Dialogue Thief

As a polymath, you need to know how to articulate your thoughts and ideas effectively. Writing is one of the fundamental building blocks of communication. And, as a writer, dialogue can be extremely challenging. Unlike grammar and spelling, which have pretty cut-and-dry rules, dialogue is far more subjective. 

Whether we're talking about fiction or non-fiction, the challenge is the same: 

How do you get your words (and thus your characters, AND THUS, your story) to sound authentic? 

The answer: DIALOGUE

Just a few words can make your story pop like fireworks... or fall as flat as a tire.

So what can we do to hone our craft? 

In his book Writing Dialogue, Tom Chialarella gives age old wisdom to help aspiring writers--steal from other people! 

Not literally. 

But sort of. 

You see, one of the best ways to find great dialogue is to go out into the real world and see what real people are saying. Chialarella suggests storytellers should write down anything that strikes them as interesting.

I 100% agree. 

And actually I do this exercise with dialogue all the time. I love picking out little quirky things that people say. I always eavesdrop on conversations. Especially out in public. In a bar, at work, mall, gym, airport. Just about anywhere you can find people talking, you'll find dialogue worth stealing. Below are just a few that I’ve found that really stuck with me:

At a bar (guy to girl): 

“Um, could you do me a favor…”

Coffee shop: 

“Diligently studying?”

At work: 

“You had to read the bible front to back. I mean, who the hell knows who Hammond was?”

“It was a shit show.”

“I was struggle-busing in the whole day.”

Dentist office: 

“That’s not hot,it’s sizzl’n.”

Military personnel: 

“Got to take care of the beans and bullets.”

In the Grotto: 

“He’s ethnically Mexican.”

“He’s what?”

“He. Is. Ethnically. Mexican.”

“Okay, I get it. I just never heard of it like that before.”

AND MY ALL TIME FAVORITE: 

“I can do the impossible. I can eat cereal without a spoon!”

Recently a familiar source (albeit unexpected)--my son--provided me with a real gem. I don't know when he picked it up, but a few months ago he started using a particular word in almost all of his speech. At first I thought it was a passing thing, but now am convinced it’s more permanent. 

Hahaha, it’s kind of funny. 


After a while I realized this dialogue quirk was very similar to that of Gollum, from Lord Of The Rings. He’s always using the term “precious” in similar contexts. So, I decided to incorporate my son's word in one of my stories.

The point is, if you're struggle-busing to create dialogue that rings true, try looking in the real world. Listen everywhere you go. At church and work. The skating rink and park. Even with your own family and friends. You'll be surprised at what you might find.

So what about you? Have you ever stumbled upon interesting dialogue?