Dialogue can be comic or cutting, deliberately obscure or pointedly cruel. The type of wordplay you use depends on the genre. Comedy would be different from a Thriller or Mystery. Do the characters use irony, sarcasm, humor, or wield words as weapons?
Dialogue defines a character. By assigning each main character verbal ticks, rhythms, patterns, slang, etc. you bring them to life and make them unique.
Dialogue is affected by setting and where the characters are from. Do they speak the local language or a foreign or alien language?
Dialogue highlights socioeconomic differences in your characters. How educated are they? How "proper" is their speech? Do they use street slang? Do they use words common in specific places?
Dialogue expresses emotion. Are the characters forceful or meek? Joyful or depressed? The way a line is delivered is just as important as the content.
Dialogue reflects hierarchy and position: Are the characters aggressive or submissive, a master or servant, a diplomat or a iconoclast? Do they have to be careful about what they say to save themselves? Do they have to avoid revealing information? Are they reluctant to speak up by nature or demanding? Word choice and delivery are crucial.
Body language can support or counter the words spoken. If they are restrained in what they say, they may wish to be violent. That dichotomy creates tension.
There is no formula to dictate how much dialogue you need. Each scene has its own requirements.
Dialogue is another tool in your writer's tool kit along with description, action, and narrative. Here are articles help you improve dialogue skills:
1. Dialogue Tags and Action Tags
4. Communication Roadblocks Part 1
5. Communication Roadblocks Part 2
12. Lying
13. Eye Contact
15. Gestures
16. Body Language
20. Delivery, Cadence, and Dialect
21. Dialogue Enunciation and Inflection
22. Dialogue Pattern and Pitch
Boring on-the-nose dialogue is one of the quickest ways to turn off a reader. How often have you tuned into a movie only to find the dialogue so cringe-worthy you couldn't watch it? The same goes for your novel.
A simple line of dialogue can stay with your reader long after the book is finished. A recent example is a book called Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo about a fantasy con and heist crew. They have the best banter. One line I won't forget is "No mourners, no funerals" as they begin a fight.
Use dialogue to make your characters come alive and stand out. Your readers will thank you.
Here are great videos on writing dialogue for film but the tactics apply to fiction as well.
https://youtu.be/qfQpJxRP8ew
https://youtu.be/CIqrWXeiFUs
https://youtu.be/Ge0b5EPdL8I
https://youtu.be/jpWKp-fnZuU
https://youtu.be/ilKxyfOmFGY
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