100 Dialogue Exercises (With Examples)

 

 

Do you want to write great dialogue?

Let's do some deliberate practice — take the challenge of these 100 Dialogue Writing Exercises. 

These exercises are based on and organized according to the 7 DOs of Dialogue, the 3 DONT's of Dialogue, the 4 Mechanics of Dialogue, and dialogue as the Interplay of PLOT and CHARACTERS Within the SCENE. You can read more about these 17 aspects of dialogue in this article:

Make Your Story Sing — Write Great Dialogue!

It always helps to see examples, so we've curated 17 examples of great dialogue as inspiration. 

Of course you don't have to do all 100 Exercises (although that would be a cool challenge). Feel free to scan through and pick one, or a few, that speak to you. Then let your characters do the speaking.

  

 

 

 

 

7 DOs of Dialogue

These are the seven DOs of dialogue.

1. MUSICAL - get the rhythm right, make it sing
2. NATURAL - conversational, how your characters would speak in real life
3. VARIED - give characters distinct speech patterns
4. SHORT - snappy exchanges
5. UNSAID - imply rather than state outright
6. ACTION - body language, physical movements, gestures
7. PERFORM - say it out loud, act it out

 

 

MUSICAL

Dialogue is musical. There’s a rhythm to dialogue.

Think about dialogue as being MUSICAL, and you will make your story sing!

 

 

Dashiell Hammett is a great example of dialogue with a rhythm. In the example above, the context is that the narrator (the unnamed Continental Op) is investigating a rigged boxing fight. There's a syncopated jazz beat to the hardboiled dialogue.

Notice for example how Hammett throws in the natural way of repeating — "I know for a fact that ain't so" said twice in short succession, then later "on the level" and "could send him over" are both phrases said by one character and repeated back by the other.

Not only does this sound like real, natural speech, but it also creates a rhythm.

Also see how the natural breaks and pauses are used to create rhythm in the dialogue.

 

Exercise 1: Iambic Pentameter

Write a dialogue between two characters, approximating the iambic pentameter rhythm.

Need to know more about iambic pentameter first? 

David Mamet believes that this is the natural rhythm of speech, whether or not we are aware of it, and he strives to write his dialogue in what approximates this rhythm.

Iambic pentameter alternates short and long syllables. Each of this pair of a short and a long syllable is called an "iamb", and this is what creates the rhythm. Stringing together five of these pairs of short and long syllables sounds like this:

 

“da DUM, da DUM, da DUM, da DUM, da DUM.”

 

Here’s an example from Mamet's play (and film) Glenngarry Glen Ross. Notice how he uses small “filler” words, deliberate word repetition, and pauses in some places to achieve the rhythm, which is exactly how we speak.

 

LEVENE
I can’t close these leads, John.
No one can. It’s a joke. John,
look, just give me a hot lead.
Just give me two of the premium
leads. As a “test,” alright? As a
“test” and I promise you…

WILLIAMSON
I can’t do it, Shel.
Pause.

LEVENE
I’ll give you ten percent.
Pause.

 

Also, notice that it’s not exactly the five-syllable pairs (ten syllables in total) of iambic pentameter. The example from Mamet’s dialogue above are actually between six and nine syllables per (go ahead, count the syllables), so it’s more of an approximation.

OK, now go ahead, try the exercise: Write a dialogue between two characters, approximating the iambic pentameter rhythm.

 

Exercise 2: Rhythmic Differences

Write a dialogue between two people, where the two have very different rhythms to their speech.

For example, one character has a long, drawn out speech pattern, like a saxophone, another character speaks in short, choppy sentences, like a jazz piano. How do the rhythmic differences interplay?

For extra credit, consider what the speech pattern says about the characters. How does that create a natural conflict and interest in the dialogue? Check out this article on creating layered character descriptions. 

 

Exercise 3: Tone

Write a dialogue that has a distinct tone. 

For example, the tone of the dialogue may be sad, or upbeat, or tense, or ....

 

Exercise 4: Volume

Write a dialogue between two people, where the two have very different volumes to their speech.

For example, one is domineering with a strong, loud voice, the other speaks in a near whisper. How does that come across in the dialogue? Don't cheat by using fancy tags ("roared"), adverbs ("loudly") or the combination ("roared loudly"). Let the words and the actions and reactions of the two characters show the differences in their volumes of speech.

 

Exercise 5: Timbre

Write a dialogue between two people, where the two have very different timbre to their speech.

The musical term timbre means those qualities of sound that make a note sound different when played by different instruments (and in different ways). Words like "round", "brassy", "sharp", "bright". Imagine the difference in the sound between a piano, trumpet, and violin, playing exactly the same notes.

So, for this exercise you may have your two characters say similar things, but with a very different quality (timbre) to how they say it. Play with the contrast, as if two different instruments are playing "call and response" together.

 

Exercise 6: Cadence

Write a dialogue between two people, where the two have very different cadence to their speech.

The musical term cadence means the melodic patterns, with open cadence inviting and teasing that more is to come in the melody and closed cadence bringing finality, a resolution to a verse or the song.

The easiest way to translate the musical term cadence to dialogue is to think about a question, which is an "open cadence". Sarcasm is another flavor of cadence. You can read more here about cadence as a literary term.

 

Exercise 7: Aria (Monologue)

Write a monologue where only one of two (or more) characters in the scene is speaking.

A monologue isn't technically "dialogue" (since the definition of dialogue is a conversation between two or more people), but it can be the opportunity for one character to stand out and shine, like the soloist performer singing the aria in an opera. 

Consider what the other characters are doing as the spotlight is on the character that speaks the monologue. Weave in their reactions, so that it doesn't feel like the monologue is spoken out into thin air or as an aside to the off-stage audience (reader). Put the monologue in the context of a scene that involves at least one other person.

 

Exercise 8: Duet (Duologue)

Write a dialogue that feels like a duet, where the two characters are playing off each other, "singing" the dialogue together.

Perhaps you let the two characters finish each other's sentence, repeat back words or phrases. Or perhaps this is the kind of duet where one "sings" from their perspective, then we get a different perspective from the other.

 

Exercise 9: Trio (Trialogue)

Write a scene where three characters are all talking.

The third person speaking adds complexity in that you need to make sure it's clear who is speaking at any time. Think about how to do that both through the standard tags (Alice said, Bob said, Chris said), but also through actions that makes it clear who is speaking, or (even more sophisticated) by the way each of them sounds different.

