A Tip For Writing Natural Sounding Dialogue.
Hello, and welcome to my blog! My name is Faith, I’m a horror novelist who is just starting out. I published my first novel less than a year ago, and I use this blog to share information I learned along the way to help other authors.
Today, I’d like to talk about dialogue a little bit. Something that new authors especially can struggle with is writing natural characters who speak like normal people. Observe my expertly crafted example below.
“But Mother,” the child proclaimed, “I do not wish to dine upon this meat dish that you serve me, with it’s undistinguishable animal products. Am I digesting veil, pork, steak, or a cut of lamb liver? Do you think I am a fool, Mother, that I should fall for such a shallow ploy to trick me into eating leafy greens that have blended within thy meats?”
While certainly entertaining(to write anyways), the reader is instantly drawn out of the story. My example may have been exaggerated, but even more mild forms of this can make characters feel more two-dimensional and hard to relate to. Unless you are writing a character that has a reason to speak like a retired english professor, I’d suggest dumbing down the dialogue a little. For instance-
“Mom, what’s in this thing? Is there ham in here? I hate ham, and also peas…is that a pea?”
Of course, the reverse can be said as well. When writing teenagers, for instance, some older authors have a habit of writing dialogue like a cliche 90s movie. While some teenagers do speak like that, most of them communicate like people in their early twenties…only a bit moodier. Instead of writing-
“Ugh, this blows,” The blonde said. She swung her backpack into the backseat and sat down with a groan. “My mom is literally the worst. I can’t go to Mckay’s party tonight, and I even bought this cute little pink cami for it. I heard Matt is going to be there too, and Jenny is totally gonna get to him before I do. Skank.”
Unless you’re trying to go for the overused dumb blonde joke, consider:
“Well, this sucks,” The blonde said. She swung her backpack into the backseat and sat down with a groan. “My mom just called, and now I can’t go to Mckay’s party tonight. I bought a new top for it too, since Matts gonna be there. I bet Jenny is going to be happy as hell when she finds out I’m stuck at home instead.”
Of course, writing is subjective, so if one style makes you happy, go for it! Another key to writing natural dialogue is realizing that it’s okay to make a character cough in the middle of a sentence, or slip up a word, or even forget what they were saying. Well written dialogue should be able to be read outloud and sound like a real conversation. While some people such as Steven King have managed to make long and dramatic dialogue work for them, it can be hard to attempt as a new writer. Characters who have flaws in their speech or personalities are more real to the reader, and can appeal to a larger base.
As always, you are free to disagree, but I hope that I have been able to at least present a new perspective, or amuse you for two minutes. Feel free to follow my blog for more writing tips, and for updates on my writing, you can follow me on Instagram or Twitter @ Idiocyreleased.
Happy writing!
