Main Street Writes Group Discussion – Originally presented 4/27/26

Good dialogue does more than fill the silence between characters. It advances the plot, reveals personality, and creates tension. But the most memorable exchanges often depend less on what’s being said than on what’s left unsaid.

Think about conversations in real life. People rarely announce exactly what they’re feeling. They deflect, exaggerate, change the subject, hide behind sarcasm, or say one thing while meaning something entirely different.

Our fictional characters should do the same.

The secret to compelling dialogue is understanding that every meaningful exchange has two responsibilities: It needs to accomplish something, and it should often conceal something.

The Three Jobs of Dialogue

Every conversation in a story should serve a purpose. Ideally, it accomplishes more than one.

1. Advance the Plot

Something should change because the conversation happened. Perhaps new information comes to light, a decision is made, a plan falls apart, or the stakes suddenly increase.

If two characters have a lengthy conversation and nothing changes, it’s worth asking whether that exchange belongs in the story.

2. Reveal Character

Dialogue is one of the best ways to show readers who a character really is.

Word choice, rhythm, tone, and even silence can reveal personality. Some characters speak confidently. Others hesitate, deflect, or use humor to disguise insecurity.

Just as importantly, dialogue reveals relationships. Who dominates the conversation? Who avoids confrontation? Who controls the information?

Sometimes the way a character says something tells us considerably more than the words themselves.

3. Create or Escalate Tension

Conflict doesn’t always require an argument.

Two characters might be perfectly polite while pursuing completely opposing goals. One wants information; the other wants to conceal it. One seeks forgiveness; the other refuses to offer it.

Even a seemingly ordinary conversation can become compelling when something important is at stake.

The best dialogue often accomplishes all three functions simultaneously.

The Three Layers: Said, Unsaid, and Unsayable

In his book Dialogue: The Art of Verbal Action for Page, Stage, and Screen, Robert McKee explores how dialogue operates beneath its surface meaning.

A useful way to think about subtext is through three layers:

• The Said: The actual words spoken by the characters.
• The Unsaid: What a character deliberately withholds, perhaps because revealing it would weaken their position.
• The Unsayable: A deeper truth the character cannot bring themselves to admit, sometimes even to themselves.

Consider a character who desperately wants their father’s approval but refuses to acknowledge that need.

They might argue about money, responsibility, or family obligations. On the surface, the disagreement concerns practical matters. Underneath, however, the character is asking a much more vulnerable question: Are you proud of me?

The conversation becomes more powerful precisely because that question is never spoken.

This is where dialogue begins to feel authentic. Readers recognize that the characters are fighting about one thing while actually struggling with something else.

From Flat Dialogue to Layered Dialogue

Consider a simple exchange between two characters.

The Flat Version:

“Did you take the money?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I needed it.”

The conversation communicates information, but little else. There’s no mystery, hesitation, or emotional complexity. The characters simply exchange facts.

Now consider another approach.

The Layered Version:

“You’ve been busy.”

“Work’s been… steady.”

“Funny. So has my bank account.”

“That’s not what you think.”

Suddenly, the conversation has considerably more going on.

The accusation is implied rather than stated. One character is probing while the other becomes defensive. Their relationship is changing with every line.

At the surface, they’re discussing work. Underneath, they’re confronting theft, betrayal, and potentially the destruction of their relationship.

That’s the power of subtext.

Of course, not every conversation needs to be mysterious. Sometimes characters should say exactly what they mean. A direct confession or confrontation can be especially powerful after several scenes of avoidance.

The important thing is recognizing when withholding information creates more tension than revealing it.

Common Dialogue Mistakes

Writers sometimes weaken otherwise effective scenes by making characters too forthcoming or allowing conversations to become vehicles for exposition.

A few common problems are worth watching for.

On-the-nose emotion: Characters announce exactly how they feel rather than allowing readers to infer it through behavior and conversation.

Unnecessary exposition: Characters explain information they both already know, solely for the reader’s benefit.

Perfectly logical conversations: Every question receives a direct answer, every thought is completed, and nobody misunderstands or avoids anything.

Lack of friction: Both characters want the same thing, agree about everything, and leave the conversation exactly where they started.

Real people aren’t nearly so cooperative. They interrupt, misunderstand, joke at inappropriate moments, and sometimes deliberately answer questions nobody asked.

Our characters can benefit from being equally difficult.

A Simple Test for Your Dialogue

When revising a scene, examine an important exchange and ask yourself:

• Did something change because of this conversation?
• Did I learn something meaningful about either character?
• Did the tension increase, decrease, or shift?
• What does each character want but refuse to say?
• Is there a deeper emotional truth hiding beneath the conversation?

Not every exchange needs to satisfy every question. But if an entire conversation accomplishes none of them, it probably needs another look.

One particularly useful exercise is to take a line such as:

“I’m upset you didn’t call me.”

Now rewrite it without stating the emotion directly. Let the speaker hint at their disappointment, allow the other character to deflect, and see whether the resulting exchange develops tension.

You may discover that the conversation becomes considerably more interesting once the characters stop explaining themselves.

The Takeaway

Great dialogue isn’t simply about characters communicating information. It’s about competing desires, emotional vulnerability, shifting power, and everything people struggle to put into words.

Sometimes the most important moment in a conversation isn’t what someone says.

It’s what they desperately want to say—but can’t.