The third person also allows for more complex interplay. Think about three characters that have very different agendas. How will that enliven their trialogue?

 

Exercise 10: Quartet (Quadralogue)

Write a scene where four characters are all talking.

The fourth person speaking adds even more complexity and opportunities for interplay.

 

Exercise 11: Vivace

Write a dialogue between two (or more) people in vivace tempo.

The musical term "vivace" means "very lively, fast." This should be a very quick, back and forth, and even think about the length of the individual words and sentences to create a very fast pace. There may be a complete absence of pauses, lines firing back and forth rapidly with no breaks.

 

Exercise 12: Allegro

Write a dialogue between two (or more) people in allegro tempo.

The musical term "allegro" means "brisk, lively." Similar to vivace, but perhaps you slow down a bit with slightly longer sentences, a pause or two, etc.

 

Exercise 13: Andante

Write a dialogue between two (or more) people in andante tempo.

The musical term "andante" means "steady walking pace, moderate." 

 

Exercise 14: Adagio

Write a dialogue between two (or more) people in adagio tempo.

The musical term "adagio" means "slow, with great expression." Slow down with longer sentences, pauses, and add more action beats that show the expressions and emotions of the characters. Consider adding some "scene & sequel" where one (or more) of the characters reflect through internal narration on what is being said.

 

Exercise 15: Lento/Largo

Write a dialogue between two (or more) people in lento or largo tempo.

The musical terms "lento" and "largo" both mean "very slow".  This is even slower than the adagio tempo. Longer sentences, more pauses, even more and extended action beats that show the expressions and emotions of the characters. "Scene & sequel" where one (or more) of the characters reflect through internal narration on what is being said is a good way to slow the pace and create a slower, reflective mood.

 

NATURAL

Make your dialogue NATURAL by seasoning in idiosyncrasies that are right for your characters and their environment (including time period and culture).

 

 

Exercise 16: Idiosyncrasies

Write a dialogue between two (or more) people where they each have different idiosyncrasies.

People don’t speak in perfectly grammatical sentences. They use contractions, broken phrases and interruptions.

Aaron Sorkin (in his MasterClass course) calls these “idiosyncrasies” since they should also be unique to different characters. He recommends approaching this in two steps:

• Step 1 - write your dialogue without thinking about the “idiosyncrasies.”

• Step 2 - go back over and add in character idiosyncrasies, thinking about how different characters will speak. One character will have more false starts, stops, uhs and uhms, while another speaks in more complete sentences. There can even be idiosyncrasies between characters, such as a relationship so close that they complete each other sentences, or characters that are awkward around each other, stuttering and using more uhs and uhms when they speak, or an age difference and/or power relationship between the characters so that there is an interplay of hesitation/deference and directness/command in their speech.

By adding in the idiosyncrasies in a separate step, you will be doing it thoughtfully, deliberately, and you can guard against overuse of these quirks of natural speech — a little goes a long way. Think of the idiosyncrasies as seasoning, and apply just a pinch here and there.

 

Exercise 17: Slang/Dialect

Write a dialogue between two (or more) people where they use slang and/or dialect.

You should be careful about slang and accents and dialect, with just a little of it placed here and there in the dialogue, so it doesn’t take over and become distracting and difficult to read.

You should know your world, including the historical time period. Once again, use idiosyncrasies as seasoning. Give the reader the “flavor” of, for example, 1930s gangster slang.

 

Exercise 18: Culture

Write a dialogue between two (or more) people where their culture is evident.

In his MasterClass course, David Mamet talks about how culture should influence how characters speak. By that he doesn’t just mean ethnic and socio-economic cultures, but also the culture of the group they belong to. Law enforcement, criminals, sales people, they all have their culture which influences the way they speak. Any group has their own culture and way of speaking.

Is their culture one that enjoys witty banter, jokes, storytelling? Or are they in a culture that is very factual, no-nonsense, precise in expression?

If you don’t know the culture you’re writing about first hand, do your homework. Read fiction and non-fiction, watch film and documentaries, or go out into that culture, listen and observe. How do they talk?

 

VARIED

Make your dialogue VARIED by giving each character a distinct voice and speech pattern.

 

 

I love how Terry Pratchett has the character Death always speaking IN ALL CAPS, NO QUOTES. Somehow the all caps and no quotes makes it feel like Death is speaking through some form of mental telepathy, rather than out loud. Also notice how Death speaks in short, declarative, commanding statements, where his human servant, Albert, speaks like ... a human being.

 

Exercise 19: Character Description

Write a dialogue between two (or more) people where their layered character descriptions are showcased.

As you work on your character descriptions, thinking through the layers from the external (skin) layer to the internal (flesh & bone, soul) layers, how will your characters come across in their dialogue based on their education, their social economic status, their background, and their personality?

Are they confident? Are they fearful? Are they educated and smart or uneducated, slow? Are they positive and upbeat or melancholy and negative? What’s their age and how does that affect their speech pattern?

Make each character have a distinct voice, a unique way of speaking, perhaps in the pattern and rhythm, their vocabulary, their tone, their unique idiosyncrasies.

 

Exercise 20: Confident vs. Fearful

Write a scene between two (or more) people where you show, through dialogue along with action and body language the contrast between confident and fearful speakers.

Make each character have a distinct voice, a unique way of speaking, perhaps in the pattern and rhythm, their vocabulary, their tone, their unique idiosyncrasies as it relates to being confident vs. fearful.

 

Exercise 21: Educated vs. Uneducated

Write a scene between two (or more) people where you show, through dialogue along with action and body language the contrast between educated and uneducated speakers.

Make each character have a distinct voice, a unique way of speaking, perhaps in the pattern and rhythm, their vocabulary, their tone, their unique idiosyncrasies as it relates to being educated vs uneducated.

 

Exercise 22: Positive vs. Negative

Write a scene between two (or more) people where you show, through dialogue along with action and body language the contrast between positive and negative speakers.

Make each character have a distinct voice, a unique way of speaking, perhaps in the pattern and rhythm, their vocabulary, their tone, their unique idiosyncrasies as it relates to being positive (upbeat, hopeful, perhaps a bit naive) vs. negative (melancholy, downbeat, skeptic, hopeless).

 

SHORT

Keep it SHORT with snappy exchanges and lots of white space on the page.

