How to Write Dialogue: Formatting, Examples, & Tips

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Learning to write dialogue can be difficult for some without proper guidance.

That’s why we started Fiction Basics & story first. we wanted to give writers the skills and knowledge they needed to take an idea and turn it into a bestselling novel (and even potentially a full-time career).

You are reading: Dialogue in books examples

But unless you plan on writing a textbook, you need to learn how to create dialogue correctly and use it correctly because yes, there is a wrong way to present dialogue (and we’ll talk about that later).

Without effective dialogue, even the best plot or book ideas will fail. your efforts to successfully publish a book that reads well will be ineffective. Good writing is the cornerstone of marketing your book. Ultimately, reader reviews of your book will carry weight.

because if the dialogue is bad… readers will put the book down (because dialogue is usually what readers pay the most attention to).

but if you’re not sure how to write dialogue in a way that not only feels natural but works as a catalyst within your book, the process of writing a book can be even more daunting than it already is.

You can’t write a book without dialogue, and you can’t write a good book without good dialogue (even if you’re writing a non-fiction book!).

In this post, we’ll cover everything you need to know about writing dialog, including dialog formatting, dialog punctuation, dialog examples with grammar, and common dialog mistakes to avoid.

We’ll also cover, in detail, how to write realistic dialogue.

Here’s what you need to know about writing dialogue:

1. dialog rules
2. format & punctuation
3. examples
4. dialogue tips
5. say dialogue out loud
6. cut small talk when writing dialogue
7. keep your dialogue short and punchy
8. give each character a unique voice
9. add lingo appropriate to the world
10. be consistent with the voices characters
11. remember who they are talking to
12. avoid long paragraphs of dialogue
13. cut greetings
14. show who your character is
15. mistakes to avoid

*click to jump to that section

Ready to learn what makes great dialogue? let’s get started.

basic rules of dialogue that all writers should follow

Before we get into the actual format and styles of writing dialogue (along with some tips to make sure it’s good dialogue), let’s go over some of the common and universal rules for writing dialogue in any genre of book.

These are the main rules for writing dialogue:

1. every speaker gets a new paragraph. every time someone speaks, demonstrate it by creating a new paragraph. yes, even if your characters only say one word, they get new paragraphs.
2. every paragraph is indented. the only exception is if it’s the beginning of a chapter or after a scene change, where the first line is never indented, even with dialogue.
3. the score of the what is said goes inside the quotation marks. whenever the punctuation is part of the person speaking, they go between quotation marks so that the reader knows how the dialogue is said.
4. long speeches with multiple paragraphs don’t have quotation marks at the end. you’ll see more on this below, but in general, if a character speaks for so long that they have separate paragraphs, the quotation marks at the end are removed, but you start the next paragraph with them.
5. use single quotes if the person speaking is quoting someone else. if you have a character that says, “man, don’t you love it when girls say ‘i’m fine’?”, the single quotes indicate what someone else is saying.
6. skip the small talk and focus only on the important information. unless that small talk is relevant to character development, skip it and get to the point, this is not real life and will actually feel more fake if you have too much.

dialogue punctuation and formatting

When it comes to book formatting, dialogue is one of the hardest to pull off.

Not that it’s particularly complicated, but there are many different types of dialog and many different types of punctuation (including when to use a comma, quotes, and even hyphens) required to format it correctly.

so it’s easy to get confused or forget which format to use for which line of dialog.

The basics for dialog formatting is that every time a new person speaks, it’s a new paragraph with quotes around what they said.

To fully understand how to format a dialog, you need to know how to punctuate it correctly, depending on the form you’re using.

The one thing most writers get wrong when they’re just starting out is proper dialogue formatting.

Sure, you could leave that up to the publisher, but the more work for your publisher, the more expensive it will be.

Also, it’s important that as serious writers and future authors, you know how to punctuate dialogue no matter what.

That also means editors will be able to focus on more complex edits instead of just punctuation.

dialogue punctuation is complex and takes some time to learn, understand and master.

As we delve into dialogue in our Foundations of Fiction program, here are some examples of dialogue from each and how you’ll score them.

dialog example 1: single line

Individual lines of dialogue are among the easiest to write and remember. the punctuation of this dialog is simple:

quotes go outside words and punctuation at the end of dialogue (in this case, a period, but it’s the same for a comma, question mark, or exclamation mark).

example:

“You really shouldn’t have done that.”

No matter what other punctuation you have, whether it’s a question mark or exclamation point, it will go on the inside of the quotations.

dialog example 2: a single line with a dialog tag

in this case, “label” means dialog label.

a dialogue tag is anything that indicates which character spoke and describes how they spoke.

