Dialogue is a core component of any creative writer’s arsenal. Offering readers a break from lengthy expositions, dialogue also provides insight into your characters’ thoughts. However, while dialogue is a handy tool, it is notoriously difficult to write effectively – how we speak in real life and how a character speaks on the page are two completely different worlds. If you want to enrich your written dialogue and to create more credible conversations, read on…
Consider this scene in Harry Potter – The Philosopher’s Stone, where young Harry Potter discovers the Mirror of Erised. Think about the subtext in Professor Dumbledore’s dialogue as he speaks to Harry. Despite knowing that Harry had broken school rules by exploring the castle and night, Dumbledore is not angry. Why is that?
Quotes that shine
JK Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, is undoubtedly a genius at writing dialogue. Creating a captivating world of magic on paper and the silver screen, most of her prominent characters are incredibly unique. Fans of the series probably know who said the following:
A. “Tut, tut – fame clearly isn’t everything.”
B. “It does not do well to dwell on dreams and forget to live.”
C. “I don’t go looking for trouble. Trouble usually finds me.”
If you guessed Potions Master Severus Snape, Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore and protagonist Harry Potter, then you are correct! What is it about each quote that makes it so easy to recognise the speaker? For one, each quote has certain characteristics that are tied to the character who said it.
Snape held a vehement hatred for the late James Potter (Harry’s father) due to jealousy and past bullying, and redirected his vengeance upon Harry through snide remarks whenever possible. Dumbledore is arguably the most decorated wizard in existence and respected by both friend and foe alike. It’s only fitting that a wizened master speaks with eloquence and wisdom. Harry, on the other hand, is our brash hero who was unwittingly shoved into the wizarding world and faced multiple death-defying encounters with dark forces – a bit of arrogance is justified when you live up to the nickname “the boy who (repeatedly) lived”.
Of course, it’s easy to recognise quotes from a multi-billion-dollar franchise – but how do we go about crafting engaging dialogue when no one is familiar with our characters yet?
The dialogue five
According to Master Class, there are five core rules to writing dialogue.
1. Dialogue should reflect your character’s background
Just like in our analysis of Harry Potter’s characters, everything your characters say must be… well, in character. Each character’s past experience dictates how they should speak and react. For example, if we examined Harry’s character development, he began as a timid child incredulous to the newly introduced world of magic. It wouldn’t make sense for him to be prideful and cocky right away, as he had been humbled by living with the abusive Dursley family. Through each encounter with Voldemort and his lackeys, Harry became stronger – and in the process sheds his shyness and begins to show signs of confidence and arrogance.
When your characters speak in a manner consistent with their experiences, you create more believable dialogue.
2. Be true to the period
The Harry Potter universe takes place primarily in modern England and Scotland – so slang and regional dialects are appropriate. However, because the story takes place during a modern setting, it would be out of place if the characters used medieval or Shakespearean English (with the possible exception of centuries-old Hogwarts ghosts). Remember, context and consistency go hand in hand!
3. Desire should motivate your characters to speak
Dialogue should have a purpose beyond simply pushing the storyline along. Think about what drives you to talk with someone. In reality, we talk because we want something from someone – it may be for emotional satisfaction, to express affection and care or perhaps for personal gain, but there’s always a reason for doing it. “When writing dialogue, think about what your characters want,” explains Master Class. “Will they be blunt or subtly manipulative? Will they be angry or will they keep their cool?” Again, your characters’ past experiences or the interactions between the characters can influence this.
4. Fictional characters don’t say “uh”
When we talk, we have padding stuffed into every sentence or phrase – pointless words y’know… like… um, uh, yeah. “Good dialogue in fiction must be more incisive and selective,” describes Master Class. “It is shorn down to reveal what people want from one another, reveal character and dramatise power struggles.” Unless your character is someone like Mayor Quimby from The Simpsons, whose character quirk involves speaking with ums and errs, written dialogue should always be free of padding to maximise impact. Can you imagine how lame the final confrontation between Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort would be if they both umm-ed and err-ed their way through their last moments?
Furthermore, be prudent with your use of exclamation marks when writing dialogue. In most cases, reserve them only for significant outbursts – otherwise readers will think your characters simply enjoy being in shouting matches all the time.
5. There’s always subtext
Subtext naturally exists in dialogue and it usually adds an extra layer of depth to our conversations. For example, when Professor Dumbledore asks Professor Snape to give occlumency lessons to Harry to prevent Voldemort from tapping into Harry’s thoughts, Snape agrees because Dumbledore’s orders were absolute. Although it’s never written whether Snape was enthusiastic about his new responsibility, readers naturally pick up on Snape’s contempt for the task. This is what subtext does – it unveils a character’s inner conflict without the author’s explicit description.
All that’s left now is to put everything into action. If you’re having trouble, try out our adaptation of Master Class’s writing exercise. Record a conversation between two family members or friends (be sure to ask for consent first). Then transcribe the conversation while paying attention to who was leading the dialogue and whether there were any subtext present. Using these two people as your fictional characters, write a new conversation between them starting from the most interesting point. Feel free to change up the relationship between the characters or to revise their personality – there are no set rules.
Creating believable dialogue takes a lot of practice to nail consistently. Don’t be discouraged if you aren’t able to create page-gripping conversations like JK Rowling just yet. She, like many other writers, has spent years honing her craft to create the iconic characters we love today – but if you need proper dialogue now, your local Wordsmiths are happy to help you create a bit of screenwriting magic!