Dialogue Do's & Don'ts

Dialogue is one of the most powerful tools a writer has, and one of the easiest to misuse. It can pull readers deeper into a scene or quietly push them away. At its best, dialogue feels natural while doing intentional work behind the scenes. At its worst, it rambles, explains too much, or exists simply because silence feels uncomfortable.

In a conversation-heavy culture, it can be tempting to let characters talk simply because people talk, but every “spoken” word on the page has to earn its place. Let’s jump into the do’s and don’ts of writing effective dialogue so you can perfect your next piece.

Understanding Dialogue & Its Purpose

Dialogue is spoken language exchanged between two or more characters. It moves the story forward by revealing character, advancing plot, building conflict, and shaping the emotional landscape of a scene. What characters say—and just as importantly, what they avoid saying—can communicate power dynamics, internal struggles, and unspoken desires. Effective dialogue rarely exists to relay information alone; instead, it layers meaning, subtext, and voice.

Dialogue can and should serve multiple purposes in your writing. A single line of dialogue can deepen character, escalate tension, and hint at future conflict all at once. A casual remark might reveal a long-standing resentment. A joke might mask fear. A seemingly mundane exchange might quietly shift the direction of the story. This layering is often what separates flat, functional dialogue from lines that linger with the reader.

What Are Dialogue Tags?

Dialogue tags (“she said,” “he replied,” etc.) are the small phrases that attribute a line of dialogue to a speaker. They help orient the reader within a conversation and can subtly shape how a line is read by signaling tone, emotion, or pacing. Tags should clarify and support the dialogue rather than compete with it. Be careful not to overuse any specific tags (or be afraid to try out new ones!).

Dialogue vs. Monologue

While dialogue involves an exchange between characters, a monologue is an extended piece of speech delivered by one character without interruption. Monologues are often used to reveal backstory, emotional truths, or a character’s worldview. They can be effective in moments of heightened emotion or confrontation, but they can easily slip into exposition or feel unrealistic without intention.

The Two Types of Dialogue

Not all dialogue is spoken aloud. Characters communicate both externally with others and internally with themselves.

Outer dialogue is what most readers think of first: spoken conversation between two or more characters. This is the dialogue placed inside quotation marks, grounded in action and response. It shapes relationships, reveals conflict, and moves scenes forward through interaction. Because it exists in shared space, it is influenced by power dynamics, setting, and what characters are willing to say out loud.

Inner dialogue, often referred to as internal monologue, takes place within a character’s thoughts. It gives readers direct access to a character’s fears, judgments, memories, and contradictions. Inner dialogue can clarify motivation, heighten tension, or reveal what a character is hiding from others. Used thoughtfully, it deepens emotional connection. Used too heavily, it can stall momentum or explain what the story could show through action or spoken exchange.

Strong writing often relies on the interplay between the two. What a character says outwardly may conflict with what they are thinking inwardly, and that tension can be far more revealing than either form of dialogue on its own.

Top Tips for Writing Effective Dialogue

Great dialogue feels effortless to read, but it’s the result of deliberate choices. Your audience should be immersed in the exchange happening on the page, not the mechanics behind them. To write dialogue that does real narrative work:

1. Establish a distinct character voice. Syntax, sentence length, diction, and rhythm should reflect who the character is, not just what they’re saying.

2. Vary dialogue tags. “Said” works, but so do tags that add tone or context when used with intention. Variety keeps dialogue from feeling repetitive, as long as tags support the line rather than overshadow it.

3. Balance tags with action beats. Movement, gestures, and reactions can replace tags entirely while grounding dialogue in the physical world.

4. Capture the rhythm of real speech without copying it. Real conversations are full of filler and repetition; strong dialogue distills speech down to what matters.

5. Match dialogue to the scene. Characters speak differently depending on setting, stakes, and emotional pressure, and dialogue should reflect those shifts.

6. Use subtext to create tension. Let characters talk around the truth instead of stating everything outright.

7. Read your dialogue aloud. If a line feels stiff or unnatural when spoken, it will likely read that way too.

What Not to Do When Writing Dialogue

Some dialogue problems are easy to miss in drafts but can weaken a scene if left unchecked. In your story, you shouldn’t:

1. Fall into repetitive tag patterns. Lines like “she said” / “he said” / “she said” in quick succession can become monotonous on the page. Vary tags, use action beats, or restructure the exchange to break the rhythm.

