Writing Better Dialogue for Fiction

Writing better dialogue could keep you from embarrassing yourself. These are 10 do's and don'ts to improve your dialogue for fiction writing.

Do read the masters: Learn from the masters of better dialogue from Shakespeare and Chekhov to David Mamet and Annie Proulx. Even if you don't improve your dialogue and fiction writing, you'll enrich your life.

Don't make yourself an obstacle: For writing better dialogue, don't use an alternative to the verb "said" unless you have a very good reason. Don't use adverbs unless you have an even better reason.

Do use your loved ones: Get inspiration from conversations with your family and friends. Observe how natural communications sound. Unless you're fascinated by people with cell phones yelling that they're in a post office, I don't know how much valuable conversation you can overhear in public anymore.

Don't try to be funny: Unless something makes you laugh automatically, it probably won't work with readers and it will be painful to write.

Do read out loud: To improve your dialogue, read out loud. You can create better dialogue by reading aloud your own fiction and the masters.

Don't use slang: Don't use slang or at least use it sparingly. Many studies show a frightening decline in the average American's working vocabulary. Don't kick the English language while it's down.

Do know your characters: If you have a clear vision of your characters, it will be much easier to write better dialogue in your fiction writing. Start out by copying people you know, and you'll get a sense of how you should feel when you're putting words in a character's mouth.

Don't use exclamation points: Unless you're making fun of fiction writers who use exclamation points, try to avoid them. If you frequently use multiple exclamation points when writing fiction, you may need to hit bottom before you can be helped.

Don't neglect correct grammar: There's not much point in writing better dialogue if readers can't understand it. Master the basics of quotation marks and other correct grammar so readers laugh with you and not at you.

Do keep a journal: In your prime, average short term memory is only about 3 minutes. If you forgot that this article is about writing better dialogue, you may no longer be in your prime. Carry a journal around with you so you hold onto any great ideas to improve your dialogue and write better fiction.