How to Write Authentic Dialogue That Reveals Character and Advances Plot

You write a conversation between two characters. They take neat turns speaking complete, grammatically perfect sentences. They explain exactly what they mean with no ambiguity. It reads like a script, not like humans talking. Real people interrupt, talk over each other, leave thoughts incomplete, and rarely say exactly what they mean.

Authentic dialogue isn't realistic dialogue—real speech is full of ums, uhs, and boring tangents that would bore readers. Authentic dialogue feels real while being more purposeful and interesting than actual conversation. It advances plot, reveals character, creates tension through what's unsaid, and sounds natural when read aloud.

This guide shows you how to write dialogue that feels authentic. You'll learn subtext versus on-the-nose lines, creating character-specific speech rhythms and vocabulary, balancing dialogue with narration, avoiding exposition dumps disguised as conversation, using the read-aloud test for natural flow, and analyzing examples from dialogue-heavy masterpieces like The Great Gatsby, Elmore Leonard, and Aaron Sorkin's scripts.

Subtext vs. On-the-Nose Lines

Characters who always say exactly what they mean are boring and unrealistic. People hide, deflect, and communicate indirectly—especially about things that matter most.

What On-the-Nose Sounds Like

ON-THE-NOSE:
"'I love you but I'm afraid of commitment because my parents divorced when I was young, so I push people away whenever we get close.' 'I understand. I also have trust issues because my ex-boyfriend cheated on me. Maybe we can work through our issues together.' 'Yes, let's do that. Communication is important in relationships.'"

This is therapy dialogue. People don't talk like this. They don't diagnose themselves mid-conversation or explicitly state their psychological patterns. It's information dump disguised as conversation.

What Subtext Sounds Like

SUBTEXT:
"'Stay.' The word came out before she could stop it. He was already at the door, keys in hand. 'I should go.' 'You always should go.' She meant to sound casual. Didn't work. 'Every time things get... just go.' 'That's not fair.' 'Isn't it?' She turned away, arms crossed. 'Forget it. You're right. You should go.'

'Sarah—' 'I'm tired. Just... go.'"

What's actually being communicated:
• She's afraid he'll leave permanently (like others have)
• He's scared of commitment, uses "should go" as escape
• She knows his pattern, expects it, preparing for hurt
• He feels guilty but still leaves
• Neither says "I'm afraid" or "I love you" but both are present

This is real conversation—saying one thing, meaning another, both aware of the subtext but unable to address it directly.

Creating Subtext

Technique 1: Say the opposite of what you mean

Means: "I'm hurt."
Says: "I'm fine. Everything's fine."

Readers understand the false bravado, especially when paired with contradicting action or narration.

Technique 2: Deflect with humor

Question: "Are you scared?"
Answer: "Scared? Me? I laugh in the face of danger. Ha. Ha."

The forced humor reveals the fear underneath.

Technique 3: Change the subject

Question: "Did you love her?"
Response: "You hungry? I'm starving. Let's get food."

The avoidance answers the question (yes, and it still hurts too much to discuss).

Technique 4: Answer with a question

Question: "Are you going to leave?"
Response: "Do you want me to leave?"

This shifts responsibility and reveals their uncertainty or desire to stay.

Technique 5: Partial truth

Full truth: "I was meeting my ex and questioning our relationship."
What they say: "I had some errands to run."

Technically true (meeting someone is an errand) but omits the important part. The lie-by-omission can be revealed later for conflict.

Character-Specific Speech Patterns

Every character should have distinct voice. Readers should be able to identify who's speaking even without dialogue tags.

Voice Differentiation Strategies

Vocabulary Choices

Character A (Educated): "That's an intriguing perspective."
Character B (Casual): "Huh. Never thought of it that way."
Character C (Street): "That's real talk."

Same meaning, different vocabulary levels and cultural contexts.

Sentence Length and Complexity

Character A (Intellectual): "The issue, as I see it, is that we're approaching this from fundamentally incompatible frameworks, which suggests we need to establish common ground before we can even begin to address the substantive questions."

Character B (Direct): "We're not even speaking the same language here. Let's start over."

Both say "we need to start over," but rhythm and complexity differ dramatically.

Contraction Usage

Character A (Formal): "I cannot believe you did not tell me."
Character B (Casual): "Can't believe you didn't tell me."

Formal speakers avoid contractions. Casual speakers use them constantly. This small difference creates distinct voices.

Verbal Tics and Repeated Phrases

Give each character 2-3 go-to phrases they use repeatedly:

Character A always starts with: "Look," or "Listen,"
Character B says "you know?" at end of sentences
Character C uses "right?" to seek agreement
Character D says "To be honest" before uncomfortable truths

These tics make voices recognizable without being cartoonish. Use sparingly—once every 5-10 lines of their dialogue.

Age-Appropriate Voice

Different ages speak differently:

Children (5-10):
• Simple vocabulary
• Concrete thinking
• Questions everything
• Emotional directness

Example: "'Why is Mommy crying?' 'Is she sad?' 'Can I make her not sad?'"

