Dialogue is the heart of a story. It’s not just about making characters speak—it’s about giving them a genuine voice that reveals who they are, what they want, and what they fear. This holds true for narrative writing, role-playing games, and any form of storytelling. Yet, there are some common mistakes that can make dialogue feel flat, unconvincing, or even pointless. And at the end of the list, you'll find my personal favorite!
1. Overly Expository Dialogue (Infodumping)
We all know this one, don’t we? Yet, it’s a trap we must always watch out for. One of the most common mistakes is using dialogue as a container for information the reader must know. Characters end up explaining things they already understand just to update the audience.
In writing:
"As you know, Marco, we’ve been friends since childhood and studied together at the University of Rome."
In role-playing games:
The game master delivers long monologues to explain the world’s history while the players slowly drift off to sleep.
Solution: Show information through actions, conflicts, and subtext. Let the reader discover details organically. But above all, ask yourself if that information is truly vital at that moment. Often, it’s more about our need to share it than the reader’s need to receive it. Infodumping is tempting because it makes things easier for us—but if we wanted an easy life, we wouldn’t be here talking about writing, would we?
2. Characters Who All Sound the Same
If every character speaks in the same way, readers will struggle to tell them apart. Everyone has a unique way of expressing themselves, shaped by their background, experiences, and personality.
In writing:
Everyone uses the same tone and vocabulary, regardless of age or background.
In role-playing games:
All NPCs (non-player characters) sound like clones of the game master, with no variation in tone or style.
Solution: Define each character’s voice: use different vocabulary, specific phrases, and variations in speech rhythm. A good trick is to close your eyes and visualize your character—how do they speak? How do they move? What’s their tone? Do they have recurring expressions or distinctive speech patterns? If not, give them one.
3. Unnatural or Unrealistic Dialogue
When dialogue feels forced or artificial, it breaks the reader’s immersion. Overly polished or overly "literary" lines can sound fake. How often do people try to sound intellectual in books? But readers care about emotion, not perfect phrasing.
In writing:
Grammatically perfect sentences that no one would ever say in real life.
In role-playing games:
Conversations that flow too smoothly, with no hesitations or interruptions, making the scene feel artificial.
Solution: Read your dialogue aloud or improvise it. This will help you catch anything that sounds unnatural. Again, try closing your eyes and imagining it as a scene from a movie—does it feel real? If not, tweak it.
4. Lack of Conflict or Tension
How to Write Dialogue?Good dialogue isn’t just about exchanging information. Even a friendly conversation can hold subtle tension, hidden agendas, or conflicting emotions.
In writing:
Scenes where characters always agree, with no friction or underlying tension.
In role-playing games:
NPCs accept everything without question or debate.
Solution: How do you write dialogue that leaves an impact? Add conflict, even in small ways. Differences in opinion, emotional tension, sarcasm, or misunderstandings make dialogue more dynamic. This becomes easier when you truly feel each character’s soul—the ideals that drive them, their traumas, their aspirations (even if they aren’t fully aware of them). After all, they are parts of us, and through their voices, they help us discover new things about ourselves.
5. How to Write Empty Dialogue: Ignoring Context and Body Language
Dialogue isn’t just about words. The way a character speaks is influenced by the context, the environment, and their body language.
In writing:
Dialogue that feels "suspended in a void," with no descriptions of what the characters are doing while they speak. Overusing "he said" contributes to this feeling.
In role-playing games:
Characters (or worse, the GM’s NPCs) discuss secret plans out loud in a crowded tavern, as if no one could hear them—as if the entire room were frozen statues.
Solution: Mix dialogue with descriptions to enrich the scene. Show gestures, expressions, and physical reactions that add depth to the conversation. Visualize them in your mind, then bring them to life on the page.
Bonus Mistake (and My Personal Favorite): Writing Without a Clear Purpose – Lack of Efficiency in Dialogue
Every word has a cost. If it serves no purpose, it’s stealing space and attention. This applies to every piece of dialogue and, more broadly, to every written line. Anything that doesn’t contribute to the core theme of the story is unnecessary filler. It’s not easy to think this way at first, but once you get used to it, it will come naturally.
In writing:
Scenes that add nothing to the plot or character development.
In role-playing games:
Sessions filled with aimless chatter that don’t advance the story or the characters’ growth.
Solution: Always ask yourself: "Does this dialogue move the story forward or deepen the character?" If the answer is no, it can probably be cut or rewritten. This is the key question—follow it, and you’ll never lose your way.
In the End:
Dialogue isn’t just what characters say—it’s also what they don’t say. Every line should be a step toward the heart of the story, following a red thread that keeps everything coherent and meaningful. Everything else is just noise.
Question for You:
What’s the most memorable dialogue you’ve ever written or played? Share it in the comments!
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