This book will contain chapter upon chapter of writing tips for you and all your writing needs!
These tips and tricks can be both from myself and from other sites that I would have searched upon
All websites I have copied from are mentioned before e...
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No problem! I love dialogue, so I'm happy to be of assistance in this department.
Here are my personal rules of thumb:
1. Allow the dialogue to show the character's personality.
If you really think about your conversations, it can be telling exactly how much of someone's personality can shine through when they speak.
Allow your character's persona, values, and disposition to spill over when they speak, and it will make for a significantly more interesting read for you and your reader.
For example: let's take a look at a mundane exchange, and see how it can be spruced up by injecting it with a good dose of personality.
Exhibit A)
"How was your day, by the way?" asked Oscar, pouring himself a drink.
"Not too bad," replied Byron. "Cloudy, but warm. Not too many people."
"That's nice."
Exhibit B
"How was your day, by the way?" asked Oscar, pouring himself a drink.
"Ugh. Not too bad," groaned Byron, draping himself on the couch. "Warm, but dreary. Gray clouds as far as the eye could see. Not anyone worth mentioning out this time of year." A pause. "Well, except me, of course."
"Hmmph," said Oscar, glancing over his shoulder. "If it were me, I wouldn't want it any other way."
Isn't that better? Already, the audience will feel as though they've gotten to know these characters.
This works for longer dialogue, too: allow the character's personal beliefs, life philosophy, and generally disposition to dictate how they talk, and your readers will thank you.
Of course, this example is also good for giving the reader a general sense of what the characters' relationship is like. Which brings me to my next point:
2. Allow the dialogue to show the character's relationship.
Everyone is a slightly different person depending on who they're around. Dynamic is an important thing to master, and when you nail it between two characters, sparks can fly.
Work out which character assumes more of the Straight Man role, and which is quicker to go for lowbrow humor. Think of who's the more analytical of the two and who's the more impulse driven. Who would be the "bad cop" if the situation called for it.
