Writing Realistic Dialogue

by AJ Grant

Dialogue must advance the story, serve the needs of the plot, provide characterization, and inform the readers of things they couldn't have learned through other methods. Considering all that, it's not surprising that many authors have difficulty with the one other thing dialogue needs to do: sound like actual people are speaking it.

Realistic dialogue can make or break a story, but how can dialogue be real when its purpose is anything but? The key lies in understanding the limits of how people talk, and then using those limits as your strengths.

THE LIMITS OF HOW PEOPLE TALK

1) Real people do not always use correct grammar.

Even the most die-hard English major will, when speaking, end sentences with prepositions, split infinitives, talk in fragments, and even throw in an "ain't" from time to time (albeit ironically). Unless your character is supposed to come across as excessively prim and proper, her language needs to relax. Your narrative needs to embrace the rules of grammar; your dialogue does not.

Bad:

"Where did you go today?"

"Today I went to the store."

Better:

"Where'd you go?"

"The store."

2) Real people use pronouns.

New Yorkers will not say they're going into Manhattan when they can say they're going into the city. A wife will not ask her husband if he'd like to visit Mrs. Jones when she can ask if he'd like to see his mom. Though your reader needs to see the proper nouns at least once for context, within the confines of dialogue they should be sparse.

Bad:

"Let's go to the Bella Luna restaurant. The Bella Luna is the best because Mr. Smith, the head waiter, is a friend of mine and he always makes sure we get the best price on the finest Italian meals."

Better:

"Let's go for some Italian. My buddy Bob works at the Bella Luna. He'll get us a good deal."

3) Real people have their own agendas.

Your agenda is to tell a story. You want to do that by going from point A to B to C. Your characters do not share that agenda, nor do they necessarily share each other's. This means that they will interrupt each other, not give their full attention to what the other says, go off on their own tangents, and not necessarily approach your plot points by the most direct method.

Bad:

"We should go to the library."

"So we can research the case?"

"Yes, I think that we can find valuable information in the old news records."

"The old news records are useful, but I wonder if we shouldn't try talking to some of the suspects as well?"

Better:

"We should go to the library."

"I'm going to talk to some suspects. If you want to waste time with the books, go nuts."

4) Real people do not volunteer any more information than they have to.

Star Trek: The Next Generation dealt with the problem of dumping a great deal of exposition on the viewer by creating the character of Data, who knew everything and would babble at length about it. This is very useful, but the catch is that Data was an android.

Though characters do sometimes babble, if they are going to resemble real people then they will not babble in bursts that precisely match up with the needs of your plot. Some characters might feel they need to volunteer more information than others, but none of them should give away everything without even being asked.

Bad:

"After work today I talked to Rachel. Turns out she's auditioning for a play this weekend. It's a Shakespeare play that's being directed by her ex-husband, who she divorced back when she thought he was having an affair with her sister Betty. But then she found out that he wasn't having an affair with Betty, but with her cousin Sue, who's only going to be in town for an hour on Saturday and visiting the theater exactly when Rachel is doing her audition."

Better:

"I talked to Rachel. Turns out she's auditioning for a play this weekend."

TURNING LIMITS INTO STRENGTHS

Once you know the limits of realistic dialogue, you can then use them as stepping stones to advance your story. Characterization can be enhanced by showing which character sticks to proper word choice and which character doesn't mind embracing the vernacular. Secrets can be hidden behind non- answers and subject changes. Familiarity can be suggested through the use of nicknames and pronouns. Information can be provided not via a long expository paragraph but rather by having the other characters interrupt, ask questions, and play Devil's advocate on the reader's behalf.

To practice this, try writing a story using nothing but dialogue. Then give the story to your friends and have them read it out loud as though it were a play. Does the dialogue flow smoothly? Do the characters have personalities that stand out without any narrative cues? Do the words sound natural? Does the plot help to move everyone along? If the answers are yes, then you're on your way to mastering realistic dialogue.

IN CONCLUSION

When writing, it's important to remember that real people aren't perfect. They misuse language, avoid specifics, have their own desires, and leave out more than they add in. Though your characters shouldn't fumble their words, say "um," and stare off into space as often as real people do, their dialogue should still possess many of the same structural weaknesses that shape the way real people speak.

Once the weaknesses are there, your characters will feel more like actual people and your readers will be more inclined to believe what they - and by extension you - have to say.

For more examples of how to write good dialogue, read Dr. Nathan Dodge's "He Said; She Said," which first appeared in our January issue.

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© AJ Grant

AJ Grant often finds that getting characters to talk isn't nearly as big a problem as getting them to shut up. "Denial," AJ's latest story, was accepted in spite of its now-ironic title and will be premiering this June in Torquere Press's Naughty anthology.