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12 Tips to Writing Believable Dialogue in Romance Novels
June 18, 2024 in Blog, Writing Romance
On the surface, writing dialogue should be an easy aspect of writing romance fiction. After all, we know how to talk, right?
However, writing good, effective dialogue involves more than writing a conversation between characters. Like all other elements of your story, it needs to serve a purpose. It also should sound believable, while at the same time be coherent.
What is the point of dialogue in fiction?
Romance novels tell of people who meet, fall in love, struggle to overcome obstacles, and finally find their HEA. For that to happen, they need to talk to each other from time to time. But dialogue is so much more than a conversation.
1. Dialogue is action. It can create conflict and tension, and helps drive the story plot forward.
2. Dialogue reveals character. How characters talk and what they say reflect their past and present. It speaks to where and how they grew up, what they believe, their goals, fears, etc.
3. Dialogue delivers information. Note that the information delivered may not always be accurate. The speaking character may be unreliable, deceptive, or intentionally vague.
4. Dialogue supports the setting. How characters talk and what they talk about helps establish the setting, including time and place, social norms, locations, etc. For example, the characters in a regency era palace setting up an arranged marriage will converse differently than the characters in a modern day office environment setting up a fake relationship.
12 Tips to Writing Great Dialogue
Now that you know the point of dialogue, how do you write it so that it serves your romance story? Here are 12 tips:
1) Determine the purpose of the conversation
You want to avoid having people talk simply for the sake of conversing or break up long narrative. I’ve read manuscripts in which there are conversations (and actions) that don’t serve any purpose. Often this happens because the writer is simply trying to get from one point in time to another. But readers don’t need an account of every second of every day. For example, when characters are introduced, you don’t have to go through the entire process of the introduction and small talk. You can write that as exposition (it’s one time when telling is better than showing).
Instead, dialogue should serve the purpose of the scene. If you’re writing the inciting event, dialogue should support the decision the characters are making in that moment.
Dialogue can also reveal something about the character. In Pride and Prejudice, there is a scene at Lady Catherine’s home where Darcy tells Elizabeth that he’s not very good in social situations. To me, that line tells us all we need to understand Darcy—he’s shy and has social anxiety. Her response, he should practice more, tells us about her irreverent personality.
2. Write how people talk.
In high school English, you’re taught not to use contractions and instead to write formally. But people don’t talk formally (unless they do in your setting or genre). They use contractions, pause, hem and haw, and use slang.
Dialogue should reflect the reality of where your character is from (place and time), their mood, and age. For example, an angry person might be loud or terse. Or, depending on the character, withdrawn. Children and teenagers speak differently than adults.
BONUS TIP: Your characters should also think how they talk. If you have inner dialogue, it should reflect how they speak.
3. Don’t write EXACTLY how people talk.
Yes, I understand this contradicts #2, but your goal is to be realistic without slowing down the story or annoying your reader. Adding “uh,” “well,” “um,” that people use in real life is difficult to read.
For example, compare:
“Well, I… ah…I guess maybe…ah…maybe I should go.”
Versus
“I guess maybe I should go.”
Both express hesitancy or uncertainty, which is your goal. There’s no reason to use eleven words if six will do.
When adding pauses (ahs and ums), use them for effect instead of in the course of a regular conversation.
4. Don’t write monologues.
Long-winded characters detract and can pull readers out of the story. In many cases, characters talk too much for too long to provide information. While information dumps aren’t necessarily bad, they don’t work as a single long-monologue.
Instead, break up the monologue with a conversation or action. How does the other person respond to the information? Let person two ask questions or have the speaker (if it’s their POV) consider the reaction of the listener, or vise versa (if it’s the listener’s pov, have them think about the speaker).
Finally, consider that many times less is more. One of my pet peeves in romances is that at the end of the story, one or both of the protagonists gush out all their feelings, which feels out of character to me. They’ve spent the entire book keeping their feelings to themselves and suddenly the words flow like a tidal wave.
While they certainly need to express their feelings, they don’t need to be long-winded. They’re still the same people. Love doesn’t automatically make someone gush with sentiment.
