In last month’s post, I talked about how every line of dialogue should serve a purpose: revealing character, advancing the plot, building tension, or deepening theme. I also explored voice, subtext, and how to balance dialogue with internal thought and action. Today, I’m taking it a step further. Let’s look at five additional ways to elevate your dialogue, so it not only sounds real but lingers with readers long after the scene ends.
Let Dialogue Reveal Emotion, Not Announce It
Weak dialogue tells emotion. Strong dialogue shows it.
Instead of: “I’m angry with you, and I don’t want to talk.”
Try: “Don’t. Just don’t.” She grabbed her keys and shoved past him toward the door.
Readers don’t need your character to label how they feel. They’ll feel it through tone, rhythm, and behavior. Let the tension simmer under the words, rather than splashing emotion across the surface.
Use beats and pacing (short sentences, pauses, or interruptions) to mirror the emotion. Rapid-fire exchanges create urgency. Long silences heighten unease.
Use Dialogue to Control Pacing
Dialogue speeds up a scene. It creates momentum and keeps the story moving. But too much rapid back-and-forth can make readers feel breathless—or worse, detached.
How do you do this? Let’s take a look at some examples.
For fast-paced scenes, keep exchanges short and snappy to reflect tension or urgency.
For slower, emotional scenes, stretch pauses, add introspection, or allow one character to dominate the conversation.
Example:
“Run!”
“What? Why?”
“Now!”
Versus:
“I didn’t expect to see you here,” he said, his voice low. Tense.
“Neither did I.” Her eye lowered to the scar on his hand.
Both convey emotion, but one races forward while the other lingers in place.
Let Power Dynamics Shape the Conversation
Dialogue is rarely neutral. Every exchange has an undercurrent of power—who’s in control, who’s retreating, who’s trying to gain ground.
A confident boss might use short, declarative sentences. An insecure employee might hedge with qualifiers or questions. As the scene evolves, those dynamics can shift, creating subtle tension even in ordinary conversation.
Ask yourself this when creating the dialogue:
Who holds the upper hand in this exchange?
How can I show that through speech patterns, interruptions, or what’s not said?
Cut the Stage Directions
New writers often overuse dialogue tags and adverbs to prop up flat exchanges. Hint: Try to write your story without any adverbs.
Example:
“I don’t care,” she said angrily.
“You should,” he replied forcefully.
Instead, let the words do the heavy lifting:
“I don’t care.”
“You should.”
The emotion lands harder when the prose trusts the reader to infer it.
Use “said” and “asked” when you need tags; they’re invisible workhorses. But lean on action beats and rhythm to carry emotion, rather than cluttering dialogue with unnecessary explanations.
Layer the Meaning with “Echoes”
Great dialogue doesn’t just live in the moment; it echoes throughout the story.
A phrase repeated at key points (“You promised me”) can take on new weight as context changes. A bit of humor shared early can return later with deeper emotional resonance. These callbacks make dialogue feel intentional and layered, showing growth, irony, or heartbreak.
Example:
Early in the story:
“Don’t fall for me,” she said, her tone teasing while she grinned over the rim of her coffee mug.
“Too late,” he said. “I already did.”
Later, near the end:
“You told me not to fall for you,” he said, voice soft.
She blinked away the tears. “You should’ve listened.”
Why it works: The repeated phrase Don’t fall for me shifts from lighthearted banter to poignant regret. This full circle moment—or echo—underscores emotional evolution and loss, making readers feel the ache of what’s changed.
These moments connect the emotional dots for readers and remind them that words have consequences. Just like in real life.
Great dialogue is about more than what’s spoken. It’s about what’s meant, what’s withheld, and what’s at stake. Every word, pause, and glance adds texture to your characters and heartbeat to your story.
When you write or revise your dialogue, read it aloud. Does it sound like something a real person would say—or like something a writer would write? The difference is everything.
Next time, I’ll talk about using dialogue to heighten suspense and reveal secrets, because sometimes what’s unsaid is more dangerous than what’s spoken.
Your Turn
What’s one line of dialogue you’ve written that perfectly captures your character’s personality? Share it in the comments below; I’d love to see what you’re working on.
“To wake up here was not my plan,
remote from my home star!”
“Well, we had to drug you, man,
to carry you this far.
The creatures that inhabit
the world to which we go
said to find a man and bring it,
that by study they might know
something of the human race,
something of what makes us tick.
