The Steve Laube Agency

In my last two posts, I explored how dialogue can serve the story, reveal character, and create emotional resonance. But one of dialogue’s most powerful functions—especially in suspense and mystery—is what it doesn’t say. Sometimes, the words on the page are only the tip of the iceberg. Beneath them lies subtext, motive, and secrets waiting to surface. Today, let’s explore five ways to use dialogue to intensify suspense and reveal what characters would rather keep hidden. And just because you don’t write suspense or thrillers doesn’t mean you get to skip this post. These techniques will work for any genre.

Let Silence Speak Louder Than Words

In real life, silence can be awkward. In fiction, it’s electric.

When a character dodges a question, changes the subject, or lets a heavy pause stretch too long, readers feel that tension. A well-timed silence can reveal guilt, fear, or hesitation better than a paragraph of exposition.

Example:

“Where were you last night?”
He reached for his drink instead of answering. The ice clinked against the glass.

We don’t need his words to know he’s hiding something, possibly filtering which lie he should tell before he opens his mouth.

Resist the urge to fill every beat with dialogue. Let the reader sense what isn’t said.

Use Questions as Weapons

Suspense thrives on uncertainty, and dialogue is the perfect place to plant it. A pointed question can force a character into a corner or invite them to lie.

Example:

“You sure you locked the door?”
“Of course I did.”
“Then why was it open when I got here?”

Notice how each line raises the stakes. The exchange pulls readers deeper, prompting them to question motives and truth.

Try this:

• Give one character more information than the other.
• Let them circle each other conversationally, testing boundaries.
• End the scene before the question is fully answered.

Example of unequal knowledge and conversational circling:

Setup: Detective Holcombe suspects Jessica knows more about the missing USB drive than she’s admitting. Jessica does have it, hidden in her purse, but Holcombe doesn’t know that. Or at least, she hopes he doesn’t.

Scene:

The detective leaned against the doorframe, watching her close the register. “Busy night?”

“Not too bad.” Jessica didn’t look up. Her hands seemed to have a mind of their own, moving too fast and fumbling the receipt roll. She caught it and took a deep breath. Don’t act nervous! Right.

“Funny thing,” he said, still slouched in a comfortable pose. “Security footage shows someone in this store last night after closing.”

“You think it was me?”

“I think whoever it was knew exactly where to look.”

She laughed and prayed it didn’t sound as forced to him as it did to her. “You’re fishing.”

“Maybe. Sometimes fishing winds up with something on the end of the hook.” He stepped away from the doorframe and moved close enough to invade her personal space. “You ever notice how people get nervous when they’re hiding something?”

Her heart stuttered. “That’s your interrogation technique now? Amateur psychology?”

“Just an observation.” His gaze flicked to her purse, sitting on the counter between them. “Mind if I take a look?”

“Actually, I do.” She shut the drawer and shoved her purse under the counter. “You need a warrant for that, Detective.”

He smiled and shrugged. “You’re right, of course. Then, I’ll get one.”

She froze. “You’re serious?”

“Dead serious.” He turned for the door. “I’ll be back in the morning.”

Scene ends there.

Why It Works

Unequal information: Jessica knows she has the USB drive. The reader does too. Holcombe suspects but can’t confirm in the moment.

Circling: The conversation never addresses the USB directly. They dance around it through implication, tone, and with Holcombe veiled threats.

Boundary testing: Holcombe pushes with subtle pressure. Jessica resists to see how much he really knows.

Unanswered questions: Did he figure it out? Does he really know? Did the footage show her putting the drive into her purse? The scene ends on uncertainty, keeping the reader hooked. And wondering if Jessica will be able to hide the USB drive before morning.

Layer the Lies

So, in a suspense story—or even just a story where you have a character who lies—these lies are currency. Every lie told in dialogue should pay off later, either by being exposed or by twisting the plot in an unexpected direction.

Instead of outright deceit, try half-truths or omissions. Characters who “technically” tell the truth but conceal key details are far more intriguing.

Example:

“Did you tell her about the accident?”
“I told her what she needed to know.”

The words are simple, but the reader senses manipulation; and tension builds because we don’t yet know the full truth.

Note: If you have a lot of lies in your story, keep track of them in a spreadsheet or something else, noting chapter and scene so you can make sure you reveal and unravel them later.

Let Secrets Slip in the Wrong Moment

Secrets revealed through dialogue should feel earned, not dumped. The best ones slip out when emotions are high like during conflict, fear, or exhaustion.

Example:

“Why didn’t you call the police?” he asked.
“Because I couldn’t risk it.”
“Risk what?”
“You don’t understand—he’s not dead.”

That final line changes everything. It’s not only information; it’s a turning point. The dialogue shifts the entire trajectory of the story.

Think of secrets as grenades. Drop them at the precise moment when the emotional or narrative impact will explode. Your readers will thank you.

End Scenes on a Verbal Cliffhanger

Just as action scenes can end with physical danger, dialogue scenes can end with verbal danger—a revelation, accusation, or question that demands an answer.

Example:

“You think I’m the one who killed him?”
“No,” she said, her voice steady. “I don’t think so; I know you did.”

Leaving readers hanging on a spoken line ensures they’ll turn the page.

Great dialogue doesn’t only move the story forward—it pulls readers to the edge of their seats. Every pause, evasion, and revelation adds another thread of tension until the truth finally snaps free.

If you master how to use dialogue to conceal and reveal, your readers will never skim your conversations again.

Next time, I’ll dive into how to write dialogue during high-action scenes, where pacing and rhythm can make or break the moment.

Your Turn
What’s one secret your character is hiding—and how might it slip out through dialogue instead of narration?

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