You can start by making sure you’re not falling into one of the most common—and, in my personal opinion, one of the most annoying—dialogue pitfalls: the overuse of direct address.
What Is Direct Address?
Direct address occurs whenever one character calls another character by name. As in:
“Hey, John, could you give me that wrench?”
Direct address accomplishes several things, most notably identifying the character being spoken to and applying a certain amount of emphasis to whatever information follows.
Used in moderation, both these accomplishments are admirable and necessary tricks of the trade. However, used to excess, they can become both ridiculous and frustrating (as demonstrated in a fantasy I once read that had the characters calling each other by name in practically every line of dialogue).
When Should You Use Direct Address in Dialogue?
How often do we call each other by name in real life?
Pay attention to direct address in your own conversation, and you’ll be surprised how little you actually call people by name.
As a general rule, direct address is used only:
1. At the beginning of a conversation.
2. When trying to get someone’s attention.
3. When trying to emphasize a point.
Emphasis, in all its forms, must be treated with caution, since it’s far too easy to neutralize its effect through overuse. Every time one of your characters calls another by name, stop and reevaluate the line of dialogue. Would it be just as strong—or or perhaps even stronger—without the occurrence of direct address?
