: Issue with flow of dialogue When I'm writing dialogue, I have a problem figuring out what is the appropriate thing to say in the conversation. Could you please help?

Vote Up Vote Down

While dialog is often used to resolve a conflict of interests between two or more characters, it is not the only purpose it can serve; it can also be used to establish your settings (the notorious maid-and-butler/as-you-know trope comes to mind instantly, but when executed tastefully, a dialogue can provide you with a fast and compact way to avoid lengthy chunks of description, serving the reader only bits of information which are immediately needed).

The way your characters talk is may (or even should) be telling (or, showing, rather...). People, who know each other well, often finish each other sentences. People who are just introduced might want to impress each other with their eloquency, and some people start their sentences with "I mean" without, like, saying anything before that which might, like, require, like, clarification, or something.

Figure out your conflict, figure out the settings, decide who is talking, and type away.

One thing to avoid for sure: small talk. Unless you greeting bears an important meaning ("Ave, Imperator, morituri te salutant"), all hi's and how-do-you-do's are just garbage whith pollutes the narration.

(0)

Vote Up Vote Down

Read a lot. Pay attention to how your favorite authors present dialog.

You might find that written dialog doesn't include everything everyone says from when they meet to when they part. It starts when the important stuff begins and ends when it ends. It leaves out all the hellos and how are you's, as well as the I really should be goings and goodbyes.

Limiting yourself to the meaningful, important, interesting bits of conversations might help you get through them.

(0)