One of the little irritations I have when reading fiction is stilted dialogue. What I’m referring to is that written dialogue that, when I hear it in my head, sounds stiff and unnatural. Here’s an example:
“Hey,” I said.
“Hey,” he replied.
“I am going to the store. Would you like me to pick up anything for you?”, I asked.
“No, thank you. I don’t need anything right now.”
People don’t talk that way. At least, not in real life. In my experience, it would read something like this:
“Hey, man, I’m heading to the store. Need anything?”, I asked.
“Nah, I’m good.”
While it’s not necessarily proper grammar and syntax, it is natural speech patterns. This is how people talk, especially people who are familiar with one another. It’s casual, succinct, and doesn’t mince words.
One of the ways I try to capture natural dialogue in my stories is to eavesdrop when I’m in public spaces. When I’m sitting in a restaurant, I’ll listen in on the conversations going on around me. I’m not trying to pick up any dirt on anyone, of course, I’m just hearing how people talk. I listen for inflection, tone, slang, and accents. It’s all about the banter.
Years ago when I was taking creative writing classes at Florida State University, I would practice writing dialogue. I’d sit in a restaurant, or on Landis Green, or even in one of my classes, and really listen to a conversation. Maybe even take some notes. Then, later on, I’d write out that conversation. I did this over and over again, filling out page after page in a spiral notebook with random conversations I’d overheard.
Did it help? I think so. While many of my stories would get ripped apart when workshopped, I always heard that my dialogue was excellent. So maybe the repetitive practice helps.
The other thing that I started back then and continue today is to read my dialogue out loud. Not in public, of course. Don’t want to make people think I’m crazy. I’ll also record myself reading the dialogue and listen to the playback to get a different perspective.
I know, it sounds odd, but I find that it helps to ensure the words sound natural, that there’s a cadence to the lines, and that the reader will hopefully hear real voices in their imagination.
I hope these suggestions help you when you write dialogue for your stories. And if you have any other suggestions or tips, feel free to share.
RB
Your approach works because it causes the conversations to be “heard” inside the reader’s head.
Exactly! Plus, it’s sort of fun to eavesdrop on conversations in stores and restaurants, particularly if what I’m hearing has no context, so I get to fill in the blanks. 🙂
Particularly loud voices provide good prompts.
LOL!