10 Dialog Mistakes That Make You Look Like An Amateur

Incorrect Punctuation

Whether you decide to go with single or double quotation marks, italics or space breaks, the key is to be consistent! Don’t confuse your reader with creative uses of punctuation halfway through your novel. Keep it simple, and don’t distract from the narrative!

Unneccessary Conversations

This is similar to the Small Talk rule, but in this case, it may be more difficult to rule out unimportant conversations. This type of dialog may be fun and quippy, but ultimately don’t add to the story or the characters. As a general rule of thumb, ask yourself: Does this conversation create friction or tensions? Does this conversation add important information about the plot or character? If not, leave it out. You’ve all heard the rule, “Sometimes you have to kill your babies.” Some dialog might need to die!

Too Much Talk

As Stanley from The Office says, “Sometimes [people] say more in their pauses than they say in their words. Let’s really listen to the pauses.” In all seriousness though, when writing dialog, sometimes a well-placed pause speaks louder than a monologue. Use this technique sparingly to make it more effective.