Characters might need to push themselves to reveal feelings, but they still must do it within the constraints of their normal ways of behaving.
5. Skip the pleasantries.
I mentioned this above, but it’s worth mentioning again (I just read two books that did this). You’re told to show, not tell in writing, but sometimes you want to tell to skip unimportant or boring stuff. For example, when two people meet, you can skip the “Hi, how are you?” “Nice to meet you,” etc, unless it serves a purpose beyond an introduction. For example, if the couple is being introduced and the night before they had a one-night stand, you might have an introduction with hellos and nice to meet yous, but there will be subtext of discomfort or surprise or worry.
6. Limit dialogue tags.
Reducing dialogue tags (e.g. he said) is one of the easiest ways to beef up the quality of your writing. By limit, I suggest you avoid them as much as possible. It can be difficult if there are more than two people in the conversation, but dialogue tags pull readers out of the story because dialogues are telling. Instead, use action or description to identify who’s speaking.
For example:
“I hate you, Sam,” June said angrily.
“Really?” Sam asked in surprise.
Versus
“I hate you.” June’s hands fisted at her sides.
“Really?” Sam’s brows lifted.
June’s fisted hands suggest anger, and Sam’s raised brows show surprise. Now, instead of being told how June and Sam are feeling, we can “see” it and feel it.
Many authors use a dialogue tag with action, in which case, you can remove the tag. For example:
“I hate you, Sam,” June said, as she threw her glass at him.
Versus
“I hate you, Sam!” June threw her glass at him.
If you do use dialogue tags, stick with “said.” Occasionally you can use similar tags to “asked,” “yelled,” or “muttered,” but avoid getting too creative. Avoid tags like opined, retorted, etc.
Here is an interesting article on dialogue tags from Jane Friedman’s blog. The author of the article points out an important trouble spot for many authors is using dialogue tag that aren’t acts of speech. For example, “smiled,” “laughed,” “sneered.” Romance authors in particular use these types of tags, usually in the form of breath or sighs. I suspect most readers are okay with that, but for tighter prose that shows instead of tells, you can rewrite those sentences so that these words are illustrative instead of telling.
7. Be careful when using dialect.
I love books set in Louisiana. I enjoy the cajun language, culture, history, etc. However, when all cajun dialogue is written phonetically, I find it difficult to read. It’s like reading old English. You have to slow down and try to figure out what the words mean.
My series, Southern Heat, takes place in the south and part of what creates the setting is how people talk. However, I don’t drop every -g from -ing words (e.g. fixin’). Choice of words and sentence organization can go a long way to convey a character’s dialect without having the reader sound out the words.
Yes, in the south, y’all and bless your heart are common phrases, but there are other expressions or turns of phrases that differ from other parts of the country that can highlight the southern dialect without phonetically writing. For example, in the south we “cut on” (or off) the lights versus turn on/off. We cut the grass, not mow it. I have a friend from New York who says she stands “on line” (like in a queue) whereas I’d say “in line.” Some areas of the country say “soda” while others say “pop”.
8. Give characters distinct voices.
There’s a writer in my critique group that has a very distinctive writing voice. When he writes, though, nearly all his characters have that same voice (his voice), which makes them blend together.
As I mentioned above, dialogue can reveal character. The words they choose and how they talk tells the reader about the person. This can include dialect and slang, but also tone and pace. The strong silent type says a lot in a few words. A babbler uses a lot of words to say very little.
9. Speak without speaking
I’ve already mentioned limiting dialogue tags and using action to identify the speaker. However, sometimes no words are needed. One of my favorite books is Persuasion by Jane Austen. During the course of the book, Captain Wentworth, still hurt from Anne’s rejection years before, hardly acknowledges her, much less talks to her, and yet, during the story, we slowly see him rekindling his feelings towards her. Glances, gestures, and other non-verbal cues can say as much, if not more, than words.
One way to get a sense of this is watching movies. In Forest Gump, when he learns he’s a father, the expression on his face reveals everything going on inside him emotionally. Awe. Surprise. Concern. Tom Hanks won the Oscar in that moment (in my opinion).
