How to Write Convincing Dialogue

If you're planning on becoming the next Nora Roberts, you have your work cut out for you. One reason she's so popular is because she mastered how to write convincing dialogue in her novels. The characters are so real you can almost hear them. Take some time to learn a few basic tips.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Write whatever comes to your mind as fast as you can. Get a feel for what the scene is about before going back to fine-tune.

2. Read what you've written out loud to see if it sounds like real people having a conversation. This is a dynamic way to learn how to write authentic dialogue.

3. Use silence to break up the monotony of constant chatter. When used correctly, silence can be more powerful than words.

4. Employ interruptions in the scene. People usually speak over one another, or they are distracted before they can finish their sentence.

5. Drop words now and then to mimic real speech. For example, a character might answer, "Hard to say," instead of "It's hard to say."

6. A person's background can come through their dialect. When learning how to write dialogue, it's important for the character's speech to reflect where they've lived. For instance, use southern jargon for someone living in the south.

7. Think of an unusual word or phrase that each character will use often. This certain word or phrase will only be used by that one character throughout the story.

Tips & Warnings

• Profanity should make an appearance in your scene if it's called for. Many people use it in everyday speech.
• Don't overuse silence, interruptions and profanity too often - you risk sounding unnatural.
• Avoid naming everyone when writing dialogue. In real life, people don't say a person's name every time they speak to one another. In fact, they rarely use the person's name.