In this series, I hope to teach you how to improve your critical eye and writing skills, so that you can write high quality, accurate reviews and editorials. This session concerns the art of dialogue, as in how authors convey the spoken word in their novels. Whilst many non-writers might think this is an easy element to get right, I'm here to take you through the key do's and don’ts of the craft.

1. Novel dialogue is not the same as real speech

Everyday speech is full of hesitations, false starts and mispronunciations that you shouldn't find in good quality writing. For a bit of fun, you could record just a minute or so of real conversation with your friends, and then try to transcribe it onto paper. You'll soon see the difference. When appraising dialogue in your reviews, bear in mind that features like hesitations and stutters should be used sparingly for specific effects, and the rest of the speech ought to be smooth and grammatically correct (although contractions like it's are totally fine to use).

2. Dialogue should always convey character, move the plot forward or both

Sometimes writers get carried away with details and try to convey every little moment of their stories, rather than sticking to what's important. If you find a lengthy, dialogue-heavy section of writing which doesn't tell us anything new about characters, relationships or the plot, it probably should have been cut in a good, ruthless edit. It's also important to note that narrative variety makes for more interesting reading, so huge paragraphs of dialogue with no description or break-up are a key clue that the pacing of the scene is off.

3. The best dialogue is when you recognize the speaker without being told

This is the trickiest technique to master, and when you find it, it's a good indication that you have a five-star writer on your hands. Be warned, though, that recognizing the speaker does not mean an overuse of accents and the dreaded written pronunciation, rather a certain way of expressing themselves that indicates personality. Whether this is the clipped words and precise grammar of a bossy schoolmistress, or the lazy, drawling slang words of a country old-timer, the best dialogue puts a voice in your head without the need for extensive speech tags.

Writing It Up:

When discussing dialogue in a positive way, there are lots of clear, concise comments you can make to sound like a professional reviewer. Instead of simply saying that the dialogue was entertaining, you can comment that it brings out the humorous/nervous/harsh personality of the character, whatever is appropriate. You can comment on how dialogue gives away character clues and secrets in a mystery plot, or how it adds to the tension and atmosphere of a political thriller. Easy to follow dialogue that adds to a novel’s pacing is also always a plus.

If sometimes you find that the novel's dialogue isn't working, you can still make your criticisms constructive when you review. Instead of simply saying that the dialogue needs editing, you can explain that it is perhaps too formal, or too colloquial, both of which could make it harder to grasp. Remember to mention if you feel that there are dialogue elements that simply repeat events of the plot or places where the voices are so similar that you can't tell who is who.

With these tools in your reviewing arsenal, you're now fully equipped to examine the element of dialogue fully and not only assess how it works but express clearly and concisely why it is or isn't functioning in the book you're reviewing.