Cliches in dialogue are different for me. I try to get rid of clichés except in dialogue, because people naturally talk in clichés.
However, in a scifi or fantasy piece, it may be that some cliched phrases should have moved on.
A big thing for me is making sure every character doesn't sound the same when they speak. Short story or novel - it's part of someone's character.
How do others feel about the length of dialogue any one person might say in one go? It's not unusual for me to run to 60 or 70 words for one person. That takes no time to speak, but my critiquers regularly highlight any lengthy dialogue - and I feel it's fine and appropriate. I browsed around a few sites the other day and failed to find advice on this. then I flicked thru a few books. Each had some very long sections of one person speaking but, at a glance, most were short.
Maybe highlight that the person who speaks a larger part by describing them in the terms of gregarious and likes to hear themselves talk. Then you can use the longer speaking piece and interrupt parts with the reactions of the other characters through the speakers point of view?
Give me a word, and I will give you a story.
What a find
Hey, thanks for kicking this off, great idea! Dialogue is definitely one of those make-or-break elements in writing, and I don’t think it gets enough focused discussion. A few quick thoughts to get the ball rolling:
1. Dialogue as Worldbuilding + Characterization
The easiest trick I’ve found is to let word choice and rhythm carry the weight.
2. Smooth + Natural Flow
Read your dialogue out loud, it’s the fastest way to hear if something sounds clunky or stiff.
3. Avoiding Cliché
One trick: whenever you catch yourself writing a stock phrase (“it’s not you, it’s me” or “you don’t understand”), stop and ask, what’s the real.
4. Double-Layered Dialogue
Love this point. A character may say “I’m fine,” but the reader (who knows 20 chapters of backstory) reads it as “I’m definitely not fine.”
5. Short Stories vs. Novels
In short stories, dialogue has to work harder, every line should either reveal character or push the plot forward.
6. General Tip
Steal shamelessly from real life: eavesdrop in coffee shops, jot down bits of overheard conversation.
Really curious to see what others add here, especially on dialogue in genre writing (sci-fi, fantasy, noir, etc.), where tone and voice matter so much.
