The qualities that most set apart “okay” writers from great writers are subtlety and subtext. This is true in every area of storytelling, from narrative to plotting to character development. But the lack of subtlety and subtext is perhaps nowhere more obvious than in dialogue. I’m talking, of course, about on-the-nose dialogue. On-the-nose dialogue is dialogue […]
June 30, 2025 by 14 Comments CharactersThe Secret to Writing Witty Characters (Without Trying So Hard)
There’s nothing like a sharp-tongued, quick-witted character to light up a scene—especially when the stakes are high or the tone is dark. From sarcastic sidekicks to roguish heroes, witty characters often steal the show. But when the humor feels forced or out of character, it can suck the life right out of a story. So […]
June 2, 2025 by 12 Comments DialogueThe Danger of Overexplaining in Dialogue—and How to Avoid It
Note From KMW: This week’s post is a quick one—but it covers a sneaky little habit that can creep into even the best of stories: overexplaining in dialogue. I’ve seen it in books I’ve read, and I’ve definitely caught myself doing it too. It’s easy to do when we want to make sure readers really […]
September 21, 2020 by 60 Comments DialogueSlang in Dialogue: Use It Sparingly
It’s important for authors to get the nuances of slang in dialogue right. All our research into dialectal idiosyncrasies is time well spent if it means nailing the way a particular character speaks. Smart readers will always recognize phony speech patterns. For example, readers of Young Adult fiction are notoriously good at spotting less-than-accurate character […]
September 16, 2019 by 34 Comments DialogueCritique: 10 Ways to Write Excellent Dialogue
For many people, dialogue is the heartbeat of fiction. As arguably the only true form of “showing” in written fiction, it offers an inexhaustible source of energy for dramatizing characters, catalyzing conflict, and enhancing every available opportunity for entertainment. That’s why it’s so important to take full of advantage of dialogue, and that’s why we’re […]
December 3, 2018 by 86 Comments CharactersThe 10 Rules of Writing Large Casts of Characters
Large casts of characters are the thing these days. Rowling, Martin, and Marvel—just to name a few newsworthy examples—victoriously (and sometimes not-so-victoriously) throw casts of hundreds at screen and paper. Understandably, writers rush to emulate—both because, on a head level, this seems like the obvious path to success, and because, on a heart level, we […]
November 5, 2018 by 55 Comments How to Become a WriterWhen Writing, How Do You Know When Enough Is Enough?
Last month, I invited you to tell me what topics you’d like me to write about. You flooded my inbox and comments section with suggestions. (I scheduled this as an “easy” post that wouldn’t require much maintenance while I was in the midst of the a big move. When I logged on that first day to […]
April 30, 2018 by 47 Comments DialogueWhat Should Your Characters Talk About?
Dialogue is the best part of stories. (Yes, even better than Dickensian narratorial diatribes about crooked politics.) But it’s tough to write scintillating dialogue when you find yourself asking that fundamental question: “What should your characters talk about?” As writers, we’re familiar with the rant about “show, don’t tell.” We’re supposed to bring our stories […]
November 13, 2017 by 25 Comments How to Become a Writer5 (Not-So-Little) Additions to the Great Novel-Writing Checklist
Learning how to write a successful novel is largely a matter of memorizing and mentally tracking the vast number of “parts” that make a story run. Honestly, this alone is sometimes the hardest part of the entire job. There’s a lot to remember—which is why, today, we’re going to look at the second part of our […]
September 22, 2017 by 34 Comments Dialogue5 Tips for Creating Believable Fictional Languages
Gone are the days when you could speak gibberish in a movie or a novel—think Princess Leia’s scene negotiating with Jabba the Hutt in Return of the Jedi—and pass it off as obscure, exotic fictional languages. Today, when your characters speak fictional languages, your audience expects these languages to sound real, with natural-sounding vocabulary and […]
