Tips for Writing Good Dialogue

Okay, I'd much rather write about style than punctuation. So here goes....

When writing dialogue, especially an extended conversation, it's important to be clear about which character is speaking. As the writer, you know who is saying what, but your readers will need more information.

As a rule, each time the dialogue switches to a different character, begin a new paragraph. This will be a visual signal to the reader that someone else is speaking. Of course, if one is listening to the story, the paragraph change is unknown, so other indications are necessary.

A writer's first tendency is often to follow up dialogue with "so-n-so said." And that's not incorrect. However, one pitfall that often catches new writers is the tendency to overuse "he said" and "she said" after every bit of dialogue. Overuse -- even just twice in a row -- can sound awkward and amateurish.

Case in point:

• "It's so nice to finally meet you," Mary said.
  "I've heard a lot of good things about you, too," said Bob.

Yuck. Even if the dialogue were much more interesting ... still yuck.

It's unnecessary -- and redundant -- to continually use "said," "replied," "answered," "asked" and any number of other verbs along with a character's name or a pronoun to indicate who is speaking. Yes, you can consult the thesaurus and use verbs such as "announced," "explained," "whined," "sobbed," "exclaimed," "moaned," and so forth to break up the "saids" and "replies," but there are other techniques you can use when writing dialogue to keep it flowing smoothly, keep the reader engaged, and avoid confusion about who is speaking.

For example, use a short introductory sentence before a character speaks to describe an action, which not only indicates who will be speaking but also paints a picture for the reader at the same time. And visuals are a good thing. This picture may convey a character's emotion ("Mary nervously scratched behind her ear.") and/or give a glimpse of the character's physical appearance ("Bobby twirled the end of his graying mustache as he paced.") and/or the setting ("Beth straightened the framed photos along the wall as she rambled on."). Then you can continue with the dialogue in the next sentence, and the reader will already know who's speaking.

This technique serves another purpose: it's a great way to work in details about a character's physical appearance or personality or the setting, rather than lumping all of such detail into long descriptive paragraphs. In other words, you can weave those types of details in with the dialogue, gradually fleshing out your characters and the setting without hitting your readers over the head with it all at once.

Now back to writing dialogue....

Occasionally, the character who is speaking may use another character's name, such as the person they are speaking to, which will indicate which character is actually doing the talking. But think about how often you say the name of the person you are speaking to. Probably not very often, so don't overdo it in your writing either. An example of when this would be appropriate is if a character is trying to get another character's attention or perhaps if a parent is scolding a child. ("Debra Elaine, how many times have I told you to throw your laundry in the hamper instead of on the floor?")

And, of course, there are times when you can simply write the next part of the dialogue without a "said" (etc.) or any introductory sentence at all, and it will still be clear who's speaking.

Here is an example from my novel, I. Joseph Kellerman, to illustrate what I mean. At this point in the story, it's been well established who begins this conversation....

"Miss Fairhart, Ma'am. Wow, you--you're looking lovely."

Bernie was looking apologetic, his head bowed and shoulders pulled in as if to make himself even smaller. "Is that a new dress?" he asked, sitting. "It's awful pretty."

"Well, thank you again. But, no, I've had this for years, actually." Bernie looked disappointed, so Constance added, "Although, I don't think I've worn it on a Tuesday in a very long time."

"Oh, yeah, okay. I remember now. Yeah, but I was just sayin', you know, that it's nice, that's all."

Note how parts of the dialogue stand alone, without a "he said" or "she said" or any lead-in text at all.

Source: http://www.squidoo.com/tips-for-writing-good-dialogue

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