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How to Write Dialogue

In real life, people talk to each other, so characters in stories should talk to each other as well. Dialogue in stories should sound realistic but should not be copied directly from real life. Story conversations should distill and imitate real life conversations. Resources on this page will help you learn to write good dialogue.

I’m always finding new great resources and adding them, so this page will grow. Come back often to see what’s new!

Dialogue Pitfalls

The Use and Abuse of Dialogue Tags

Fiction Writing Tips: Writing Dynamic Dialogue

Punctuation in Dialogue

Creating Dynamic Dialogue

How Characters Talk

Using Foreign Words in Your Fiction

Punctuating Dialogue

How is Dialogue Punctuated?