These are some common examples of dialog tags:

• he said
• she whispered
• they shouted
• he shouted
• they shot
• she snorted
• he cooed
• they responded

In the example below, you can see that the dialog tag goes on the outside of the quotes, while the comma goes on the inside.

example:

“You really shouldn’t have done that,” she whispered.

This is the case with any dialogue tags that are used. You can also see how this dialogue formatting works with different types of sentences and different dialogue tags.

Note that the tag, when followed by a comma in quotes, is lowercase as it is part of the general sentence.

dialog example 3: questions

Because a question mark looks like the end of a sentence, it’s easy for most writers to get the format of questions when they misspell dialogue.

but it’s actually quite easy. essentially, a question mark will be treated like a comma or period. what changes the format the most is what follows the dialog.

example:

“Are you sure we have to leave so early?” he wondered aloud.

Here are some examples of how to write questions in a dialogue:

• “will you ever stop being a child?” she asked.
• “What about that man over there?” she whispered to herself, pointing in the direction of an old man. “doesn’t it look weird too?”
• “what’s the problem, anyway?” she snorted.

In this example above, you can see that if there is a dialogue tag, the question mark will act as a comma and you will then lowercase the first word in the dialogue tag (unless it’s a person’s name).

however, if there is simply an action after the question, the question mark acts as a period and then will capitalize the first word in the next sentence.

dialog example 4: dialog tag, then a single line

When it comes to formatting dialog tags before your character speaks, it’s essentially the same as when they come after, except in reverse.

As you can see in the example above, the dialog tag is in front, followed by a comma outside the quotes. then the quotes appear when the sentence begins with the punctuation of that sentence inside the quotes at the end.

example:

finally he said, “fine. let’s go for it.”

Here are some more examples of this type of dialogue, as it is very common:

He took a deep breath and said, “I’m not sure what to do anymore.”

Dialogue Example 5: Body language description

There are a couple of different types of body language dialogue formats to learn.

variation 1:

This is when the actions your character takes are between lines of dialogue, but after a sentence is complete. in real life, this would indicate that someone stopped to complete the action.

example:

“I don’t see what the problem is.” she tossed a braid over her shoulder. “It’s not like she cares anyway.”

This is what this example dialog looks like:

• “Are you sure we should go this weekend?” she pushed the curtain aside, mocking the gray clouds. “it could be a mess out there.”
• “what’s the problem, anyway?” she pulled the sheet from the envelope. “It’s not like you care about her that much.”
• “Let’s go to the moon!” she turned, her pale pink dress rising around her. “we could do it, I know we could.”

Here is a detailed explanation of how you would format this type of dialog:

Variation 2:

With this dialogue format, it’s different because it’s when a character does something while speaking, instead of pausing like in variation 1. The action happens in the middle of a sentence and should be formatted as such.

example:

“I don’t see what”, she flipped a braid over her shoulder, “the big problem is”.

Here are some dialog examples of this format:

• “it’s really”—he ran his hand over his beard—“the most frustrating thing I can think of.”
• “if you’re not going to do it”—she grabbed his face: “At least listen to me, I don’t see the point of trying.”

You can see the proper format for this dialog below:

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You would use this to help build a clearer image and communicate the scene to match how it is in your head.

This is also the case when characters have inner thoughts within their dialogue, as seen in the second example in Variation 2.

dialog example 6: single line being cut

something that happens in real life (sometimes an irritatingly large amount) gets cut off or interrupted when you speak.

this usually happens when someone doesn’t care what you’re talking about or when two people are arguing and end up talking over each other.

example:

“Are you crazy…”

“don’t call me crazy.”

You can see in this example that you place an Em Dash (—) right at the end of the sentence, followed by the quotation marks.

will treat this dialog format like example 1, a single line of dialog.

dialog example 7: dialog tag in the middle of a line

another common type of dialog. this is essentially a mix of a single line with a dialog tag.

example:

“You really shouldn’t have done that,” he mumbled. “That will get you in a lot of trouble.”

Mostly, you will use this type in order to indicate who is talking if there are more than two and in order to keep the focus on the dialogue itself and not the character’s actions.

dialog example 8: dialog paragraphs

There are certain situations that require a single character to speak for a long time. however, grammatically, not everything they say will belong in the same paragraph.

example: single speaker

“It’s not that I don’t think you should have done that. not exactly.

“Actually, I think that might be a great thing for you to do. I’m just worried about what happens next and how it affects everyone else.”

For writing dialogue paragraphs, you want to leave the quotations off the end of the paragraph and begin the next paragraph with them in order to indicate that the same person is just telling a long story.

[note: these dialogue rules apply to American English. other parts of the world may use different dialog formats, including single quotes and more.]

how to create dialogue that is realistic and effective

good dialogue is hard to get right. For something we do and hear every day, knowing what to get your characters to say to move the plot along and add to the intrigue isn’t easy.

but that’s why we’ve broken it down into easy steps to write dialogue for you.

