Dialogue with Something Underneath
By Dondi M. Day ·
Real conversation includes repetition, unfinished thoughts, and a great deal of ordinary housekeeping. Fictional dialogue borrows that texture without reproducing every minute of it. The aim is not a transcript. It is an exchange that reveals people and moves the scene.
Before writing the lines, decide what each speaker wants. One may want the truth while the other wants to preserve a relationship. Their words can remain polite even when their objectives collide.
Let the answer miss the question
Consider a simple fictional exchange: “Did you call him?” “His truck wasn’t there.” The second speaker supplies information, but not the answer requested. That small evasion creates a question for the reader without announcing that someone is lying.
Use this selectively. If every character speaks in riddles, the scene becomes exhausting. A direct answer can be powerful, especially after a series of evasions. The contrast matters more than a constant layer of cleverness.
Read the conversation aloud
Remove any line that exists only to tell another character something both people already know. Find another route for that information: an object, a disagreement about its meaning, or a brief sentence of narration.
Then read the dialogue aloud without the tags. Listen for identical rhythms. A character who answers in short practical phrases should not suddenly give a polished lecture merely because the plot needs background. Keep enough tags to make the speakers clear, and use action beats when the action itself contributes something.