Dialogue has to be natural. Dialogue has to be cliche free. There needs to be slang, pauses, just like if you were watching it in a film.
I like to improvise my exchanges of dialogue out loud, as if the characters are in my room. This allows me to transcribe those little words and "ways of saying it," that arise from spontaneous interchanges of human beings.
If I don't do it this way, I find my dialogue is robotic and lame.
Also get rid of all your "said's," as well. Look at this interchange, this is how my dialogue usually rolls.
Alex pulled up a chair and sat facing Lilly, "what do you think your doing?" she asked.
"I think you know,"
"Um, no I don't..."
"Yes you do!"
Now, I just made this up then, so it's not going to win any awards for engagement. But it's how dialogue should flow. Make it sound natural, and only use a "asked" or "said" when it's not obvious whose speaking.
This is dialogue writing 101.
I like to improvise my exchanges of dialogue out loud, as if the characters are in my room. This allows me to transcribe those little words and "ways of saying it," that arise from spontaneous interchanges of human beings.
If I don't do it this way, I find my dialogue is robotic and lame.
Also get rid of all your "said's," as well. Look at this interchange, this is how my dialogue usually rolls.
Alex pulled up a chair and sat facing Lilly, "what do you think your doing?" she asked.
"I think you know,"
"Um, no I don't..."
"Yes you do!"
Now, I just made this up then, so it's not going to win any awards for engagement. But it's how dialogue should flow. Make it sound natural, and only use a "asked" or "said" when it's not obvious whose speaking.
This is dialogue writing 101.
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