“Goodbye, Mike,” Laura blurted out abruptly, as her finger moved toward the red button that says “End” on her cell phone.
Mike rejoined worriedly, “Goodbye, I hope we talk again soon. How long was it since we talked last? Three days?”
“See you—” she retorted sharply.
“See you,” he interrupted and bantered back.
Hold on! This conversation does NOT model how to write page-turning dialogue. It models the opposite. If you already have a sixth sense about this, that’s awesome. If not, that’s ok as well.
My goal either way is to break down how to write dialogue while serving up six tips and five steps on how to write page-turning dialogue.
What Is Dialogue in a Story?
Dialogue refers to two-way conversation, but there’s more to it. Dialogue combines two Greek words, dia and logos, to denote through speech.
What does dialogue convey through speech in story? The answer may surprise you.
It’s everything.
Everything doesn’t mean we write character speeches and nothing else. It signals there’s more to dialogue than character speeches.
The narrator does his or her work “through speech,” speech directed to the reader. Thus, we have two categories of dialogue: narrated or dramatized.
Narrated dialogue is speech a writer addresses to readers.Dramatized dialogue refers to the speech characters say to others or to themselves, either out-loud or in thought. Authors use speech in these ways to convey exposition and setting, tension and conflict, action or sequel, and character traits and motives.
Therefore, Fictionary StoryTeller
I use the Fictionary StoryTeller app to track such elements. It’s powerful story structure software that allows authors to track a total of 38 elements in each scene. Dialogue is not one of the 38. The app considers dialogue under the elements of scene “Opening” and “Closing” types, but not as a separate 39th element. Dialogue has the potential to convey most of the 38. If you’re unfamiliar with the Fictionary StoryTeller, check it out when you’re finished reading this post. I’ll include a link to it at the end.
Dramatized speech carries a heavy load. It brings scenes to life and advances plot. It shows conflict and adds tension, reveals the complexity of characters, and allows us to hear their voices. And it keeps us engaged, even through what’s left unsaid.
Despite the possibilities, dramatized dialogue comes in two varieties: page-turning and everything else.
I’ll share six tips on how to ensure the dialogues we write are the page-turning kind. Then I’ll offer a list of specific steps to follow as you write dialogue in your stories. Along the way, I’ll also share a false belief or two that block our success.
Tips for Writing Dialogue
Now for the breaking news—you can gain the skills required to write page-turning dialogue. Follow these tips to get started:
Tip #1—Use Proper Tagging
- Tagging refers to marking dialogue with the identity of the speaker and with a verb to show their manner of speaking.
- Tags either introduce or follow speech that’s set off with double quotation marks (U.S.) or apostrophes (U.K.).
- Whether tags come before the speech or after is an author’s choice of style. For example:
“Goodbye,” Laura blurted…
Mike rejoined… “Goodbye…”
The first false belief is the excessive use of tags. Not every bit of dialogue requires a tag. Their overuse takes readers out of the story. Thus, here are three additional formatting guidelines:
- Omit tags if the speaker is clear through the context.
- Start a new paragraph with every change in speaker. This guideline is standard even when not using tags. Without it, identifying a speaker becomes a challenge.
- Consider using action tags instead.
You will find two additional tagging guidelines helpful in certain instances:
- When someone is interrupted, place the em dash (—) inside the closing quotation marks or apostrophes.
- Use opening quotation marks (U.S.) or apostrophe (U.K.) when a unit of speech continues and forms a new paragraph. Do not use closing quotation marks until that unit of speech ends.
The sample dialogue at the start adheres to the guidelines of proper tagging. But that doesn’t mean it’s page-turning.
The second false belief is that proper tagging by itself results in page-turning dialogue. But it never does.
Tip #2—Use Simple Tagging
Simple tagging refers to marking speech with basic verbs such as “said” or “replied.” I call the opposite Thesaurus Tagging. It happens when writers replace a basic verb with something elaborate or when they pile on adverbs.
Take another look at the dialogue. Notice the elaborate verbs and adverbs that take the place of “said” and “replied”:
“Goodbye, Mike,” Laura blurted out abruptly…
Mike rejoined worriedly…
“See you—” she retorted sharply.
“See you,” he interrupted and bantered back.
It’s true that the overuse of “said” and “replied” becomes boring. However, this sets up a third false belief: that using elaborate verbs makes for a more interesting read and keeps pages turning. It’s the opposite. Dialogue tagging with elaborate verbs and adverbs wears readers down, then kicks them to the curb and out of the story. Therefore:
- Unless you’re aiming for the melodramatic, remain stingy in your use of elaborate tagging.
- Consider tagging a character’s speech with an action instead.