 

 

 

Exercise 23: Screwball Banter

Write a scene between two (or more) people in the style of old screwball comedy banter.

If you haven't watched a good screwball comedy lately, treat yourself. And if you're not familiar, here's a Beginner's Guide to Screwball Comedy.

 

Exercise 24: A Fight

Write a scene between two (or more) people where they fight.

The fight might be all verbal or the dialogue could escalate to fisticuffs.

 

Exercise 25: Get Out! 

Write a scene between two (or more) people where they need to get out.

You can decide whether "get out!" means that one character needs another to get away from them, or whether it's a bad situation they both need to get away from, or something completely different. Either way, make the dialogue short, snappy, and intense.

 

 

UNSAID

Leave things UNSAID and trust the reader to pick up on the subtext.

 

 

Let your characters leave things unsaid, implying rather than stating outright.

In real life, people don’t info-dump, especially not about feelings and deeper core issues, and especially-especially not about things that the other characters already know about.

You as the writer will know things that you’ll be tempted to have a character say. Don’t.

Instead, hold back. Let the subtext work subconsciously and trust that the reader will get the sense of what is unsaid, and will understand. Trust the reader.

This is Hemingway’s Iceberg Theory that you can leave the bulk unsaid, and the reader will not only get it, but it will make a stronger emotional impact because it’s not dragged out into the open, but left for the reader to discover (or wonder about). In the example above from Hills Like White Elephants, the subtext (never stated outright in the whole story) is a man pressuring (in a very passive-aggressive way) a woman to have an abortion.

 

Exercise 26: After The Funeral 

Write a scene between two (or more) people set after a funeral.

You can decide whether the subtext that you're going to leave unsaid has anything to do with the deceased who was just buried, or whether there is something else going on entirely.

 

Exercise 27: I'm So Happy 

Write a scene between two (or more) people where one character says "I'm so happy!", then burst out in tears.

What's the reason for the contrast between the words and the action? You can't spill the beans in the dialogue. How do you write around it, so that the reader gets a sense of what is really going on without anything being said out loud.

 

Exercise 28: Silence 

Write a scene between two (or more) people where they use silence.

You can decide whether they use silence in a negative, manipulative, aggressive way, or whether the silence reflects some overwhelming positive emotion that can't be expressed in words, or something else.

 

ACTION

ACTION makes dialogue come alive.

 

 

 

Exercise 29: Body Language  

Write a scene between two (or more) people where they use body language along with the spoken words.

Body language is all about facial expressions, shrugs, shaking head, nodding, pointing a finger, clenching a fist, leaning forward in a chair, all the little gestures and twitches. Consider how the body language adds to, perhaps even contrasts with, the spoken words.

 

Exercise 30: More Body Language, Less Words

Write another scene between two (or more) people where they use body language along with the spoken words.

This time, less spoken words, more body language.

 

Exercise 31: Broader Action 

Write a scene between two (or more) people where they use broader action along with the spoken words.

In contrast with body language, these actions involve more than the speaker's own body.  Let your characters speaks while at the same time moving around the space, pick up things, give hugs and backslaps, take a sip of coffee, etc. For this exercise, keep the action contained, trivial, nothing dramatic, nothing violent.

 

Exercise 32: Violent/Dramatic Action 

Write a scene between two (or more) people where they use violence or some other form of dramatic action along with the spoken words.

Now, go to town with a real "action piece", where there is still a focus on dialogue in the scene.

 

Exercise 33: Interjected Action Instead of Tags 

Write a scene between two (or more) people where their interjected actions are the sole way they are identified as the speaker.

Tags are the small words that are used to quickly identify (i.e. “tag”) the speaker, so the reader doesn’t get confused and lost in the dialogue (Alice said, Bob asked, Chris answered, etc.).

Instead of using any "tags", use "interjected action". It looks like this:

 

“I didn’t mean it that way.” Alice reached out and patted Bob's hand. “Maybe we should just try.”

 

Note that you don't have to have an interjected action for every line. It it's clear who's speaking, you can skip the interjected action and just have the character speak. Just no tags for this exercise.

 

Exercise 34: Broader Action Instead of Tags

Write a scene between two (or more) people where their broader actions are the sole way they are identified as the speaker.

This gets a little trickier. You don't get to interject the action. Instead the action is on it's own line/paragraph. You'll see that it gets a little harder to make sure that it's clear who's speaking. Give it a try!

 

Exercise 35: Body Language As Subtext

Write a scene between two (or more) people where their body language carries subtext.

Leave things unsaid, but let the body language provide clues to the subtext.

 

Exercise 36: Broader Action As Subtext

Write a scene between two (or more) people where their broader actions carry subtext.

Leave things unsaid, but let the broader action provide clues to the subtext.

 

 

PERFORM

PERFORM your dialogue to make sure it sings.

 

 

The real test of dialogue comes when you say it out loud. Does it ring true? Does if feel natural on the tongue? Does it have rhythm? Does it sing?

I selected Neil Gaiman as an example because he performs his own work so beautifully. If you haven't listened to one of his audiobooks, where he performs as the narrator, do yourself the favor. 

 

Exercise 37: Read Out Loud

Pick a scene you've already written — read the dialogue out loud.

As you read it, does the dialogue ring true? Does if feel natural on the tongue? Does it have rhythm? Does it sing?

What would you change after reading it out loud?

 

Exercise 38: Act It Out

Pick a scene you've already written — act out the dialogue, body language, and broader actions.

This time, act it out, PERFORM the dialogue, as in a play, adding in the action around the dialogue, playing all the parts yourself, to “performance test” it.

As you act it out, does the dialogue ring true? Does if feel natural on the tongue? Does it have rhythm? Does it sing?

How about the body language and actions? Did they feel natural? Did they fit with the spoken words? Can you picture it better after acting it out?

What would you change after acting it out?

 

Exercise 39: Dictate Dialogue

Write a new scene by dictating it out loud.

Turn on a voice recorder — there's one on your phone, I'm sure — and speak the dialogue into life, acting it out, speaking the “Ugly First Draft”.

If you’re using dictation/transcription (my favorite app is Otter.ai,) you can get an instant transcript. Otherwise, play back your recording and write it down.

How did it look "in the raw", before editing? Did it need a lot of editing, or did it come out naturally? 

Try it again if it didn't come out right the first time.  

The best dialogue is improv (more about that in the section on "Overthink" below). 

