Are You Writing Too Much Dialogue?
Over on TikTok, writers ask me questions every so often. Recently I got a question that said: “Can you talk about writing too much dialogue?”
I sure can!
Can you really have too much dialogue?
Ultimately, no, you can’t have too much dialogue in your scenes. It’s rare to have too much.
What is likely happening is there isn’t enough of something else. That something else being:
Too little interiority
Too little description
Too little scene direction
Too little action
*A note on action before we continue: The bare bones definition of story action is a sense of things moving and unfolding. If you’re writing action, your readers will want to know what comes next.
There’s no rule on the right amount of dialogue. Some scenes will call for me, some scenes will call for less, and some scenes will have a more evenly balanced.
Dialogue helps you play with story pacing
Like the header of this section says, dialogue helps you play with pacing.
More dialogue = faster pacing
Less dialogue = slower pacing
It’s all about how you want your scenes to unfold and what the scenes call for—so, really, it’s all about balance.
What dialogue can you cut from your scenes?
The easiest way to see if you have “too much” dialogue on the page is to zoom out in your document and find the pages that have more white space, that’s where you’ll find your dialogue-heavy scenes.
So, what can you cut?
Small talk
Introductions—especially if characters have already been introduced
Beware of Talking Heads Syndrome
Sounds like a serious condition, doesn’t it? Keep in mind that this can also be called “White Room Syndrome.”
Here’s how to diagnose it: Look at your dialogue-heavy scenes and see if your characters are just talking to each other. Then, ask yourself some questions:
Can you tell where the scene is happening?
What things are in the scene?
What characters are in the scene and what are they doing?
If there is a consistent lack of description, action, or stage direction, the scenes may feel like your characters are standing in a white blank room. Odds are you might need to write a bit more narrative or description.
Note: Writing is all subjective. This is not meant to be prescriptive, just general suggestions if you’re worried about writing too much dialogue.
How to Develop a Dialogue-Heavy Scene
The first step is to identify the problem scenes and identify what’s missing.
Can you add description? You don’t have to go overboard, but if the scene feels a bit “white room”, you may want to add a few lines about the setting.
Can you add stage direction or action? If you find that your characters are standing around and talking, can you get them moving or interacting with their setting?
Can you get into your POV character’s head? Let the readers know what your POV character is thinking. Dive a little bit into their interiority. Rarely, do we speak what we truly mean to say, so you can use internal thoughts as a way to portray what your character is really thinking—if it fits within the scene and story you’re telling.
It’s important to go scene by scene and figure out what’s happening and what may be missing. Writing is all about balance. Use dialogue to your advantage. Infuse the scene with several lines of dialogue if you’re looking to speed things up. And insert some internalization, scene description, etc., if you need to slow things down.
To Wrap Up
Remember: It’s rare that a scene has too much dialogue. Go through your manuscript and see if something—interiority, description, stage direction, action—is missing.
More dialogue = faster pacing
More narration = slower pacing
Play with them. Have more, have less. Writing your book means playing with the pacing and tension to find out what works best.