For instance, what if we wrote Laura’s first speech like this:
“Goodbye, Mike.” Laura moved her finger toward the red button that says “End” on her cell phone.
Notice there’s no verb that specifies Laura said something. The verb I used to tag her speech describes the action she took instead, as she spoke.
So, this formatting technique kills not two, but three birds with one stone. First, it replaces the elaborate verb and adverb in the draft. Second, it prevents the overuse of “said.” Third, the action Laura takes prompts interest in the subtext of what’s happening. What was Laura’s tone of voice? Was she angry? Dismissive? Stressed by having to bid farewell to her love?
And to think, questions such as these arise from tagging Laura’s speech with “moved.” Imagine tagging it with an action not as bland, like “inched,” “bent,” or “drifted.”
Tip #3 — Keep Character Voices Consistent
Character voices include more than the sounds characters make as they talk. Their voices express their individuality through the patterns they speak in. Their voices also show their beliefs, attitudes, and emotions.
Readers depend upon the consistency of these to feel as though they know the characters in a story and care about them.
- Consider what traits and other influences affect which words your characters say and how they say them. For instance, does my character’s manner of speaking depend on other characters? Is there anything that makes my character’s voice unique? Do they speak in long, complex sentences? What is the physical sound of my character’s voice? Is it loud or soft? Childlike or gruff? Mumbled or singsong?
- Always ask what would they say in this situation, and how would they say it?
Tip #4—Prioritize Subtext
- Don’t use dialogue to “info-dump.” Exposition as dialogue is dull and unrealistic, unless masterfully handled.
- “Show don’t tell” applies to all writing.
- Page-turning dialogue deploys subtext at every opportunity.
The first and second guidelines under this tip go hand in hand. The first cautions against putting words into the mouths of characters for the sake of exposition. Mike’s first speech in our snippet of conversation from the top shows what not to do:
“How long was it since we talked last? Two weeks?”
Readers won’t turn pages when they see such blather. They roll their eyes and move on to something else.
The second and third guidelines advocate for the hard work of digging beneath the obvious to craft subtext. Skilled writers pay attention to everyday conversation, but not just for the words. They dig to understand how those words express a subtext of action and relationship. The notion that page-turning dialogue imitates only the words themselves is the fourth false belief. Perhaps the falsest of the four.
Is that even a thing—the falsest?
For sure!
Direct and honest communication is admirable in real life, but it falls flat in fiction. This is why phone conversations between characters on the screen seldom end with “Goodbye” or “See you later.” Those words are devoid of subtext. There’s no reason to sign off with the mundane.
Let’s return to the dialogue from the top:
“Goodbye, Mike,” Laura blurted out abruptly, as her finger moved toward the red button that says “End” on her cell phone.
Mike rejoined worriedly, “Goodbye, I hope we can talk again soon. How long was it since we talked last? Two weeks?”
“See you—” she retorted sharply.
“See you,” he interrupted and bantered back.
Does this conversation hold valuable subtext? It’s possible. But if not, it’s a drag on the story, and we should cut it. But not so fast. The elaborate verbs and adverbs in our snippet’s tags suggest the possibility of subtext. To determine the answer, check the dialogue beats.
Tip #5—Pay Attention to Dialogue Beats
A beat of dialogue is the smallest unit of exchange between characters. It includes the speech of two characters. For instance, this is the first beat of the dialogue from the top:
“Goodbye,” Laura blurted out abruptly, as her finger moved toward the red button that says “End” on her cell phone.
Mike rejoined worriedly, “Goodbye, I hope we can talk again soon. How long was it since we talked last? Two weeks?”
The second beat is the next unit of exchange, and it can appear in two ways. The first juxtaposes two turns of speech. For example:
“See you—” she retorted sharply.
“See you,” he interrupted and bantered back.
The second way to form dialogue beats is like connecting links in a chain. It juxtaposes the speech from the previous beat with the following speech. Using this approach, every piece of speech after the first closes one beat and opens the next. Here’s how this looks:
Beat 1
“Goodbye,” Laura blurted out abruptly, as her finger moved toward the red button that says “End” on her cell phone.
Mike rejoined worriedly, “Goodbye, I hope we can talk again soon. How long was it since we talked last? Two weeks?”
Beat 2
Mike rejoined worriedly, “Goodbye, I hope we can talk again soon. How long was it since we talked last? Two weeks?”
“See you—” she retorted sharply.
Beat 3
“See you—” she retorted sharply.
“See you,” he interrupted and bantered back.
This second way to form beats results in more units of exchange.
Words carry meaning on at least two levels. The first level is the ordinary meaning called the report. The second level is the command, which shows how a character perceives the nature of their relationships, especially in relation to who holds power over whom.
- Apply the first approach to beats to examine how a character’s speech reflects their actions in relation to a specific theme or core value.
