4) Silence speaks volumes

Sometimes silence is the best response. Silence creates tension and makes the reader anticipate what will happen next. Silence is powerful because the reader has no idea or can only guess what the character is thinking. Silence can set the mood for a scene.

Have you ever kept silent in a conversation with someone, or when someone addressed you in a class or gathering and you didn’t answer? What was the response of the person or people when you kept mum? Did it build tension? Were they second-guessing what you were thinking? How did your silence affect the conversation?

5) Make it memorable

We all had that moment when we laughed at hearing someone drop a humorous one-liner response. We’ve had that “Ooohh” reaction when we heard someone snap back with idiosyncrasy and insult. These situations remind us that words could hurt more than sticks and stones. Similarly, words can heal and soothe a tormented soul.

Your characters can do this. This is the fun part of creating dialogue. Sometimes, we want to say things that we can’t say to other people, and we use our characters to say it for us. If you heard a line from real life that you find amusing, use it on your character’s dialogue. You can even tweak it to suit your character’s personality. As a caveat, try to be spare in using this tactic. In our age of political correctness, you’ll never know who you might offend.

6) Disagreements spark tension

Two people talking don’t have to appear boring. Their choice of words and situations will dictate the kind of tension or conflict that will unravel in the process.

In the first act, scene one of David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross, the characters Williamson and Levene are inside a Chinese restaurant. Levene is convincing Williamson to give him the desirable sales leads for the Glengarry Highland Development, which is the best lead in their office. Williamson, however, explains that giving Levene better leads is a violation of company policy. Levene bribes Williamson with a ten percent kickback if Williamson gives the leads, but Williamson cuts him off. The progress of their conversation results in tension.

While we do know that they’re in a Chinese restaurant, most of the action happens primarily through speech. This is how Mamet effectively employs dialogue to move the story. In prose fiction, this technique can be applied. Mamet’s example shows that excessive back story is unnecessary and that it can be incorporated in the dialogue. When too much back story is thrown in, it can bog down your pacing.

You can search online for novels that are primarily driven by dialogue. Nowadays, some writers prefer using raw dialogues—that with all the filler gaps, pauses, and crutch words thrown in. This, they claim, lends more credibility to the rubrics of realism. If you wish to explore this path and you think it will better serve your story, then go for it.

Craft your dialogues with care. The tips illustrated here are helpful but do not overdo them. As always, balance is key. Temper your dialogue and your characters with a sense of purpose. Before lending them speech, ask yourself: “Will my character say this?” Otherwise, don’t.

And with that, I wish all the best in crafting your dialogue.