Have fun with it!

 

 

3 DON’Ts of Dialogue

Now for the 3 DON’Ts of dialogue:

1. Don't say THE KNOWN
2. Don't go past THE END
3. Don't OVERTHINK

 

 

 

 

THE KNOWN

Don’t say THE KNOWN straight out, instead hint, summarize, and focus on the emotional reactions.

 

 

 

You can think of this as a flavor of leaving things unsaid, but specifically don’t have the characters tell each other what they already know. And don’t tell the reader what the reader already knows.

 

Exercise 40: Reader Knows – Summary

Write a scene where information the reader already knows is conveyed to another character through a summary.

In this exercise, imagine that the scene comes after the reader already has been given a piece of information.

Instead of having the characters dialogue back and forth about something the reader already knows (which is boring to the reader, so they will likely skim and skip the dialogue), just summarize it, as in: I told her about …

 

Exercise 41: Reader Knows – Emotional Reaction

Write a scene where information the reader already knows is said, but the focus is on the emotional reaction to the information.

In this exercise, imagine that the scene comes after the reader already has been given a piece of information.

Go ahead, say “the known”, but in such a way that what the dialogue is really about is the emotional reaction of the other character, along with the conflict and tension and other complications that come from the revelation of the information. Focus the dialogue on the reaction and cut the (already known) information to the bone. Often the other character may “get it” with just a hint, and then the rest of the dialogue is about what happens in the aftermath of sharing.

 

Exercise 42: Reader Knows – Emotional Reaction + Summary

Write a scene where information the reader already knows is said in passing, followed by emotional reaction, then a summary.

In this exercise, imagine that the scene comes after the reader already has been given a piece of information.

Tee up the emotional reaction with a short, barely-hinted-at statement and get right into the emotional reaction, then add a summary — which may not even have any information stated since the reader already knows ( ex. When I told her the rest of it …) — and then more emotional reaction. This will make “the known” slip in, practically unnoticed, into the dialogue.

 

Exercise 43: Characters Know – Reader Stand-In

Write a scene where information the characters know is conveyed to the reader through a character that acts as a reader stand-in.

The reader doesn’t know the information, but two (or more) characters in the scene do. You must NOT have the "in the know" characters directly state what they know to each other, because that’s not how it would come out in a real conversation.

In this exercise, add another character who stands in for the reader, who doesn’t know and has to be told by the other(s) in the scene. A good example is the rookie/newbie (new cop, trainee for the job, etc) which lets the seasoned characters show them the ropes, and by so doing, the reader learns alongside the rookie/newbie. 

 

Exercise 44: Characters Know – Hints + Aside Narrative Summary

Write a scene where information the characters know is conveyed to the reader through hints and a narrative summary in an aside.

The reader doesn’t know the information, but two (or more) characters in the scene do. You must NOT have the characters directly state what they know to each other, because that’s not how it would come out in a real conversation.

In this exercise, have the characters hint about this shared knowledge and then add in an aside narrative summary for the benefit of the reader.

 

Exercise 45: Characters Know – Hints (Subtext, Open Loops)

Write a scene where information the characters know is (subtly) conveyed to the reader through hints, subtext, open loops, but never stated.

The reader doesn’t know the information, but two (or more) characters in the scene do. You must NOT have the characters directly state what they know to each other, because that’s not how it would come out in a real conversation.

In this exercise, let the characters hint, but leave almost all of it unsaid, so that it is subtext, which also opens a loop for the reader — something is going on, you don’t quite know what, so as the reader, you’re curious.

In a later scene it can be fully revealed, or another hint dropped, so that bit by bit the reader clues in. For extra credit, write this future scene when the reader is clued in. How is the information eventually revealed?

 

 

THE END

Don’t go past THE END — find “the button”, the “true end”, and cut everything after.

 

 

It’s hard to know where to end a dialogue. Most often, we will write “past the end”, meaning that there was a point in the dialogue where cutting it off would leave the reader with a more meaningful and memorable impression. The trick is to spot “the true end” of the dialogue.

As with the example above in writing natural dialogue, this is best done in a two-step process:

• Step 1 - write the dialogue without worrying about the “true end.”

• Step 2 - as you review your dialogue, ask yourself where you should cut if off (it’s most likely going to be somewhere before the last sentence you wrote). Find the “button” that perfectly ends the dialogue. Cut everything after that point (even if you love the words you wrote).

 

Exercise 46: Find The End (1)

Pick a scene you've already written — find the "true end".

Can you see the "true end"? Can you just cut it off there, or does it need a better "button"?

 

Exercise 47: Find The End (2)

Pick another scene you've already written — find the "true end".

Practice = mastery. Try it again with another scene.

 

Exercise 48: Find The End (3)

Pick one more scene you've already written — find the "true end".

Once more, so it really sinks in. Third time's the charm.

 

 

OVERTHINK

Don’t OVERTHINK it, just go for it, let it rip, and “improv” your dialogue.

 

 

Keep the focus on plot, characters, and scene (more about this below).

Has the dialogue moved the plot forward, revealed characters, and served the purposes of the scene?

Does it sound like real people talking?

Great, you’re done!

And as you’re writing the “Ugly First Draft”, just “let it rip” and get into the natural flow. The best dialogue is improv.

 

Exercise 49: Let It Rip – Plot

Write down the key plot points you need to get across in dialogue between two (or more) characters, then let it rip, improv the dialogue.

Just get the plot points across. Maybe you speak the dialogue out loud, recording it, so you can't edit yourself while writing. Let it rip! Improvise. Done! 

 

Exercise 50: Let It Rip – Character

Write down the key character revelation you need to get across in dialogue between two (or more) characters, then let it rip, improv the dialogue.

Just get the character revelation across. Let it rip! Improvise. Done!

 

Exercise 51: Let It Rip – Scene

Write down the key elements of the scene you need to get across in dialogue between two (or more) characters, then let it rip, improv the dialogue.

We'll talk more about the key elements of scenes below (they're things like "conflict", "choices", "obstacles", "twists", "callbacks to prior scenes", "foreshadowing future scenes").

Pick one or a few of these elements. The dialogue needs to get these elements across. Let it rip! Improvise. Done!

 

Exercise 52: Edit, But Don't Overthink It (1)

Pick one of the scenes you wrote in Exercise 49 - 51 — go ahead, edit it.

