Sometimes this kind of straightforward clarity isn't always what you're going to want.

And most of the time, dialogue without any subtext falls flat because it's just all sitting up there on the surface.

There's nothing for readers to pick up on between the words, nothing for them to infer or interpret, and nothing to lean into.

And so the best dialogue is going to invite readers to read between the lines.

Welcome to the fiction writing made easy podcast. My name is Savannah Gilbo and I'm here to help

you write a story that works. I want to prove to you that writing a novel doesn't have to be

overwhelming. So each week I'll bring you a brand

new episode with simple, actionable, and step-by-step strategies that you can implement in your

writing right away. So whether you're brand new to writing or more of a seasoned author looking

to improve your craft, this podcast is for you. So pick up a pen and let's get started.

In today's episode, I'm going to share five secrets for writing dialogue that sounds natural

and pulls readers deeper into your story.

Now, natural sounding dialogue is one of those things that readers will notice when it's wrong.

But when it's right, it becomes invisible and it just flows.

Characters feel like real people having real conversations, and readers sink into the story

without a second thought.

The tricky part is that natural sounding dialogue isn't the same as realistic dialogue.

And that's because real conversation is full of filler words, tangents, awkward pauses,

and dead ends. If you transcribed an actual

conversation between two people, it would be almost unreadable. So your job as a writer isn't

necessarily to capture how people actually talk. It's to create the impression of natural speech

while making sure every line earns its place on the page.

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