The challenge for writers is to convey all that with words so that readers can see and feel it.
10. Balance dialogue with narrative.
An author recently shared with me that they found the dialogue in a book they were reading exhausting. While all readers differ in their experiences of books, it is important to remember that dialogue is action and sometimes readers need a break. You’re not writing a screenplay, so you want to break up dialogue with narrative. It can be action (e.g. taking a sip of their drink) or a thought. It could be an awkward silence or interruption.
Sure there are times when banter or rapid-fire dialogue is needed, but there’s a limit at which readers also need a moment to catch their breath.
11. Fit dialogue with the tone/mood of your book.
If you’re writing a sweet romance, there shouldn’t be swear words. And, if appropriate for your book, be purposeful in your use of swear words. Too much and it could get annoying.
If your book is a romcom, there should be a light tone and lots of banter. A dark romance can have banter too, but the overall tone of the book will be foreboding.
12. Read your dialogue out loud.
Saying your dialogue out loud will help you hear how your character sounds. If you stumble while reading it or it sounds awkward, then you know it’s not quite right. In fact, consider dictating for the most realistic sounding dialogue.
Do you have other tips for writing great dialogue in romance fiction? Share it in the comments below.
Easy Steps for Cutting Words from Your Romance Novel
It’s a feat to write a book. But once you’ve completed your first draft, it’s time to revise and edit. A part of that process is figuring what words need to go.
Stephen King suggests cutting 10% from your writing. But you’re not cutting any words. Your goal is to remove what’s not needed without losing the story’s heart. Think of it like spring cleaning; you want to declutter so you have a tidy, yet still inviting home.
Why Cutting Words is Necessary
There are several reasons why words should be cut, including:
- They take the oomph out of your writing.
- They slow down the story’s pacing.
- They confuse the point or cause readers to miss important information.
- They don’t add to character or story development.
How Many Words Do You Need to Cut?
The short answer is that you need to cut as many as needed to fix the problems listed above. If your goal is a traditional book deal though, you’ll need to cut (or add) to fit within standard publishers’ guidelines.
Harlequin has very specific word counts for each of its lines. Most other publishers aren’t quite as rigid, but you still need to be aware of they’re looking for. With paper costs skyrocketing, it’s difficult to sell a contemporary 90,000+ word romance unless you’re Lucy Score or any of the other indie authors who have amassed a huge following.
Typical romance book word counts:
- Contemporary Romance (includes rom-com & new adult): 65,000 to 80,000 words (maybe 90,000)
- Romantasy: 90,000 to 150,000 words
- Romantic Suspense: 70,000 to 80,000 words (maybe 90,000)
- Historical Romance: 55,000 to 80,000 words
If you’re a first-time author wanting an agent and/or traditional book deal, you’ll want to stick within these word counts. If you’re an indie published author, you have more leeway to write shorter or longer. With that said, because word count can impact the reader experience, don’t dismiss the importance of cutting words.
Keep in mind that an 80,000 word book is approximately 320 pages long. If you go too much over that, readers that see chunky books as being too time consuming may pass on it.
Macro vs Micro Cuts
When you start cutting words, look at it from two angles; macro cuts and micro cuts.
Macro cuts are big deletions. These are edits done at the content level looking at character and plot development. You might remove whole scenes or chapters that don’t move the story forward.
Micro cuts, on the other hand, involve polishing the details. These are smaller word-deletions to tighten and strengthen the prose, such as removing filler words.
Macro Word Cutting
When you’ve finished your first draft, your next step is revision, in which you go through your manuscript, fleshing out the areas that need more, and cutting the bits that don’t serve the story or slow it down. Sometimes it might seem obvious what needs to go. In Come to Me, I cut the first two chapters. They were well written and interesting, but they put off the meet cute. Since the book is a romance, I decided I needed to get the couple on the same page sooner…in chapter one. I was able to repurpose some of the information in the chapters, but the rest was deleted.
Cutting entire chapters or scenes isn’t for the faint of heart, especially if you love what you wrote. Deleting prose is referred to as “killing your darlings” and a necessary part of crafting a great novel.
