Perhaps your characters sound alike, sound like you, speak their mind too much, or slow the action with exposition. Either way, if writer’s block is creeping in, these tips help your dialogue pack more punch.

TL;DR

Create distinctive voices for each character
Turn dialogue into character expression
Use dialogue as action
Create tension with silence
Avoid exposition dumps
Write with more subtext
Craft snappy, punchy dialogue
Revising dialogue for your next draft

Fix your dialogue: a hands-on guide

Featured

A fresh take on “Show, don’t tell”: information density

“Show, don’t tell” is best understood as an information density problem. This may occur when a character’s words and actions overlap too much. By reducing how much information stays verbal, and partially offloading it to behavior, props, or reactions, you create more natural scenes, add suspense, and open space for character expression. The goal isn’t less dialogue, but lower information density per line.

Fix fluffy dialogue with action verbs

Fluffy dialogue is when spoken lines stop carrying intent. Action-driven dialogue fixes this by starting with the character’s scene objective, choosing an action verb that serves that goal, and then writing a line (or replacing it with physical action) that performs the action. By thinking in action verbs (such as 'to dismiss', 'to challenge', 'to belittle' etc.) you create clear cause-and-effect between lines, trim filler words, and make dialogue actively move the scene forward rather than stalling it.

Reveal character with dialogue: tips & drills

Use dialogue to perform the character’s narrative role
Use archetype as a baseline for your dialogue
Let justifications for their decisions establish how the character perceives the world
Use reactions in dialogue to reveal what the character values
Force their beliefs into spoken action during a dilemma
Embed character traits and quirks into the spoken line’s underlying action
Use vocabulary, not facts, to reveal character background
Make the spoken line behave like that mind would behave

Making characters sound unique: 6 practical tips

Anchor dialogue to each character’s thematic contrast to the protagonist
Make the character’s unique voice behavioral, not stylistic
Use background and personality to shape vocabulary
Give each character their own phrasing and idiolect
Give your characters contradictory traits
Reveal contrast through scene pairings

4. Create tension with silence

COMING SOON

Silence is dialogue’s secret weapon. The things your characters don’t say — the pauses, dodges, glances, and interruptions — often carry more emotion and meaning than their words. This upcoming post will teach you how to use silence, pacing, and omission to stretch tension like a wire, turning casual exchanges into emotionally charged standoffs.

👥 See how to create tension with silence

5. Avoid exposition dumps

COMING SOON

Nothing kills a scene faster than dialogue that sounds like a Wikipedia entry. But exposition doesn’t have to be boring. Done right, it’s invisible. This article will show you how to slip information into conflict, reveal facts through vocabulary and reaction, and keep the audience curious rather than informed. Think Inception, not info-dump.

👥 See how to create tension with silence

6. Write with more subtext

COMING SOON

When your characters speak, what they say should rarely be what they mean. This is subtext; the friction between words and motives. It’s that hidden tension that makes audiences see through the character’s veneer and forget they’re in the cinema or flipping through pages. The upcoming subtext guide explores how to make lines double as defense mechanisms, flirtations, threats, and confessions all at once so that your dialogue breathes with psychological realism.

👥 See how to create tension with silence

7. Craft snappy, punchy dialogue

COMING SOON

Snappy dialogue is about rhythm, contrast, and precision (not just Aaron Sorkin-style speed). This upcoming piece breaks down what makes a line “pop”: compression, surprise, and a sense of character behind every beat. You’ll learn how to cut the filler, heighten contrast between speakers, and write dialogue that bounces like a verbal tennis match.

👥 See how to create tension with silence

8. Revising dialogue for your next draft

COMING SOON

Even the best first drafts have clunky dialogue. The magic happens in revision. This article will give you a practical rewrite checklist: how to strip exposition, sharpen intent, refine rhythm, and align every line with subtext or action. Think of it as a final polish for dialogue that already works, and a life raft for dialogue that doesn’t (yet).

👥 See how to create tension with silence

Featured

A fresh take on “Show, don’t tell”: information density

Fix fluffy dialogue with action verbs

Reveal character with dialogue: tips & drills

Use dialogue to perform the character’s narrative role
Use archetype as a baseline for your dialogue
Let justifications for their decisions establish how the character perceives the world
Use reactions in dialogue to reveal what the character values
Force their beliefs into spoken action during a dilemma
Embed character traits and quirks into the spoken line’s underlying action
Use vocabulary, not facts, to reveal character background
Make the spoken line behave like that mind would behave

Making characters sound unique: 6 practical tips

Anchor dialogue to each character’s thematic contrast to the protagonist
Make the character’s unique voice behavioral, not stylistic
Use background and personality to shape vocabulary
Give each character their own phrasing and idiolect
Give your characters contradictory traits
Reveal contrast through scene pairings

Fix your dialogue: a hands-on guide

4. Create tension with silence

5. Avoid exposition dumps

6. Write with more subtext

7. Craft snappy, punchy dialogue

8. Revising dialogue for your next draft

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