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Why It Matters
Good dialogue brings characters to life and breaks up description. Examiners look for correctly punctuated speech that sounds natural and reveals character — not just what is said, but how.
Examples
“"We need to leave," she whispered, her eyes fixed on the door. "Now."”
-- Action with speechWeak vs Strong Comparisons
“"Hello," said Tom. "Hello," said Sarah. "How are you?" said Tom. "Fine," said Sarah.”
“"You came." Tom's voice cracked. Sarah said nothing. She didn't need to — her smile said everything.”
Rules: new speaker = new line. Punctuation goes inside the speech marks. Don't overuse "said" — but don't replace every "said" with an exotic alternative either. "Whispered", "muttered", "shouted" are fine. "Ejaculated" and "exclaimed" are too much. Mix speech with action and thought.
Practice Exercises
Try these exercises to practise using effective dialogue in your own writing. Click "Show Suggestions" to see example answers.
1
Write a short dialogue (3-4 lines) between two characters who are arguing, using action between the speech.
"You promised." Her voice was low, controlled, but I could see her hands shaking. "I know." I stared at the floor. "I know I did." She turned away. The door clicked shut behind her — not a slam, which somehow made it worse.
2
Write a line of dialogue that reveals a character is nervous without using the word "nervous".
"I'm fine," she said, too quickly, her fingers twisting the hem of her sleeve into a tight spiral.
"Ready?" He swallowed hard. "Absolutely. Completely. Totally ready." He was not ready.