{"id":822403,"date":"2025-09-01T14:43:42","date_gmt":"2025-09-01T13:43:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/?p=822403"},"modified":"2025-09-03T10:12:20","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T09:12:20","slug":"writing-authentic-dialogue-five-top-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/writing-authentic-dialogue-five-top-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"Writing authentic dialogue: five top tips\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Dialogue is one of the most important components of almost any novel. It performs a variety of vital functions, illuminating character, adding pace and driving plot \u2013 but writing it badly is one of the quickest ways to pull readers right out of your story.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By badly, I mean inauthentically. Unrealistically. Writing dialogue that sounds nothing like real speech (or is simply not believable<\/em> \u2013 on which more, later) is sure to inspire head-scratching at least, and wholesale abandonment of your novel at worst.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, here are five tips for making sure your characters\u2019 speech truly sparkles.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Mimic real speech patterns  <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Engage in a little active listening. By which I mean, go to your local coffee shop, supermarket or pub and\u2026 eavesdrop a bit. Pay attention to how real people talk, and you\u2019ll quickly notice that speech is full of uncertainty, informalities and interruptions. People frequently forget what they\u2019re saying and drift wildly off topic. They also allow emotions to overtake their ideas, often becoming less articulate as their feelings heighten.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You need to replicate this in your writing. While your characters should probably be more eloquent and less meandering than the average Tesco shopper (I\u2019ll explain why in a minute), they also need to sound human<\/em>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consider the difference between one old friend asking another \u201cWould you like a cup of tea?\u201d or \u201cD\u2019you want a cuppa?\u201d To me, the second feels far more natural.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using contractions is a key way to ensure your dialogue comes off as authentic (assuming you\u2019re writing contemporary characters). True fact: I once abandoned a book I was partway through because every time a character should have said \u2018don\u2019t\u2019, they said \u2018do not\u2019. It drove me to distraction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, think about how different the following exchange would be if the two characters I\u2019ve invented for it were taking polite turns to speak, instead of cutting across one another:  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat was a step too far, Alison.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cToo far? Rubbish. I didn\u2019t go far enough.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCareful, or you\u2019ll leave me no choice but to \u2013 \u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFire me? You can\u2019t. I quit!\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow see here, you can\u2019t just \u2013 \u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGoodbye, Roger. And good luck. I think you\u2019ll need it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This back-of-an-envelope example hopefully demonstrates the point. Even with no dialogue tags or description, the rhythm of the conversation makes clear the power balance between these two people has just shifted. Alison is no longer prepared to put up with Roger\u2019s nonsense, whatever it may be. Good for her, I say.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Strike a sensible balance <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, you can make your dialogue too<\/em> realistic. If your characters spoke in precisely the way real people do, they\u2019d bore your readers to tears. On the page, the sort of small talk most of us regularly engage in falls utterly flat \u2013 so avoid writing pointless chit-chat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can\u2019t afford to include speech that doesn\u2019t advance your readers\u2019 understanding of your characters, help you establish setting or propel your plot. Craft dialogue that\u2019s articulate and efficient enough to deliver against one of these objectives, but not so perfect it feels jarring or too on-the-nose.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Consider context <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re the right age to have watched the TV show Dawson\u2019s Creek, you\u2019ll remember the furore around its dialogue, too. The criticism thrown at its writers was that they had a crop of teenagers striding around Massachusetts using the sort of vocabulary you\u2019d expect from mid-lifers with English Literature PhDs. It was derided as unrealistic, though that didn\u2019t stop me tuning in\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Want to read the rest of this article? Log in<\/a> or join our free community – you’ll get the rest of our top tips, plus a truck-load of other resources. Whoever said you don’t get anything in this life for free?<\/h4>\n\n\n\r\n