Dialogue and Voice: Making Your Characters Speak
Dialogue is where your characters step out of the background and onto the stage. It’s where personality, tension, and subtext come to life in real time.
But writing dialogue that feels natural — and purposeful — can be surprisingly challenging. Too stiff, and it feels unrealistic. Too casual, and it loses direction.
Strong dialogue isn’t about perfectly recreating real speech. It’s about capturing the essence of how people speak while still serving the story.
What Dialogue Should Do
In a short story, dialogue needs to earn its place. It isn’t just conversation for the sake of realism. It should be doing at least one of the following:
Revealing character
Moving the story forward
Building tension
If a line of dialogue doesn’t serve a purpose, it may not need to be there.
Think of dialogue as action. Every line is a choice your character is making — what to say, what to avoid, and how to say it.
Distinguishing Character Voices
One of the most important aspects of dialogue is making sure each character sounds like themselves.
You don’t need dramatic accents or exaggerated speech patterns. Often, small differences are enough:
One character may speak in short, direct sentences
Another may ramble or avoid getting to the point
One may be honest to a fault, while another holds back
Voice is shaped by personality, background, and emotional state.
A useful test is to remove dialogue tags and see if you can still tell who is speaking. If every line sounds the same, it may be worth refining each voice.
What’s Not Being Said
In real conversations, people don’t always say exactly what they mean. The same is true in fiction.
Subtext — what lies beneath the dialogue — is where much of the interest lives.
A character might say “I’m fine” while their actions suggest otherwise. Another might change the subject instead of answering a question.
This tension between what is said and what is meant creates depth. It invites the reader to read between the lines.
Dialogue Tags and Clarity
Dialogue tags (such as he said or she asked) help the reader follow the conversation. When used well, they’re almost invisible.
It’s usually best to keep tags simple. Overly descriptive tags can distract from the dialogue itself.
For example, instead of:
she exclaimed loudly
he muttered angrily
Often, the dialogue and context already show this.
You can also vary tags with action:
She set the cup down harder than necessary. “I said I’m fine.”
This keeps the scene active while maintaining clarity.
Pacing Through Dialogue
Dialogue can speed up a story. A quick exchange creates momentum and pulls the reader into the moment.
But pacing isn’t just about speed. It’s about balance.
Long stretches of dialogue without grounding can feel disorienting. On the other hand, too much description can slow the conversation down.
The key is to weave dialogue and action together:
A line of dialogue
A small action or reaction
Another line
This creates rhythm and keeps the scene engaging.
When to Use Dialogue (and When Not To)
Not every moment needs to be spoken aloud.
Dialogue works best when:
There is tension between characters
Something important is being revealed or avoided
The interaction itself is the focus
Description may be more effective when:
You need to summarise information quickly
The moment is internal or reflective
Dialogue would feel repetitive or unnecessary
Choosing between dialogue and description helps control pacing and focus.
Practising Dialogue
One of the best ways to improve dialogue is to listen. Pay attention to how people speak in real life — not to copy it exactly, but to notice rhythm, pauses, and patterns.
A simple exercise is to write a scene using only dialogue, then go back and add minimal action. This helps you focus on voice and clarity.
Over time, your ear for dialogue will become more natural.
Final Thoughts
Dialogue is where your story finds its voice — quite literally.
When done well, it reveals character, builds tension, and brings scenes to life without needing explanation. It allows readers to experience the story as it unfolds, rather than being told about it.
You don’t need perfect dialogue. You need purposeful dialogue.
Let your characters speak, and trust what they reveal.