Or does it not need editing? It could be that your improv achieved the goal (plot, character, scene) and sounds natural. That's a great lesson too. But most often the dialogue can be improved to be more musical, natural, varied, etc. Just don't overthink it!

 

Exercise 53: Edit, But Don't Overthink It (2)

Pick another of the scenes you wrote in Exercise 49 - 51 — go ahead, edit it.

Once more. And remember, don't overthink it! When it gets across the plot, character, scene goals and sounds natural, musical, varied, etc, you're done!

 

 

The 4 Mechanics of Dialogue

The “mechanics” of dialogue are the things that surround the actual spoken words. Here are the 4 main areas of dialogue mechanics, using the acronym mnemonic TAPS — Tags, Action, Punctuation, and Scene & Sequel.

 

TAGS

Tags are the small words that are used to quickly identify (i.e. “tag”) the speaker, so the reader doesn’t get confused and lost in the dialogue. In a play this is easy, because it’s actually the name of the speaker directly before the spoken line. In prose fiction, you need to find natural ways of identifying the speaker.

 

 

 

Here are the best practices for Tags.

• Primarily, use ‘said’ (he said, she said, John said) … or ‘says’ if writing in present tense.

• Sometimes use other simple words (answered, asked, stated).

• Never (or veeery rarely) use ‘vigorous’ dialogue tags (‘roared’, ‘spat’, etc.) — these are sometimes referred to as "fancy" or "creative" tags.

• Never (or extreeeemely rarely) use adverbs - ‘he roared angrily’. Adverbs are a form of “telling”, a clichéd and lazy way of avoiding the harder work of “showing” the way a character speaks, thinks, feels, and acts. Instead of using the adverb ‘angrily’, let the anger come across in the words and in the body language.

Notice in the example from Cormac McCarthy, "No Country for Old Men" how sparingly he uses even the simple "said" tag — just twice in the whole passage, the rest is mostly "no tag", some action, and once the female character tags the male character by using his name.

 

 

Exercise 54: Said

Write a scene where the only tag is the word "said".

This is the simplest and cleanest way of showing who speaks. Nothing fancy, just:

 

“We’re gonna need a bigger boat,” Chief Brody said.

 

Be mindful that if you use it all the time, it gets irritating to the reader’s eye. Take another look at the example by Cormac McCarthy for the right way to do it.

 

Exercise 55: Other Simple Tags

Write a scene where you use some other simple tags (ex. asked, answered).

The tag ‘said’ is not the only one that feels natural. Sometimes, for example, when there is a question and an answer, it’s fine to use ‘asked’ and ‘answered’.

You can use other words such as ‘stated’ (gives the sense that the the line spoken is a more formal or perhaps commanding, definitive statement), but any time you stray from the clean, simple ‘said’, ‘asked’, and ‘answered’, you’re entering dangerous territory, walking into a Grimpen Mire bog full of quicksand. Watch your steps (and your tags)!

 

Exercise 56: Vigorous (Fancy) Tags and Adverbs

Write a scene where you blatantly use vigorous (fancy) tags and adverbs.

A ‘vigorous’ tag (sometimes called a ‘creative’ or 'fancy' tag) is one where the writer tries to be clever with the tags. It almost never works. It’s almost never as clever as the writer thinks. In her MasterClass course, Judy Blume has a funny story about an early attempt at writing, where she resolved that "said" was so boring, so she used a thesaurus and found a different "fancy" tag for every line. The result was cringeworthy. She still has the manuscript tucked away, never to see the light of day.

Trying to help the humble ‘said’ tag by adding an adverb is, as we said before, a clichéd and lazy way to avoid the work of showing what the character is thinking, feeling, or doing.

But ... for this exercise, let's go for it. Break out that thesaurus, just like Judy Blume did, find the fanciest tags and slather on the adverbs.

Now step back and admire your cringeworthy "masterpiece."

 

Exercise 57: Fix The Mess

Edit Exercise 56 to remove the vigorous (fancy) tags and adverbs.

 Save the original version from Exercise 56. Now fix it. Get rid of the fancy tags. How do you "show" what you were "telling" with the adverbs?

Compare Exercise 56 to Exercise 57, side by side. Do you see how much better the latter version is?

 

 

ACTION

Instead of a “tag”, such as ‘said’, describe what the character does. You can either do this right before or right after the spoken line, or start the spoken line, then intersperse an action, then continue the line.

 

 

This is not an either-or. You should change it up, using tags, action, and no-tags. I’ve never seen a rule or direction on this, but here’s my suggestion:

 

 

• Said - 40% of the time (a little less than half)
• No Tag - 30% of the time (3 times for every 10 lines)
• Action - 20% of the time (2 times for every 10 lines)
• Another Simple Tag - 9-10% (1 time for every 10 lines)
• Vigorous Tags and Adverbs - 0-1% (either never or max 1 time every 100 lines)

 

Exercise 58: All Action

Write a scene where there is action interjected for every line (100%).

Use both action interjections and standalone action between the spoken lines. 

The action should be both body language and broader picking up something or setting it down, sitting down or standing up, pacing back and forth, etc.

For extra credit, work in actions that provide subtext to the spoken words. Let the actions illustrate the unsaid. Let the actions take the place of adverbs — instead of ‘angrily’ show through body language that the speaker is angry.

For this exercise, break the guideline of having only 20% of the time. Instead purposefully slather the action on for every single line. No "said", no other tags.

There should be at least 10 spoken lines of dialogue, but better if there's 20, 30, or more lines. This way you have to force yourself to pile on the body language and broader action in a longer dialogue to the point that there's just TOO MUCH ACTION, which is what we are illustrating with this exercise. It will also give you enough spoken lines of dialogue to work with in the next two exercises. 

 

Exercise 59: Cut Back The Action

For the Exercise 58 scene, cut back the action to 20% (every 5th line).

Cut back the action to around 20% of the time, meaning that every fifth line or twice in ten lines, have one of the characters do an action that identifies them as the speaker instead of a tag (or no-tag).

 

Exercise 60: The Right Mix

For the Exercise 59 scene, edit to create the right mix of "said", simple tags, no-tags, and action.

Look back at the pie-chart with the proposed ideal mix. You already have the 20% action. Now get to 40% "said", 30% "no-tag", and 10% other simple tags (ex. asked, answered). Actually count the total number of lines to make sure it matches that "ideal mix".

