: Re: How to write a conversation Conversation is the thing I have most difficulties with while writing stories. How do I write a conversation so it will be clear who said what, and in a way that's

@Phylliss352

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When in a continuing, back and forth dialogue, use boldface everytime you reference the speaker in question (additionally you can secure good formatting by always using NBSPs per speaker reference):

Sailor/Pirate: Hello, scout! Where are you headin', matey?

Ziska: Oh! I was just walking along the pier here to look down at the water.

Sailor/Pirate: Nothing dere to see in these old waters; dead fish, maybe two.

(Just ignore the space formatting that is used above, and imagine them pressed together)

Some people express sentiment of characters this way too (e.g., "Oh! -surprised- I was just walking along the pier here to look down at the water.). Another way you can mix it up and make it less repetitive is by writing it out from a narrative perspective sometimes, and referencing characters as if from a speaker rather than elaborately directed to you (e.g., "You could never do that," said Jane).

Most books do not have a long, endless string of dialogue between characters, so mixing it up is a must.
@Jay 's answer here expresses a perfect example of conversation dialogue that's easily confusable.

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