Here are some of the best tips for writing dialogue that feels real but is also effective in moving the story forward.

#1 – say it out loud first

One of the best and easiest ways to see if your dialogue sounds realistic is to read it out loud, especially if you’re writing a genre that would benefit from such an approach.

Hearing what someone is supposed to say (since your readers will imagine you speaking out loud) will allow you to determine if it sounds real or fake.

One thing to keep in mind is that sometimes your dialogue will sound a bit “cheesy” to you. Since written dialogue is a bit different and more purposeful than what we hear in our everyday lives, you may think it sounds a bit dramatic, and that’s okay. it just can’t be unrealistic.

but it’s ok! dialogue should have more “weight” than what you say in real life.

Still, it has to sound like something someone would actually say. if you feel a bit embarrassed or can’t imagine a real person saying it, you may need to edit it a bit.

Ask these questions when you read your dialogue aloud:

1. Would anyone say this in real life?
2. Does it move the plot forward or develop a character?
3. Is it easy to say or tempted? the sentence?
4. do you pause in certain areas where you haven’t written commas? (note: if this happens, put in some commas for readers to interpret as you hear!)

Extra tip for dialogue: Record yourself reading the dialogue with the sound you imagine your characters have and play it back to yourself. this can help you identify which words or phrases sound wrong.

#2 – get rid of small talk

Your readers don’t care what your characters had for dinner last night, unless that dinner was poisoned and is now seeping into their bloodstream, affecting their immediate danger.

talking about the weather or your character’s pet or anything trivial will come across as boring and unnecessary.

this also slows down the pace of the novel.

An exception might be if your characters stall to avoid talking about something important and plot-impacting. when used as a literary device to set the mood or tone of a scene, it is acceptable.

#3: keep it short and punchy

dialogue in books is not meant to be read the way we actually speak, at least not full conversations. if it did, each book would be exceptionally longer, due in part to the fact that humans often say a lot of nonsense.

When it comes to writing dialogue in your book, you want to keep it shorter and more poignant than in real life.

A great way to get to the heart of the dialogue is to cut out anything that doesn’t immediately impact the scene.

a quick “hey, how’s it going?” not necessary unless the other character’s state is vital to the scene. this, however, does not include if your character is meeting someone for the first time, obviously. again, focus on writing the scene in a way that informs the dialogue.

Basically, anything that doesn’t further develop your character, plot, or any subplot should be removed.

#4 – give each character a unique way of speaking

I’m sure you’ve already noticed, but not everyone speaks the same way. we all have a specific “flow” in our sentences and we all have favorite words that we prefer to use.

this is actually a big part of character development in your novel.

for example, maybe people use “perhaps” or “perhaps”, but not often both in equal amounts. this is a very small detail, but it helps a lot to develop the characters and give them their own voice.

Another way to do this is with sentence structure.

Does your character speak in short, breathy sentences? Or do they eloquently describe his point of view in elaborate, wordy sentences that go back and forth with his tone of voice?

Do they use a lot of analogies and metaphors when explaining things or is this character extremely literal and straight to the point?

This difference is very important. your readers should be able to tell the difference between the characters based on their sentences and diction. Ultimately, it all comes down to your skills as an author when it comes to writing styles and your ability to use them to bring your characters to life.

a reasonable exception to this would be couples or close groups of people. that is, if your main character’s best friend talks to them in a similar way, that’s fine. As humans, we subconsciously pick up on the speech patterns of those closest to us, those we talk to regularly (such as when we use similar slang in our group of friends that others may not use).

#5 – add world-appropriate jargon

An important part of dialogue that is often overlooked is jargon.

Even in our own world, new slang develops every day and sometimes the words can seem crazy or even confusing.

Take the term “fleek” for example. this word seems to be a herd of some kind of animal.

but, in fact, it is a word that means “pointed” or “sharp”.

The point is that creating unique lingo for your world can add to the dialogue and give you more insight into the characters using it, not to mention you can effortlessly build your world.

here’s an example of jenna moreci’s lingo, eve: the awakening. this book is set in the near future, so moreci had to come up with some slang for the times:

#6 – be consistent with character voices

It wouldn’t make sense for your character to fail in the way they talk unless they’re talking to someone specific (which we’ll cover in the next tip).

The main idea is that if a character speaks in broken sentences, they should stay that way unless the timing changes to something that calls for something more graceful.

At the same time, you want to make sure your characters use consistent language.

Like the tips in #4, if you use a specific word more often, make sure you use it every time you need to to keep your voice consistent.

#7 – think about who they’re talking to

You don’t speak the same way to everyone.

Your voice and style change depending on who you chat with. For example, you are going to talk to your mom differently than you would talk to your best friend.