Cutting Scenes
Sometimes you have to get into the weeds to figure out what’s not working and needs to be eliminated from your story. One of the easiest ways to do this is to make sure all your scenes have a purpose. Here is a checklist I like to use when I evaluate scenes of my books. Note this checklist is part of the Revision Checklist free to Write with Harte Members. You need to be logged in to access it. Not a member? Join here for free.
All scenes should have at least one of the following:
Plot purpose
Character goal
Action to advance plot
Action to increase tension
They should have at least two of the following:
Character development
Cause for character conflict
Effect of character conflict
Raised stakes
Reinforcement of stakes
Character motivation
Bonus
The following list isn’t necessary for every scene, but they can be used to enhance the scene. NOTE: The list below enhances the above scene elements. Scenes should not be made up of only of any of these items (e.g. the scene shouldn’t be only backstory).
Character backstory
World building
Tone/mood
Theme
Foreshadowing
Work from the Middle
There are two reasons, in my opinion, that books slump in the middle act. One is that the second act is the largest (half the book). But another is that the opening chapters (act 1) often have the most rigorous revision. As you work through the book, you tire. Your attention to detail wanes. You let things go that you edited/revised in the first act. For that reason, consider starting your revision from the middle.
Some writers suggest starting at the end, and working backwards. This can work too.
Micro Word Cutting
When I first started writing, this type of cutting was the most tedious. I had to search each element or word to revise or cut, which took a long time. I had a list of 16 words or so and each one needed to be searched, evaluated, then cut or saved. At one point, I had a Word Macro that highlighted every possible issue (filler word, passive voice, etc) to make the process faster. It made my manuscript look like a Christmas tree with all the various colored highlights of issues to address. Sometimes that was overwhelming.
Today, tools like AutoCrit and ProWritingAid can identify all these issues and you can easily deal with them. Even so, it helps to know what you’re looking to cut and why:
Cut Filler and Weak Words
These words often take the oomph from your sentences. For example, in the opening line to this section, “often” isn’t needed. Here’s a list of words to eliminate or reduce in your manuscript:
Weak or Vague Words
Felt
Took
Gave
Very
A lot
Really
Often
Always
Sort of/Kind of
To Be Verbs (is, was, has become – choose stronger verbs)
Thought /Sight/Hear Words (if you’re in a specific POV, we don’t need to be told who thought or noticed as we know who is thinking or noticing from the POV)
Thought
Realized
Noticed
Saw
Heard
Wondered
Others Words to Check
Beginning/Began
Starting/Started
That
Now
Just
And (at the beginning of sentences)
But (at the beginning of sentences)
So (at the beginning of sentences)
Well
Up/Down (the act of sitting is a downward motion, so sitting down is redundant.)
Fix passive sentences
Passive sentences aren’t only weaker than active voice sentences, but they contain more words.
The house was blown down by the hurricane. (8 words)
vs.
The hurricane blew down the house. (6 words)
Note, not all passive voice sentences are bad. There are times when you may want to use it. You can check out my video on passive voice here.
Reduce or eliminate adverbs
Like passive voice, adverbs add words that may not be needed, especially if a stronger verb will be better.
She walked quietly.
vs
She tiptoed.
What about adding words?
During the revision process, chances are you’ll need to add words as well. Maybe you need to flesh out a scene that isn’t clear or add a scene to draw out tension.
You’ll add words when you revise to show instead of tell, especially if you decide to reduce dialogue tags and replace them with action, thoughts or feelings.
“I hate you,” Joannie said.
vs
“I hate you.” Joannie threw the coffee mug at Joe.
But in the end, you’ll likely cut more than you add unless your first draft isn’t quite done.
Being Merciless
It’s not easy to cut words. It feels like going backwards (unwriting). Sometimes they’re great words (darlings). When it comes to revision and what to cut, you need to think less as a writer and more as the reader. It’s their experience you want to enhance. To so that, you need to show no mercy to words (well used or not) that take away from the story.
I save any large chunks of writing or well-crafted sentences in a “Darlings” file for each book. They’re cut from the manuscript, but aren’t gone. They’re stored in the off chance I can use them elsewhere. (I’ve never used a Darling, but I still feel better knowing they continue to exist.)