How does it look compared to the original (Exercise 58)? How about compared to Exercise 59?

 

 

PUNCTUATION

Here are some rules on punctuation in dialogue:

• Each line gets its own line (i.e. paragraph), even if it’s very short.

• Quotation marks go around the spoken words.

• Quotes start with a capital letter, even after a comma. Ex. He said, "What do you want?" 

• Comma (inside the quotation mark) before the tag. Ex: “I don’t know,” she said.

• Question mark or exclamation mark - you still don’t capitalize the tag. Ex: “What’s there to know?” he said.

• Interjected tag in a continuous sentence - use commas before and after (and also note that since it's a continuous sentence with the tag interjected as an aside, the second quote is NOT capitalized). Ex: “That,” she said, “is a philosophical question.”

• Action - most of the time, the action taken around the dialogue should be on it’s own paragraph, separated from the speech. But, sometimes (and especially if you want to use the action as a tag) you can insert a (short) full sentence between the parts of the dialogue. Ex: “I didn’t mean it that way.” John smiled, then shrugged. “Maybe we should just try.”

• Em Dash vs Ellipsis - The em dash (a long dash like this: — ) is used when there’s an aside — like this — and it’s also used to show that the sentence is cut short, like —. By contrast, the ellipsis (three dots, like this: …) is used to show that there is a … pause or that the sentence trails off, like …

For even more rules and examples, check out Beth Hill's "Punctation in Dialogue", a 25-page guide which is an excellent reference.

 

 

 

That said, as creative writers we get to break the rules, as in the example from Alice Walker's "The Color Purple". 

There has to be a reason to break the rules, though, as in this example, where the book is written in the form of diary entries, addressed to "Dear God," and narrated by a poor, illiterate,14-year old girl.

But first ... know the rules. Then you can break them, knowing what you're doing. 

Let's practice proper punctuation!

 

Exercise 61: Question + Tag

Write a short dialogue with multiple questions + tags

Question mark (or exclamation mark) — you still don’t capitalize the tag. Ex: “What’s there to know?” he said.

 

Exercise 62: Interjected Tag

Write a short dialogue with interjected tags

Interjected tag in a continuous sentence - use commas before and after (and also note that since it's a continuous sentence with the tag interjected as an aside, the second quote is NOT capitalized). Ex: “That,” she said, “is a philosophical question.”

 

Exercise 63: Interjected Action — Complete Sentence(s)

Write a short dialogue with interjected action, where the action is complete sentences.

Most of the time, the action taken around the dialogue should be on it’s own paragraph, separated from the speech. But, sometimes (and especially if you want to use the action as a tag) you can insert a (short) full sentence (or sentences) between the parts of the dialogue. Ex: “I didn’t mean it that way.” John smiled, then shrugged. “Maybe we should just try.”

 

Exercise 64: Interjected Action — Subordinated Clause

Write a short dialogue with interjected action, where the action is a continuation of the line (a subordinated clause, not an complete sentence). 

Here's an example:  “I didn’t mean,” as he wiped a tear from Alice's eye, “to make you sad.”

 

Exercise 65: Em Dash (—)

Write a short dialogue with em dash —

The em dash (a long dash like this: — ) is used when there’s an aside — like this — and it’s also used to show that the sentence is cut short, like —. 

 

Exercise 66: Ellipsis (...)

Write a short dialogue with ellipsis ...

The ellipsis (three dots, like this: …) is used to show that there is a … pause or that the sentence trails off, like …

 

Exercise 67: Em Dash (—)  +  Ellipsis (...)

Write a short dialogue with both em dash and ellipsis

In this exercise, show asides, sentences cut short, pauses, and sentences that trail off, all in one short dialogue. 

 

 

SCENE & SEQUEL

By Scene & Sequel we mean dialogue that is followed by thoughts, the interior reflection of one (or more) of the speakers.

The spoken word is the “scene”, the thoughts are the “sequel”.

This originally referred to a full scene of dialogue and action, followed by the “sequel” of reflecting on the prior scene, and transition to the next scene. Sort of a breather between scenes, where the reader gets to be inside the head of the narrator.

Using “Scene & Sequel” in the middle of a dialogue doesn’t mean that you’re shifting to a different scene. It’s a mini-breather of reflection interspersed with the spoken words.

Similar to action, this can be used instead of a tag to identify the speaker, but the real reason for the “Scene & Sequel” is to enrich the dialogue with the narrator’s thoughts. It’s also a good way to get across information that needs to be left unsaid in the spoken words, but that you want to make sure the reader is in on.

 

 

 

How often to use “Scene & Sequel”? It depends on the mood and rhythm of the story. If it’s a very interior story, where the reader is just as interested in the narrator’s inner world as the words and actions of the outside world, then … a lot. In most cases, it’s best to use it sparingly. Let’s say once or twice every three pages.

In Hilary Mantel's "Wolf Hall" trilogy, there's a constant interplay of dialogue and Thomas Cromwell's interior musings. The result is prose that feels intimate, hypnotic, where we drift in and out of Thomas Cromwell's thoughts. Hilary Mantel is a master of "Scene & Sequel" prose.

Notice that in the example, the first words spoken by Cromwell is the very last line. Yet, it feels like there's been a back and forth dialogue between Cardinal Wolsey and Cromwell. This also illustrates how close the two of them are. It also shows Cromwell to be interior, reserved, hearing much, saying little, remembering, reflecting. 

 

Exercise 68: Scene & Sequel  – Memory

Two characters are speaking, and what one says triggers the other to have a memory.

Let the two characters banter back and forth first ("scene"), then there's the memory ("sequel") described through interior narration, then the dialogue continues.  

 

Exercise 69: Scene & Sequel  – Observation

Three characters are speaking, and while two speak, the third character (narrator) is observing through interior narration.

Let all three characters banter in a "trialogue", back and forth at first ("scene"), then, as the two characters continue to speak, the third character, who is the narrator, observes the other two and shares his/her thoughts about them (and what they are saying) with the reader through interior narration ("sequel"). Then let the narrator re-join the conversation.

 

Exercise 70: Scene & Sequel  – Reflecting

Two (or more) characters are speaking, and what one says triggers the other to reflect through interor narration.

Let the two characters banter back and forth first ("scene"), then that leads one character to reflect on what they talked about in interior narration ("sequel"). You can either let the dialogue pick back up again, or end with the "sequel" reflection.  