2. Overload dialogue with unnecessary tags. Not every line needs one, especially in short back-and-forth exchanges where the speaker is already clear.

3. Use dialogue to explain what readers can infer. When characters state emotions, relationships, or themes outright, the scene loses subtlety.

4. Include anachronistic language. Words, slang, or references that don’t fit the time period or world of the story can break immersion immediately.

5. Rely on eye dialect. Eye dialect refers to nonstandard or phonetic spellings meant to indicate accent or speech patterns (for example, spelling “this” as “dis”). This often slows reading, distracts from meaning, and can slip into caricature. Rhythm, grammar, and word choice are usually more effective and more respectful ways to suggest dialect.

6. Let dialogue turn into backstory delivery. Conversations that exist only to convey information tend to feel staged rather than organic.

7. Allow long monologues without tension or interruption. Extended speech should earn its space by revealing conflict, emotion, or change.

A Guide to Structuring Dialogue

Dialogue formatting helps readers move through a scene without friction. When structure is handled well, it disappears, but when it’s inconsistent or incorrect, it can pull readers out of the story entirely. That being said, there are a few rules U.S. writers follow when structuring dialogue:

• Use double quotation marks for spoken dialogue. In standard American English, spoken words are enclosed in double quotation marks.

• Keep punctuation inside quotation marks. All punctuation belongs inside the closing quotation mark, even when they are not part of the spoken sentence.

• Use single quotation marks for dialogue within dialogue. When a character quotes someone else while speaking, the quoted speech should be enclosed in single quotation marks.

• Start a new paragraph each time a new character speaks. This visual break helps readers track who is talking without confusion.

• Format extended dialogue correctly. When a character’s speech continues across multiple paragraphs, open each new paragraph with quotation marks but do not close the quotation marks until the final paragraph of that speech.

• Use em dashes to show interruption. An em dash (—) signals a line of dialogue that is cut off by another character or an external action.

A Note on Adverbs

Adverbs often get a bad reputation in writing advice circles, especially when it comes to dialogue and dialogue tags. The concern isn’t that adverbs are inherently wrong, but that they can tell the reader how a line should be read instead of allowing the dialogue, context, or action to show it naturally. Phrases like “she said angrily” or “he replied softly” can flatten a moment if the emotion isn’t already present in the words or the scene itself. Writers can often replace adverbs by strengthening the dialogue itself, choosing a more precise verb, or adding a small action beat that reveals emotion indirectly.

With that in mind, adverbs aren’t forbidden. Sometimes, they’re simply the clearest or cleanest option. Used sparingly and with intention, adverbs become one tool among many rather than a crutch the dialogue leans on.

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Effective dialogue is a major building block of captivating, successful stories. However, it must be written with purpose and intention. Without those, dialogue can hurt your writing rather than help it.

Do you have a short story teeming with impactful dialogue you’re ready to share with the world? Submit it to Ink & Oak today for a chance to be published in our next edition!

FAQs

What is dialogue, and how does it benefit a story?

Dialogue is the spoken or internal words of a character. It benefits a story by revealing character, advancing plot, building tension, and conveying subtext.

What is a dialogue tag?

A dialogue tag is a short phrase that attributes a line of dialogue to a speaker, usually paired with a verb. Tags clarify who is speaking and can subtly convey tone or emotion. The key is to use them intentionally so they support the dialogue rather than distract from it.

What are common dialogue mistakes?

Some of the most prominent mistakes made when writing dialogue include:

• Repetitive or overused tags

• Explaining emotions or motivations rather than showing them

• Using dialogue as a vehicle for backstory or exposition

• Writing dialogue that doesn’t fit the character or scene

• Extended monologues without tension or variation

What is eye dialect in dialogue?

Eye dialect is the use of nonstandard or phonetic spelling to indicate a character’s accent or speech pattern. In general, eye dialect should be avoided because it often slows reading, distracts from the dialogue itself, and can unintentionally feel exaggerated or caricatured. Instead, writers can convey voice through word choice, rhythm, and sentence structure.

What is anachronistic language in dialogue?

Anachronistic language occurs when words, slang, or references appear in a setting or time period where they wouldn’t belong, such as a medieval character saying “cool.” Anachronisms can break the reader’s immersion. Keeping dialogue true to the setting ensures authenticity and helps readers stay engaged with the characters and plot.