Do you have other tips or ideas on cutting words from your manuscript? I’d love to hear about them in the comments.
How to Write Faster (Tips and Strategies)
May 21, 2024 in Blog, Writing Romance
There are two things that don’t like about writing.
- Getting stuck
- How long it takes to write a book
Before I started ghostwriting, I was a haphazard writer. Sometimes I was in a flow, writing a lot, and other times, I’d go weeks, even months, without writing.
But as a ghostwriter, I’m producing a 70,000 to 80,000 word book a month for my client. To do that, I had to learn to write fast.
Now I’m not saying that you should write a book a month. But if you feel the writing process is going too slow, here are my tips for how to write faster.
Determine Your Goals
To get anywhere, it helps to know your destination. In my client’s case, that goal is a book a month. Goals for my own work, admittedly, have been haphazard, but with Q3 around the corner, I’m re-looking at my publishing goals for the rest of the year.
When it comes to goals, they can be whatever you want. Write a book in 12 months. Write a book in 6 weeks. It doesn’t matter. What does matter is knowing what you want and an idea of when you want it.
What Does it Take to Reach Your Goal?
Once you know where you’re heading, you need to decide how to get there. To write an 80,000-word book in 30 days, I need to write 2,700 or so words a day. If I want weekends off, I need to average 3,700 a day.
To write an 80,000 word book in six months requires writing 13,333 words a month. If you write just on weekends, that’s 1,667 words a day over 8 weekend days a month. Or you can write 445 every day. So, in less than four hours over a weekend, or 20 minutes daily, you can write an 80,000 word book in six months.
The final question is: Is this pace is doable? If not, you need to adjust.
Anticipate What Will Slow You Down
What’s that saying about best laid plans? We all know that while we can set goals and plot out a strategy, life can get in the way. Anticipating potential roadblocks that will slow you down can help you overcome them. Here are common situations that obstruct writing and potential solutions you have on standby to help you through.
Problem | Solution |
Difficulty getting situated to write | Designate a writing area that is always ready |
Slow computer | · Tune up computer to clean out digital gunk and speed up processes, or
· Invest in a new computer |
Stress | · Eat right and get adequate sleep
· Get into “writing” mode through meditation or other calming activity |
Distractions | · Turn off computer and phone notifications
· Turn off social media · Don’t check email · Shut the door to your writing space · Let others around you know you’re writing and ask not to be disturbed · Use focus apps |
Lack of Time | · Set a schedule for writing
· Set limits to Netflix, YouTube, Social Media, etc. · Delegate household tasks to others · Outsource or use services to save time (EG meal box for dinner) |
Writer’s Block | · Plot or plan what you’ll write before you sit to write
· Brainstorm ideas with writer group, AI, or do an activity that allows your book to percolate ideas (e.g. walking) · Write what you know, even if it’s out of order (E.G. write the black moment even if you’re in the middle of Act 2.) · Read some of what you’ve already written to get ideas on where to go next in the story · Write about why you’re stuck. Sometimes, writing what’s blocked will guide you toward answers (E.G. I don’t know whether Alice should go left or right. If she goes left, then this will happen. But if she goes right, this could happen. Actually, if she goes right, she’ll run into Alister, which will solve X problem). · Ask AI to start you off. Sometimes it’s easier to edit than generate words out of thin air. Ask AI to write the first paragraph and then revise it as a jumpstart to your creative flow. |
Procrastination | · Review above issues that could be the reason for procrastination.
· Stick to writing schedule · Set a deadline · Change something (E.G. your writing environment) |
Develop a Plan
Developing a plan to write can help avoid some of the anticipated issues that might pop up (above). This plan should include your goal and how you’ve determined to reach it (e.g. write 1,000 5 days a week). But it should also include:
- Days and times you’ll write. It’s easiest to have a set schedule, such as 6 AM each morning, or 10 PM each night. If you can’t have a regular writing time, pull out your calendar and schedule when you’ll write week by week. For example, week 1: Monday: 6 AM, Tuesday: Lunch, Wednesday: 6 AM, Thursday: 9 PM, Friday: 6 AM.