It’s something WE just couldn’t face,
and thus, you are our pick.
Just think yourself an emissary
to something QUITE extraordinary!”
***
Why, yes, I HAVE been reading Out Of The Silent Planet.
Awesome!
Thanks, Lynette!
Cut the stage directions is terrific advice and something, as a new writer, that I thought was necessary to include.
But, you’re right. Readers will get the context if the dialogue is written well.
Thank you. I’m saving this post and will come back again to reference it later.
See this is why I have too many ellipses in my first drafts X’D I hear the voices clearly in my head but it’s hard to mimic certain pauses, hesitations, and trail offs without ellipses. Some of my characters have more than others and some pieces have more than others. There are also occasions where I use all caps, although rarely. I know, I know, bad form, but sometimes it’s the only way I can convey certain elements in the dialogue. Subtle things like italics and caps add such a texture to a dialogue.
The hardest thing about choosing dialogue is that the best pieces are in conversation XP but for my current WIP this is the first time we are introduced to a second character besides the protagonist. It probably could use work but I do like the banter.
(And once again I wish I had italics because italics make such a different in dialogue)
Peter’s head snapped up, and he looked half ready to jump off the couch, away from the algebra he was supposed to be doing. “Anything?”
She huffed. “I was gone for five minutes, and no, it was nothing. Gillie was barking at buzzards.”
The eighteen-year-old groaned, slumping back. “I was hoping it was something interesting.”
“Something to get you out of math, you mean.”
“Algebra’s the world’s most pointless subject,” he declared, crossing his arms.
She leaned against the back of the couch. “You’ll thank me when you start adulting.”
He smirked. “I’m not twenty-five yet.”
“Math.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Great tips on writing dialogue. Thank you, Lynette.
I love dialog! And your tips and examples are great!
Here’s some dialog between Jaida and Koda (sister and brother) from my WIP (middle grade fantasy.)
He spotted her near the lavender bushes. Her long, golden hair shone in the sunlight. She sat at a table with her back to him, studying or reading. Koda grinned. He bent over to keep his shadow small and crept closer. He reached out to grab her braid and—
“Hi, Koda.”
He straightened up. “Aw, Jaida, how do you know every time?”
“Your breathing could start an avalanche.” She waved a hand over the scroll on the table. “Look at this, Koda. According to this, we’re going to have an eclipse tomorrow.”
Koda looked at the chart with its jumble of stars and numbers. It meant nothing to him. “Yeah, so what? We’ve had eclipses before.” He brushed away a fly that buzzed around his head.
Jaida’s eyes crinkled with excitement. “This one is different. It’s a total eclipse and it’s going to happen in the afternoon! There hasn’t been a daytime eclipse since before I was born.”
This gave Koda an idea. “Tomorrow afternoon? Do we all have to be there?”
“No, but why wouldn’t you want to see it?” Jaida crossed her arms.
“I would. Maybe? I mean, it feels like it would be boring.” Koda’s scramble for words clearly did not fool her.
“Boring? Koda, what are you up to?”
You are so good! Always have something truly helpful to teach us. Thanks!
Deb
Great tips! One suggestion: It would have been great if this post had included a link to Part 1 of this topic. I went to the search bar, typed in this same title but with (Part 1), and it gave me a message of “no results.”
I’ve been loving your posts on dialogue, thanks! I appreciate the focus on craft.
This is a line of dialogue from my WIP YA/NA Christian Cozy Christmas Romance.
“I don’t like to limit myself. I’m still exploring my options, but I’m inclined toward politics.”
This is from “the other guy” in a love triangle, when asked if he has any career goals for his A.B. in Social Studies with a focus on the Pbenomenology of Affluence from Harvard.
Thank you for these great tips, Lynette! I always find your posts to be very helpful. Here is a snippet of dialogue from my WIP, a Christian Romance Suspense novel.
“Cassidy, Cassidy. You tried your best. I hope you enjoyed playing detective this week. You know, not everyone is cut out to be a brilliant detective like me. Some just don’t have the natural ability to notice what’s right in front of them. We’ll be putting this case to bed real soon. Another spectacular win to add to my already stellar track record.”
“Win? Who exactly wins in this scenario? A family’s life is ruined.”
“Not my problem. They shouldn’t have done the crime if they can’t do the time.”
Thank you for the most explicit, practical lesson on dialogue I’ve seen! Somehow I missed Part 1 and cannot find it on the site. Is there a link?