Engaging dialogue
A huge part of good fiction writing is creating believable dialogue between characters. Stunted, unnatural dialogue literally gives me hives. However, it can be a challenge to mimic real life conversations and translate them onto a page.
Here are elements to consider that will help your dialogue flow more naturally and give your writing a little razzle dazzle.
Add action. Make your characters do something while they're talking. People rarely just sit motionless during conversation. Weave action throughout the dialogue.
On that note, Gestures can say a lot.
Sometimes a subtle movement (like a raised eyebrow, a smirk, or a clenched fist) says more about a character's feelings than words can.
Be realistic.
No one uses academic writing when they speak and often times people don't articulate their thoughts very well. Find the balance between realism and succinctness. People also use contractions when they talk. Sentence starter words, like "well" or "so" are also common.
Examples:
"So, how come you guys don't come over anymore?"
"Well, I think that's what's happening but, actually I'm not sure."
Act it out.
Pretend you're auditioning for a movie and read the scene out loud to yourself. Really think how you would physically react to what's happening in the scene and implement that movement into your writing.
Use natural quirks. In real life, people are sarcastic, flirtatious, and they even laugh at their own jokes.
Avoid filler dialogue/small talk. Adding in irrelevant/implied details is boring and slows down the action of a scene.
Vary the voices. Every character in your story is different so they should each have a unique way of speaking. Maybe one character uses big words, perhaps another is very direct and doesn't speak very much.
Said works just fine. You don't need to use a different talking verb for each attribution. Said is so common that readers mostly breeze past it. However, constantly using words like, "screeched," "exclaimed," and "gasped," will be noticeable and not in a good way.
Here are some additional ideas for action that can be implemented into your dialogue. As you can see, they are just regular, everyday activities.
Chores
Grocery/clothes shopping, trying on clothes
Playing a board game
Cooking
Wrapping gifts
Looking for something
Unpacking a box/suitcase
Looking at photos/albums
Painting nails
Hiking
Shaving
The main key to remember when writing engaging dialogue is to forget that the conversation is fictional. Observe real life conversations and use that as inspiration for your characters.