How can you use dialogue to show rather than tell in your story?

1 Crafting Voices

When you give your characters distinct voices, you're showing your audience who they are, not just telling them. Imagine a scene where a manager speaks in short, clipped sentences while an employee responds with long-winded explanations. Immediately, you get a sense of their personalities and their dynamic. This is showing at its best. By paying attention to how each character speaks, you can convey their background, education level, and even their current mood without explicitly describing these attributes.

2 Revealing Context

Dialogue can also reveal context subtly. Instead of stating that a meeting is tense, have a character's dialogue interrupted by another, or include a shaky voice to imply nervousness. A character sighing or laughing before responding can show their attitude towards the situation. Through these cues, you're allowing your audience to infer the underlying tensions or moods at play, which can be much more impactful than simply stating the facts.

3 Emotion Through Words

Emotions can be shown through what characters say and how they say it. If a character slams their hand on the table and says, "This is the last straw!" you don't need to tell your audience they're angry; the dialogue does it for you. By choosing the right words and actions to accompany them, you can convey a range of emotions, from excitement to despair, without ever having to explicitly label them.

4 Subtext in Dialogue

Subtext is what's not said but is still communicated. It's a powerful tool in dialogue. If an employee says, "I'll get it done, no problem," but hesitates or avoids eye contact, the subtext suggests they're not confident. You've shown there's more to the situation than meets the eye. Learning to write dialogue with subtext can add layers of meaning to your communications and engage your audience on a deeper level.

5 Character Development

Dialogue is a dynamic way to develop characters over time. As a character's language evolves throughout a story, you can show their growth, changes in perspective, or shifts in relationships. For instance, an initially timid character may start using more assertive language as they gain confidence. This progression can be much more compelling than simply stating that the character has become more self-assured.

6 Consistent Authenticity

Lastly, ensuring that your dialogue remains consistent and authentic is crucial for maintaining credibility in your story. If a character suddenly starts speaking in a way that's out of character without explanation, it can jolt your audience out of the story. Keep your characters' voices true to themselves while allowing for natural development, and your audience will stay engaged and believe in the world you've created through your dialogue.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?