 

 

Dialogue is the Interplay of PLOT and CHARACTERS Within the SCENE

So, let’s end with the true purpose of dialogue.

Dialogue is the interplay of plot and characters within the scene.

 

 

 

The intent of dialogue should always be to move the plot forward, to reveal the characters, and to serve the purposes of the scene itself (we’ll get into what that means in a little bit).

Once you focus your dialogue in this way, it’s not mysterious. It may even become easy. With this mentality, you will …

• … not lack direction for your dialogue (keep bringing it back to plot, characters, scene),

• … no longer write stilted or fancy dialogue (because the dialogue is simply there to serve plot, characters, scene), and

• … let go and not try so hard (after all, if it serves plot, characters, scene, then the dialogue has done its job, that’s all it needs to do).

Let the words spoken by your StoryPEOPLE pull all of your writing craft together: plot, characters, and scenes.

 

PLOT

Dialogue is a means for advancing the plot.

 

 

 

Let’s use the plot structure of the FictionMAP with its three acts (Act I: Challenge, Act II: Complications, Act III: Conclusion).

 

 

 

 

Exercise 71: Act I (Challenge) – Context

Through dialogue, establish the context for the story.

Act I introduces the context or “setup” of the story, which includes the situation and setting in the world of the characters “before” (sometimes called the “ordinary world”).

Use dialogue to show the characters in their "ordinary world." 

For extra credit, show through dialogue some of he problems inherent in the "ordinary world" and tee up the theme of the story.

 

Exercise 72: Act I (Challenge) – Catalyst

Through dialogue, establish the catalyst for the story.

Some form of catalyst (the “inciting incident,” “trigger event,” “call to adventure,” “opportunity”) turns everything upside down.

 

Exercise 73: Act I (Challenge) – Conversion

Through dialogue, work through the conversion to move into Act II of the story.

Your characters have wills of their own, so before they go along with the change, show them reacting to the catalyst, which typically involves some form of initial refusal, debate, then acceptance and commitment to go forward, which we can call the conversion, moving the story along into Act II.

 

Exercise 74: Act II (Complications) – Contrasts

Through dialogue, establish one (or more) of the contrasts in the story.

Act II focuses first on establishing the contrasts of the “upside-down” world your characters now find themselves in because of the catalyst from Act I. The contrasts with the "ordinary world" can be external, dramatic, and action-oriented -- think action scenes, victories, defeats, betrayals, twists and turns — or can be more quiet, internal, relationship-oriented elements (and ideally both external and internal contrasts carry the story forward).

 

Exercise 75: Act II (Complications) – Crisis

Through dialogue, show the crisis of the story.

The story builds to a crisis moment where a major turning point appears to be either a big victory or a big defeat.

If it's a big victory, it will turn out to be a false victory (more trouble to come).

If it's a big defeat, it will be a turning point that will lead to future victory.

 

Exercise 76: Act II (Complications) – Conflicts

Through dialogue, show one (or more) of the main conflicts in the story.

The crisis is followed by additional conflicts (more set pieces, chase scenes, bad guys closing in, consequences from the crisis point, higher stakes, bigger threats, and more and more problems stacking up). There may be an "all is lost" "or "darkest point" moment, where there seems to be no way to get to a good resolution, just before entering Act III.

Pick one (or more) of these conflicts, and write dialogue to bring this conflict to life.

 

Exercise 77: Act III (Conclusion) – Change

Through dialogue, show the change that's going to lead to the climax of the story.

In Act III one or more insights, revelations, reversals, or another form of change moves the story forward to the climax.

 

Exercise 78: Act III (Conclusion) – Climax

Through dialogue, show the climax of the story.

Everything comes to a head (the climax).

 

Exercise 79: Act III (Conclusion) – Closure

Through dialogue, wrap up the closure of the story.

A resolution or “denouement,” an opportunity to explain and/or reflect, giving closure to the story.

 

Exercise 80: Act III (Conclusion) – Cliffhanger 

Through dialogue, tease a cliffhanger that will draw the reader into the next story.

In some cases, you may choose to add a cliffhanger if, for example, you are writing a series of stories and want to hook the reader for the next installment.

 

 

CHARACTERS 

Reveal characters through dialogue. Let each character’s voice set them apart from others, and use dialogue to drop clues about their personality, their worldview, their attitude, fears, their wants and needs, their emotional arc, and their relationships with the other characters.

 

 

 

 

In Act I of “A Christmas Carol”, we see how Dickens uses dialogue to show contrast between the characters, for example between Scrooge (stubborn, grumbling, cynical, closed off) and his nephew (equally stubborn but in a positive way, full of Christmas cheer, open and seeking friendship even with his miserly uncle).

In the example above, when Scrooge has repeatedly turned down the nephew’s kind invitation to Christmas dinner with him and his wife, we see the contrast.

In a sense, dialogue is really always about what the characters want. They don’t talk just to hear themselves talk. They talk because they’re trying to influence, manipulate, ask, and in some way seeking to achieve something. Dialogue really comes alive when the characters have conflicting purposes.

Here's an article on getting clear about the many layers of your characters:

It's Alive! How to Write Character Descriptions.

 

Exercise 81: Skin 

Through dialogue, show the "skin" (the “surface” level, the externals) of your characters.

By “skin” we mean the surface, everything that is on the outside, that you can see, hear, feel, smell, taste (if you lick their skin, I suppose) or observe directly in any way.

 

Exercise 82: Flesh & Bones 

Through dialogue, show the "flesh & bones" (“below surface”, things you could research) of your characters.

By “flesh & bones” we mean what’s below the surface. These are tangible things, but not immediately apparent when you see the character. At this level, you’re not inside the person yet (that’s the deep core “soul” that we’ll get to in the next section). Instead, think about something where you would have to do a little bit of research or interview some family members or friends to find it out.

 

Exercise 83: Soul 

Through dialogue, show the "soul" (the “deep core” that you could only know if the character reveals it) of your characters.

By “soul” we mean what’s deep inside the character, not tangible, not visible. In fact, in order to learn about this deep core of the character they would have to share it with you. You’d have to sit down (over several glasses of wine or whiskey) as your character opens up and unburden themselves. Or you’d have to be their therapist, or steal their private journal. Of course, as the all-knowing writer, you get to walk around inside your character, you get to learn about their deep core soul first hand.