Teens (13-17):
• Current slang (but don't overdo it—ages poorly)
• Extreme emotions
• Push back against authority
• Identity formation

Example: "'Whatever. It's not like anyone cares what I think anyway.' She scrolled her phone aggressively."

Adults (20-60):
• Wide range depending on education, class, personality
• More measured emotions (in public)
• Experience informs speech

Elderly (60+):
• Sometimes more direct (less to lose)
• References to past
• Might be more formal speech patterns
• Wisdom or bitterness depending on character

Example: "'In my day, we didn't text our problems. We sat across a table and talked.' She sipped her tea. 'Course, we also got divorced at the same rate you kids do, so maybe I'm full of it.'"

Dialogue vs. Narration Balance

Too much dialogue feels like a screenplay. Too much narration feels distant. The balance depends on genre and scene purpose.

High-Dialogue Scenes

Use when:
• Character conflict is the focus
• Quick pacing needed
• Multiple characters present
• Tension through verbal sparring
• Personality reveal through speech

Example: Argument scenes, interrogations, rapid-fire banter, group discussions.

In these scenes, minimize narration to action beats and essential internal thoughts. Let dialogue dominate.

Balanced Dialogue-Narration

Use when:
• Information exchange with emotional undercurrent
• Building intimacy
• Internal reaction matters as much as what's said
• Physical setting important to mood

Example structure:

"'How long have you known?' she asked.

He turned the glass in his hands, watching the liquid swirl. Three months. He'd known for three months and said nothing. 'Does it matter?'

'Of course it matters.'

'Why?' He finally met her eyes. 'Would it have changed anything?'

She wanted to say yes. The truth was probably no. 'You should have told me.'

'I know.' The first honest thing he'd said all night."

Dialogue alternates with internal thought and physical action. Reader gets full picture—what's said, what's thought, what's done.

Low-Dialogue Scenes

Use when:
• Internal experience is primary
• Character is alone
• Atmosphere and mood are focus
• Action requires description

Example: Introspective moments, solo action sequences, descriptive passages.

Pacing Through Dialogue

Speed up with dialogue: Short exchanges, minimal attribution, few action beats.

"'Run.' 'What?' 'Run!' He ran."

Slow down with narration: Longer attribution, more internal thought between lines, detailed action beats.

"'Run,' she whispered. The word barely carried over the wind. She grabbed his arm, fingers digging in, and pulled him toward the trees. For a moment he stood frozen, not understanding. Then he heard it too—footsteps, multiple sets, coming fast. His body moved before his brain caught up. They ran."

Avoiding Exposition Dumps

The most common dialogue mistake: characters explaining things to each other that they already know, solely to inform readers.

What Exposition Dialogue Looks Like

BAD:
"'As you know, Sarah, quantum entanglement allows particles to remain connected regardless of distance. That's why when we manipulate particle A here in the lab, particle B on the satellite reacts instantaneously. This technology has been in development for five years since our initial breakthrough, and as the lead scientist you of course remember how we almost gave up in year three...'"

No one talks like this. Sarah knows all this—she's the lead scientist. This is author explaining quantum entanglement to readers through forced dialogue.

How to Convey Information Naturally

Technique 1: One character doesn't know

Introduce intern, new team member, outsider who needs explanation. Now exposition becomes natural dialogue as expert explains to novice.

"'Entanglement?' the intern asked. Sarah pulled up the visualization. 'See these two particles? Connected. Change one, the other changes instantly. Distance doesn't matter. We've tested it from here to the satellite—3,000 miles. Still instant.' 'So... faster than light?' 'Technically, no information is transferred, so relativity isn't violated. But for our purposes? Yeah, basically magic.'"

Technique 2: Argument reveals information

Disagreement naturally brings up background:

"'This is too risky,' Marcus said. 'We tested it fifty times—' 'In the lab. You want to test it in space with a billion-dollar satellite?' 'The entanglement is stable. We have five years of data.' 'And three years ago you almost shut down the project because the connection kept breaking.' 'That was before we solved the decoherence problem.'"

Through argument, readers learn: they tested 50 times, it's going on a satellite, there was a three-year problem that's been solved. Natural information reveal through conflict.

Technique 3: Show, don't explain

Don't have characters explain how things work. Show them using it:

Instead of: "'The quantum phone works by using entangled particles to transmit data instantaneously.'" Show: "Sarah pressed the button. On the satellite, 3,000 miles away, the indicator light turned green. No delay. No lag. She smiled. 'It works.'"

Readers infer how it works from watching it function.

The "As You Know" Test

If a sentence starts with "As you know," it's exposition. Characters don't preface things with "as you know"—they already know. Cut it or find better delivery method.

The Read-Aloud Test

The single best way to catch unnatural dialogue: read it aloud. If you trip over words, if it sounds stiff, if you feel embarrassed saying it—it needs revision.

What to Listen For

Awkward phrasing: "'I am going to be leaving now'" sounds written. "'I should go'" or "'I'm leaving'" sounds spoken.

Too-perfect grammar: Real people use fragments. "'Cannot believe you said that'" sounds stiff. "'Can't believe you said that'" sounds real.