- Apply the second to focus on relational power and control.
Tip #6—Study Examples of Well-written Dialogue
Examples of well-written dialogue are everywhere, both on page and on screen. Study these in light of the first four tips and imitate techniques you deem effective and page-turning.
- Dialogue on screen takes advantage of visual cues but often not the insights and fill-in of a narrator.
Steps to Write Page-turning Dialogue
Here is a list of steps I recommend you take to write page-turning dialogue if you’re a plotter. If you’re a pantser instead, use these steps to analyze the dialogue you’ve already written.
I also recommend implementing the steps on a scene-by-scene basis, whether you’re writing a full-length novel or a short story.
Step 1: Write a Structural Outline of Your Scene
This type of outline identifies the scene’s purpose and POV character, the POV’s character’s scene goal, the scene middle and scene climax, and the scene’s impact on the story’s protagonist. It’s also helpful to identify the purpose of the scene and perhaps the scene’s title as well.
By the way, Fictionary StoryTeller helps authors plan (or analyze) the structure of their stories on a scene-by-scene basis. It’s what I use to track The 38 Fictionary Story Elements and my use of dialogue.
Here’s what a scene’s structural outline looks like for our sample dialogue:
Scene Purpose: Inciting incident
Title: Laura loses her courage
Scene POV: Laura
POV Scene Character’s Goal: To break up with Mike
Scene Middle: Mike calls Laura after she avoids him for five days
Scene Climax: Laura ends the call without telling Mike the sad news
Impact on the Protagonist: Laura is ashamed she never seems to have courage when a situation calls for it
Step 2: Create a Unique Voice for Each Character
Keep in mind, a character’s manner of speaking matters as much as their choice of words.
Step 3: Write a Draft of the Scene
Include beats of dialogue, if you wish, or write the scene at the start as narrated speech. For instance, suppose this is part of my scene:
Laura looked at the screen on her cell phone as it rang. She noticed the call was from her boyfriend, Mike. Laura wanted to break up with Mike, but she felt sheepish about it. She answered the call anyway and listened as Mike greeted her. Mike replied like he knew something wasn’t right. Laura attempts to end the call, failing to tell Mike she wants to break up. Mike attempts to keep the conversation going, but Laura didn’t want to. Both hang up.
Step 4: Isolate Dramatized Speech and Title the Beats
For example:
Beat 1
Action (implied): Mike calls Laura.
Reaction: Laura hesitates to answer
Beat 2
Action (implied): Mike lets the phone keep ringing
Reaction: Laura answers Mike’s call
Beat 3
Action: Mike greets Laura
Reaction: _____________
Beat 4
Action: Mike thinks something is off.
Reaction: Laura attempts to end the conversation.
Beat 5
Action: Mike attempts to keep the conversation going.
Reaction: Laura ends it.
Beat 6
Action: Mike give in.
Reaction: Both hang up.
Step 5: Rewrite Action/Reaction Beats into Dramatized Dialogue
Here’s my draft:
Laura glanced at the caller id on her phone, as the familiar ringtone alerted her to yet another unwanted call. If only she could muster the nerve to tell him.
“Hi, Mike, what’s up?” Laura wished for her voice not to sound breathless. But striking a somber tone is difficult when the pace of your breathing increases and your heart is beating out of your chest.
“Hi, Laura,” Mike said. “Are you ok?”
“Yeah, I’m ok. I just don’t feel like talking now.” Laura knew it wasn’t entirely true. But why does courage always seem to fail her in situations like this?
“Come on, Laura, we haven’t talked in three days.”
“I know, Mike. But now’s not a good time.” Laura inched her finger toward the red button that says “End” on her cell phone.
“Laura, please—”
“Mike, I have to go,” Laura said, as usual, more willing to endure the pain of letting herself down than someone else.
“Ok, goodbye—” Before Mike could say another word, Laura’s name and face flashed from the screen of his phone, as though signaling that something more important than the call had just ended.
Step 6: Check Dialogue Against Tips and Revise
In this new draft, I followed advice from the six tips. There’s proper and simple tagging, action tagging, no tagging in some instances, and elements of character voice.
When you separate this new snippet into its beats of action-through-speech, you’ll also see it matches the beats of action/reaction in Step #4.
Conclusion and Final Tips
When it comes down to it, dramatized dialogue adds endless possibilities to the ways we tell our stories. How much of our stories should we write as speech between characters? The correct balance depends on the story and its genre. The key is to follow the tips and steps for writing dialogue scene by scene.
So, now it’s your turn to have some fun and practice. Start with a snippet of narrated text, either yours or someone else’s, then follow the tips and steps in this post to transform it into your own version of page-turning dialogue! You’ve got this!