- Where you’re going to write. Having a designated writing spot saves time in getting set up, makes transitioning to writing faster, and lets others know you’re busy. If you have to move around, for example, writing on your lunch break, set up in advance where your writing will occur. Will you go to a cafe? The library? The park?
- Know as much as you can about your book or what you’re going to write. This can include plotting, but if you’re a pantster, having an overall summary of your book and then deciding what you’re going to write BEFORE you sit to write, will make the writing process go faster.
Write Regularly
First, writing regularly is the best way to consistently make progress. Remember, 1,000 words a day is 30,000 words a month. But writing regularly has other benefits.
Speed: The more often you type, the faster you get.
Retain the Story: One of the reasons that I don’t get stuck when ghost writing is that the story never leaves me. Because I write so much so quickly, the story lives in me even when I’m not writing. It percolates, deepens, and evolves as I drive, walk, clean house, dream, etc. When I sit down to write, it’s all there at the surface, waiting to get written.
The longer you go without writing, the more time you need to take to review your writing and get back into the emotions of it. That slows down the writing process.
I write almost daily. I know for many that’s not doable. But if you can avoid letting more than two days go by without writing, you’ll make steady progress, but also, when you sit to write, you’ll have easy access to the story.
Visualize the Scene You’re Writing
It’s much easier to write when you know what words you want to use. It’s one thing to know you plan to write the inciting event. It’s another to take a moment to use your imagination to “view” it play out. Through visualization, you can choreograph movement, “hear” dialogue, “see” the setting, and tap into the emotion of the scene. Now you just have to write what you’ve already seen, heard, and felt.
Writing Sprints
A writer sprint is a timed writing session with the goal of cranking out as many words as possible without stopping. Sprints can be 5 minutes or 30 minutes.
There are many options for writer sprints. You can join a local Shut Up and Write. Some authors host sprints through Zoom. You can create a sprint that you do on your own or invite your writer friends.
Only Write
Writer sprints are great because you’re not allowed to edit or read what you’ve written. Stopping to revise or read can be a form of procrastination. So when you sit to write, that’s all you should do…write.
Turn off Editing Tools: One tip to avoid editing while writing is to turn off your grammar/spell check while you’re writing and turn it back on when you’re revising.
Take Note: Along with focusing only on writing, find tricks to keep you typing when you want to stop. For example, sometimes I’m writing, and I have a thought that I might be using the wrong name or be off on the timeline. I quickly use the Comment feature in Word to jot down a note to check this, and then keep writing. What I don’t do is stop and sift through the manuscript to find the name or timeline.
Use Placeholders: I use placeholders if I come to a section that I need to research or expand upon, but don’t know what I want to say yet. You can use the Comment feature, enter the note in brackets or parenthesis in the text, highlight, use the traditional writer placeholder “TK”, or anything else that will stand out during revision.
Dictate
Most of the suggestions here will help you develop a routine, clarity about your story, and focus on writing, all of which can help you get your book written at a steady pace. But for significantly upping your word counts quickly, nothing beats dictation. The best news is that today, dictation is available easily and affordably. It’s integrated into many programs such as Word and Google Docs. There are phone apps where you can dictate.
When I type, I average about 1700 words per hour if I’m in a decent flow. Let’s contrast that with dictation in which I can produce 4,000 words, sometimes more, in that same hour. That’s including revision.
Part of the reason I can write 80,000 words per month is that I’m not typing all the time. If I only typed, I’d spend 50+ hours writing each month. Using dictation, I spend just over 20 hours.
I know many find dictation awkward. I did too. But once you get the hang of it, it has many benefits beyond getting your book done faster. For more information on dictation tools and how to use it to write up to 5,000 words per hour, check out this post on dictation here at Write with Harte.
Writing a book can be a frustrating activity partly because it takes so long. Hopefully, some of the above tips and strategies will assist you in writing faster to get your book done sooner.
Do you have other ideas to pick up the pace in writing? Please let me know in the comments below.