Dialogue & voice
Writing dialogue, narrative voice, and prose style
FeaturedGuide
What does "voice" mean in fiction writing?
Voice gets called personality, style, or talent, and it's none of those. Here's what the word actually means on the page, with two versions of one sentence to prove it.4 min read
Guide
How to punctuate dialogue correctly
Comma or period, tag or action beat: dialogue punctuation follows fixed rules most writers never learn properly, and readers notice the mistakes on sight.5 min read
Guide
Dialogue that reveals character instead of just relaying information
Most dialogue fails because it's doing a job the plot should be doing. Here's how to make every line of speech carry the character instead of carrying cargo.5 min read
Guide
How to write dialogue that doesn't sound stilted
Stilted dialogue has a specific, fixable cause. Here's how to cut the greetings, drop the names, and let subtext do the work that real conversations already do.4 min read
Craft
Subtext: what characters don't say
On-the-nose dialogue states the truth outright, and readers stop believing it. Here's how to write characters who talk around what they mean, with a before and after example.4 min read
Craft
Your dialogue tags are hurting your prose
Most writers over-tag dialogue out of anxiety, not necessity. Here's how to cut the "he said, she asked" clutter and let voice and action carry the scene.4 min read
Guide
What is deep POV, and how to write it
Deep POV means writing third person so close to a character's mind that filter words like she felt disappear, replaced by the character's own voice on the page.5 min read
Guide
How to write dialogue that sounds real
Real dialogue isn't transcribed speech, it's engineered speech. Here's what to cut, what to leave in, and why your characters keep sounding like the same person.5 min read