While it’s important to be consistent with your character’s style and voice, it’s also crucial to think about who when it comes to their dialogue and adjust accordingly.

#8 – keep long paragraphs of speech to a minimum

People rarely talk for long without interruption. It can be important for your character to say something long, but remember to at least break it up with body language and other means to give your reader a break.

These can seem very long and end up slowing down the pace of your book, which can be great if you use them for this purpose.

One way to break up long paragraphs if one person is talking for a while (such as when telling some kind of story) is to add the body language reactions of the other characters.

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but if you’re trying to move the plot along at a steady pace, avoid long paragraphs of speech.

#9 – cut greetings and goodbyes

greetings are absolutely necessary in real life. in your book? not so much.

Your readers know enough to assume there was some kind of greeting. Also, these aren’t usually core parts of your book, and therefore you don’t need to have them.

An exchange like this will bore your readers to death:

“Hi Charlie!”

“what’s up, buddy?”

“not much, how are you?”

“I’m fine, you know. the same as always, the same as always.”

“oh, I feel you. something new in your world?”

“not really, to tell you the truth.”

cutting them will help speed up your pace and keep the dialogue going with the information you need to talk about.

#10 – show who your character is

One of the best methods of character development is dialogue.

Think about it: how do we learn about new people when we meet them? through what they say.

You could meet someone completely new, and based on the exchange, you actually learn a lot about who they are and how they function in life.

You find out if they’re shy, bold, outspoken, or kind-hearted and soft-spoken.

Your dialogue should do the same for your characters.

here is an example of what this would look like:

This example shows you what the character looks like in a specific situation, and therefore we gather data about what she is like.

on the one hand, she’s shy; it is noticeable that he avoids eye contact even while speaking.

Common dialog mistakes to avoid

we all make mistakes. but if you want to become a published author (or just write a great book), you can’t do these important things within your book’s dialog.

#1 – use the person’s name repeatedly

It’s tempting to have your characters call each other by name often. however, that’s not how we talk in real life.

Unless we’re trying to get your attention or emphasize (or warn!) a point, we don’t say your name.

#2 – download information via dialog

It’s perfectly fine for some characters to explain certain elements that your readers won’t understand. however, it gets very boring and unrealistic when that’s all they do.

Your world should gradually reveal itself to the reader by showing it and not telling it.

In the case of dialogue, this construction of the world is all “saying” and not showing. and this works sometimes, especially if a character is telling another character about something she doesn’t already know.

Just keep this to a minimum and use other world creation methods to show your readers the world you’ve created.

#3 – avoid repetitive dialog tags

There is nothing as annoying as reading dialog tags over and over… and over again.

It’s a sure way to bore readers and make them want to put the book down with no plans to pick it up anytime soon.

#4 – avoid repetitive dialog styles

this means that if you have the same dialog format for a few lines, you should change it because otherwise it will be very boring for your readers.

you can see in the previous point, using only dialog tags at the end is very boring. the same applies for other repeated types as well.

for example, read each of these and you should get an idea of ​​the monotony you want to avoid within repeated formats.

bad dialog example 1: dialog tags on front

  spoke. “You are one of the weirdest people I know.”

  she replied, “is that necessarily a bad thing?”

   smiled. “I didn’t say it was a bad thing at all.”

  she laughed. “fine”.

bad dialog example 2: action inside the dialog

  “I’m just not sure”—she grabbed a handful of seeds—“that you’re taking this seriously.”

   “what?” she weaved through the overgrown plants, pushing them aside. “why do you think that?”

   “because you…” he dipped his finger into the pot of soil “you just ignore the important stuff unless it’s important only to you.”

  “that’s ridiculous”. she stretched her neck around a calla lily. “That’s not true.”

Bad dialog example 3: tags in the middle

  “I really wish you would talk to me,” Ada said. “This silent treatment is not helping anyone.”

  “It’s helping me,” he said. “or does that not matter to you?”

  “Of course I care,” she replied. “it’s just not solving the problem.”

  “I don’t think anything can solve this problem,” he muttered. “its permanent”.

How to fix this: Whenever you’re writing dialog, change the type of formatting you use to make it look and sound better. the more enjoyable it is to read, the more readers will engage.

An exception is when you have two characters that come and go very quickly. in this case, only a few lines of dialog are accepted, no tags or anything.

correction dialog example: variation is key

  “I’m just not sure”—she grabbed a handful of seeds—“that you’re taking this seriously.”

   it snaked through the overgrown plants, pushing them aside. “why do you think that?”

   “because… you just ignore important things unless they’re important only to you.”

  “that’s ridiculous”.

   “no”. she dug her finger into the pot of soil, dropping a few seeds. “It’s true.”

As with everything that has rules, there are always exceptions.

The most important part of these rules is knowing them.

Once you know the rules and why they’re there, you can break on purpose, rather than by accident.

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