Unnatural information: If you wouldn't say it to someone in real conversation, characters probably wouldn't either.

Missing rhythm: Good dialogue has rhythm—short and long sentences mixed, pauses, interruptions. If it's all same length, it sounds monotonous.

Reading for Different Characters

When reading aloud, try to speak as each character would:

• Formal character: Read with slight stiffness, complete sentences
• Casual character: Read fast, relaxed, drop some final letters
• Nervous character: Read with hesitations, trailing off
• Angry character: Read clipped, hard consonants

If you can't make characters sound different while reading aloud, they don't have distinct voices yet.

The Embarrassment Check

If you feel silly reading dialogue aloud, it's probably too dramatic, too exposition-heavy, or too on-the-nose. Real conversation shouldn't make you cringe.

Exception: Dramatic readings are naturally more performative. But even genre fiction dialogue should feel sayable, not written.

Examples from Dialogue-Heavy Masterpieces

The Great Gatsby - Fitzgerald's Subtext

EXAMPLE:
"'I love you now—isn't that enough? I can't help what's past.' She began to sob helplessly. 'I did love him once—but I loved you too.'
'You loved me too?' Gatsby repeated."

Analysis: Daisy's words say one thing ("I love you now"). Gatsby's repetition of "too" shows he heard the real message: she loved Tom AND him, which means she loved Gatsby less than he loved her. The heartbreak is in what's not said—that "too" reveals the inequality in their feelings. Fitzgerald shows Gatsby's devastation through what he chooses to repeat, not through explaining it.

Elmore Leonard - Natural, Stripped-Down Dialogue

Leonard's rule: Never use a verb other than "said" for attribution.

EXAMPLE from Out of Sight:
"'You think you're pretty cool, don't you?'
'I'm giving it a shot,' Foley said."

Analysis: Minimal attribution. No adverbs. Personality shows through word choice and rhythm. Foley's confidence apparent in casual response. Leonard trusted readers to hear tone without being told "he said confidently."

Aaron Sorkin - Fast, Overlapping, Smart

Sorkin's dialogue (The West Wing, The Social Network) features rapid exchanges and intelligent characters talking over each other.

EXAMPLE style:
"'The data suggests—'
'The data's wrong.' 'You haven't seen the data.' 'Don't need to. Your methodology is—' 'My methodology? You didn't even run the—' 'I ran them. Got different results. Want to know why?' 'Not particularly.' 'Because you forgot to account for—' 'I didn't forget anything.'"

Analysis: Characters interrupt constantly, nobody finishes thoughts, rapid back-and-forth creates energy. This works for smart, competitive characters in high-stakes situations. Wouldn't work for slow, contemplative literary fiction. Match style to genre and characters.

Common Dialogue Mistakes

Every character sounds the same. If you can swap character names without changing dialogue style, voices aren't distinct. Give each character specific vocabulary, sentence structure, and verbal tics.

Too many dialogue tags with adverbs. "'I hate you,' she said angrily." The dialogue already shows anger. Trust it. Cut "angrily." If you need the adverb, the dialogue isn't strong enough.

Perfect turn-taking. Real people interrupt, talk over each other, don't wait for complete sentences. Add overlaps and interruptions.

Overwritten dialect. "'Ah dinnae ken whit ye mean'" is hard to read. Suggest accent through word choice and rhythm, mention it in narration, don't phonetically spell everything.

On-the-nose emotions. Characters stating exactly what they feel and why. Add subtext—people hide, deflect, lie about feelings.

Historical characters speaking modern. Period pieces need appropriate vocabulary and formality. Research how people actually spoke in that era (read primary sources, not just historical fiction).

Key Takeaways

Subtext creates authentic dialogue by having characters say one thing while meaning another. Use opposite statements, humor deflection, topic changes, answering questions with questions, and partial truths. People rarely state emotions directly—they hide, especially about things that matter most. Subtext lets readers infer deeper meaning.

Character-specific speech patterns differentiate voices through vocabulary (educated vs. casual vs. street), sentence structure (complex vs. simple vs. fragments), contraction usage (formal speakers avoid, casual use constantly), and verbal tics (repeated phrases, filler words). Readers should identify speakers without tags.

Balance dialogue with narration based on scene purpose. High-dialogue for conflict and quick pacing. Balanced for information exchange with emotional undercurrent. Low-dialogue for internal experiences and atmosphere. Use dialogue to speed up, narration to slow down.

Avoid exposition dumps where characters explain things both already know. Fix by introducing someone who doesn't know (natural explanation), using argument to reveal information (conflict-driven), or showing through action instead of explaining. Cut all "as you know" dialogue.

Read-aloud test catches unnatural dialogue. Listen for awkward phrasing, too-perfect grammar, unnatural information exchange, missing rhythm, and undifferentiated voices. If you feel embarrassed reading it aloud, readers will feel embarrassed reading it silently.

Dialogue-heavy masterpieces demonstrate technique—Fitzgerald uses subtext and meaningful repetition ("too" reveals everything). Leonard uses minimal attribution and stripped-down natural speech. Sorkin uses interruptions and overlapping smart characters. Match dialogue style to genre, characters, and story needs.