 

 

SCENE 

Use dialogue as you write your scene as a mini-story, for callbacks and foreshadow, to open and close loops, create conflict, set up choices, hint at subtext, cause disruption, introduce complications, and bringing your scene to a powerful conclusion.

 

 

 

When asked what makes a great movie, the director, producer, and screenwriter Howard Hawks answered, "3 great scenes and no bad ones." That's good advice, not just for movies but for storytelling in general.  

Check out this article for more: 

What Makes a Good Story? — Great Scenes! How to Write Them

 

Exercise 84: Callbacks 

Write a scene where through dialogue you weave connections to a prior scene through callbacks.

You can use dialogue to weave connections to prior scenes. You do that by dialogue that includes callbacks to what was said or happened in prior scenes.

 

Exercise 85: Foreshadow 

Write a scene where through dialogue you weave connections to a future scene through foreshadowing.

You can use dialogue to weave connections to future scenes. You do that by dialogue that foreshadows a future scene.

 

Exercise 86: Open Loops

Write a scene where through dialogue you open loops.

"Opening loops” means that what is said raises questions, poses a challenge, or creates suspense in some other way by stating something that’s not complete, unresolved.

 

Exercise 87: Close Loops

Write a scene where through dialogue you close loops.

“Closing loops” means that the dialogue answers a question, or resolves something that was left unresolved in a prior scene.

 

Exercise 88: Conflict

Write a scene where through dialogue you create conflict.

To create conflict, imagine using dialogue to show two characters arguing. Of course that's just one example of conflict.

 

Exercise 89: Choices

Write a scene where through dialogue you set up choices.

Dialogue is an effective way to set up choices as in the example from “A Christmas Carol” where the dialogue between Scrooge and Marley’s Ghost sets up the central choice: will Scrooge change his ways or be doomed to the same fate as Marley in the afterlife?

 

Exercise 90: Subtext

Write a scene where through dialogue you hint at subtext.

What is left unsaid in dialogue can sometimes be as important as what is said. This is subtext. It is also a natural way of speaking. We don’t complete our thoughts. We don’t share everything we’re thinking, especially in situations where the other characters in the scene are already in the know.

 

Exercise 91: Disruption

Write a scene where through dialogue you cause disruption.

You can use dialogue to cause disruption: a character suddenly blurting out something that is shocking, upsetting, unexpected.

 

Exercise 92: Action/Reaction

Write a scene where dialogue serves as a form of action/reaction that creates complications in the scene.

Action/Reaction - dialogue can be a form of “action” that there will be a “reaction” to as the characters engage in verbal sparring.

 

Exercise 93: Danger

Write a scene where dialogue creates a sense of danger.

Danger - dialogue can show that there is danger either because of a direct verbal threat or by having the characters speaking about their fears and the scary situation they find themselves in. 

 

Exercise 94: Revelations

Write a scene where dialogue serves up one or more revelations that create complications in the scene.

Revelations - the characters say something that reveals a fact or feeling that wasn’t known before to the other characters in the scene (or the reader).

 

Exercise 95: Obstacles

Write a scene where dialogue creates obstacles as a form of complications in the scene.

Obstacles - either where one character tells another that they can’t do something, explains how they are going to be stymied or stopped, or two characters discuss how to overcome an obstacle.

 

Exercise 96: Confrontation

Write a scene where dialogue includes confrontation.

Confrontation - for example by one character challenging another and the other character taking up the challenge in a verbal match. 

 

Exercise 97: Twists

Write a scene where dialogue serves up one or more twists that create complications in the scene.

Twists - for example by two characters revealing through their conversation that they are secretly conspiring. 

 

Exercise 98: Raising Stakes

Write a scene where dialogue creates a sense of raising stakes.

Raising stakes - for example by the characters escalating their verbal conflict and threats, taking it to the “next level."

 

Exercise 99: Contemplation

Write a scene with dialogue that weaves in contemplation.

Contemplation - the actual “contemplation” should not be spoken aloud (unless you’re writing a monologue for a play). Instead use dialogue to trigger inner thoughts in “scene and sequel” interplay between what the characters say and think.

 

Exercise 100: Withholding

Write a scene where dialogue involves withholding information.

Withholding - this is another example (as with subtext) of what is left unsaid in dialogue. Let your characters omit, speak in half-truths, or straight up tell lies to withhold information or feelings. A character can also blatantly state that they refuse to share.

 

 

Resources

Here are some examples of great dialogue along with other resources that will be helpful as you write your stories.

 

PUNCTUATION IN DIALOGUE

 

• Beth Hill's "Punctation in Dialogue" - a 25-page guide which is an excellent reference 

 

 

EXAMPLES OF GREAT DIALOGUE

 

• 15 Examples of Great Dialogue (And Why They Work So Well)
  
  
• 50 Examples of Dialogue to Inspire Writers
  
  
• Goodreads: Best Dialogue Books
  
  
• The Top 10 Best Dialogue Movies
  
  
• The 20 Best Dialogue Scenes in Cinema History
  
  
• IMDB: Best Dialogue Movies
  
  

 

MY FAVORITE ALL-PURPOSE RESOURCE

The Writer's Treasure Chest - everything in one place, curated, organized, this is a great reference for all things writing craft, with tons of prompts, plot/character generators and other tools to inspire you to write a great story with great dialogue.

 

 

RELATED ARTICLES

Dialogue is the interplay between PLOT and CHARACTER within the SCENE, here are some articles that will be helpful as you work on all the aspects of the writing craft and your writing process: 

• Write Fiction Faster! — How to Speed Up Your Story Writing 
  
  
• Need a Great Idea for Your Next Story? Try the Story IDEA Formula
  
  
• From Idea to Story: 3 Methods to Develop Your Story Idea 
  
  
• How to Write Characters Who Stick in the Reader's Mind 
  
  
• What Makes a Good Story? — Great Scenes! Here's How to Write Them
  
  
• Flash Fiction: How To Use It To Supercharge Your Writing 
  
  
• Blast Through Writer's Block: How to Get Unstuck 
  
  
• Find Your Stagecoach — How to Master the Art of Writing Fiction

  

 

FREE COURSE, GUIDE AND WORKBOOK

Do you want to write fiction faster, while practicing your craft and your writing process to consistently get better? Check out this link to the "Write Fiction Faster ... and better" guide and workbook, which comes with a companion course with 23 bite-sized video lessons and 4 worksheets.