Dialogue
Dialog vs. Dialogue (Grammar Rules)
Learn when to use dialog vs. dialogue on with Grammar Rules from the Writer's Digest editors, including a few examples of correct usages.
How to Write Funny Dialogue: 5 Tips for Making Readers Laugh Out Loud
Playwright and author Stephen Evans explains how to write funny dialogue with these five key tips informed by neurology, rhythm, and theater.
Kinetic Typography Video: Author George Saunders Discusses Writing Good Dialogue
We had the privilege of speaking with short-form master and Lincoln in the Bardo author George Saunders. In this video, sponsored by Wild Photon, the globally acclaimed author discusses the inherent poetry of dialogue, and how liberating that can be.
The Art of the Paragraph: How to Write Dialogue in Fiction
Paragraph writing in fiction doesn’t follow traditional rules. In this series, we cover how to write a good paragraph by exploring different lengths and kinds of paragraphs—and when to use them. Here, learn how to write dialogue and where to break for paragraphs.
Writing a Scene with Good Dialogue and Narration
Here's how to explore the functions of dialogue and narration in a scene, so that you can find the mix that’s right for your novel.
Rewriting the 7 Rules of Dialogue
Understand why and how to break these 7 common rules about writing dialogue, and you’ll write more effective, nuanced and engaging character conversations.
Keep it Simple: Keys to Realistic Dialogue (Part II)
In this post, the second in a two-part series, award-winning author Eleanor D. Trupkiewicz follows up on her discussion of realistic dialogue with an impassioned plea on using dialogue tags and attributions, emphasizing the use of "said."
Keep it Simple: Keys to Realistic Dialogue (Part I)
In this post, Short Short Story winner Eleanor D. Trupkiewicz details the importance of creating realistic dialogue and punctuating dialogue properly in order to keep the reader invested. Even the slightest of errors can draw the reader out of the story.
How to Amp up Dialogue with Emotional Beats
Dialogue benefits from variety. A good way to maintain your reader's interest is to insert a variety of beats into your dialogue. Beats are descriptions of physical action—minor or major—that fall between lines of speech. Try the following techniques to punch up your dialogue. by Todd A. Stone
How to Edit Your Dialogue
If dialogue wastes time and stops or delays your novel's progress toward resolving the conflict, it must be cut, pared down or rewritten. Look for these areas in your manuscript, and you'll find places where your dialogue should be revisited. by Todd A. Stone
How to Balance Action, Narrative, and Dialogue in Your Novel
Most of the time, we want to balance our scenes using dialogue, action, and narrative to engage readers at an emotional level and keep them hooked. Here's how to do that.
Question Mark Placement in Dialogue
Questioning your question mark usage in dialogue? Editor Jane Friedman has the scoop on proper placement.
Agent Joanna Volpe On: Why Realistic Teen Dialogue Isn't Necessarily a Good Thing (and a Free Book Giveaway!)
If you want to write young adult fiction, you need to listen to teens, but not listen to them. Any questions? When it comes to writing YA, everyone focuses on voice. And they’re right. Voice is so, so important to pin down. And when trying to nail down that voice, there is a ton of advice out there on realistic teen dialogue.
