How to Write Convincing Dialogue

To really get in the mind of your characters, you must seek first to understand them. For instance, if your main character is headstrong, stubborn, unwilling to give up, you have to align what their personality is with what they say. It doesn't make any sense for them to say, "I'm done with this. I'm done trying to help you. It's hopeless."

However, if your character is easily swayed to give up, then dialogue such as that makes perfect sense and lines up with your character. 

Here is an example to help you, taken from one of my current stories.

The characters: Vera, determined, firm, and independent. Julius, persuasive, indifferent, collected.

"You beckoned me?" she said, meeting his gaze unflinchingly. "I don't appreciate being called upon without reason."

"Ah," Julius said, eyeing her in amusement, "Always so quick to assume the worst. I wouldn't think anything else of you, though."

Vera snorted. "So, would you like to insult me, or do you have something important to inform me about?"

"Only that the situation in the London underworld is more bleak than ever. Your visit, it seems, only served to make them angrier."

She cocked an eyebrow. "Let me guess. That brat of a shapeshifter? You ask me, she's totally working with Klaudius."

Julius rolled his eyes. "Vera, Klaudius is the King of Demons. He doesn't work with anyone. He doesn't have to, because his power goes unrivaled."

"How could you possibly be sure about that?" she retorted, her eyes flashing. "You don't spend any time trying to get to know anything about them, so in reality, you don't know that, do you? I'm sorry if my little 'visit' didn't accomplish what you wished it to, but we can't have everything, can we?"

"Stop with the attitude," Julius ordered, his demeanor cool and distant. "I refuse to tell you anything else if you become so easily affected by those troublesome human emotions."

"So you're implying you're not human, then? Because it seems to me like you never experience any sort of emotion, let alone righteous anger. Then again, you have nothing to be righteous about, do you?"

Julius's nostrils flared in outrage. "YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING, VERA ADELE GALLAGHER!"

"Neither," Vera said softly, tone cold, "Do you. Not about a single thing."

The dialogue between Vera and Julius serves to show the clashing of personalities and their unwillingness to work with each other, not to mention how headstrong Vera is, and how infuriating Julius finds that.

In order to make dialogue between your characters work, make sure that you include body language in it, as well, because even though words may serve to get your point across quite easily, they have different meanings if said in different ways. You must first understand the kind of emotions going on in your scene if you want it to be convincing. A fight? Tense posture, hands fisted, eyes blazing with anger. Romantic? Soft tones, occasional touches between the characters, tentative interactions. One character giving another bad news? Awkward pauses, shifting of position, not meeting each other's gaze, keeping their eyes to the ground.

Use this carefully, and be sure to strike a balance between body language and exchanged words. Too much of either and you risk over-dramatization.

~Your Personal Writing Jedi