does it say that we have to do it exactly this way?"

"Well...nowhere, I guess." She paused, "but that doesn't mean we can just do whatever we want."

" Of course it does!

Not only did I correct punctuation, I also reworded some of it so it would sound smoother and be easier to understand. Also, in a situation like this, with only two people talking, it's okay to just...not specify who said it and how they said it. If the dialogue is well-written, it won't be necessary.