For me, dialogue is the most difficult part of writing. I can plan the plot and the world, but conversations cannot be forced. Often, I don't know right away who should say what, why it is said, or what is allowed to be said at all. Therefore, I don't start dialogues at the desk, but **in my head**. I lie down, close my eyes, and spend time with the characters involved. Only when I have them as real people before me do their voices emerge. Dialogues grow from closeness, not from technique.
1. The Purpose: Every Conversation Must Deliver
My starting point is always the question of the **purpose of the dialogue**. No conversation may exist just to fill space. Every dialogue must achieve at least one of the following: convey information, intensify a conflict, prepare a decision, or change a character. If I cannot say why this conversation is necessary, I delete it.
2. The Function of the Speaking Character
The second rule is: every character speaks **from their function**. A king speaks differently than a soldier. A priest differently than a merchant. Rank, education, and power determine word choice and sentence length. No one speaks neutrally. Everyone pursues a goal: to convince, threaten, deceive, protect, or test. Dialogues consist of intentions, not small talk.
3. Limitation: The Power of the Unsaid
The third rule is **limitation**. Characters do not say everything they know. They only say what they must or are allowed to say at that moment. Secrets remain secret. Lies remain incomplete. **Silence is part of the dialogue**. What is not said is often more important than what is spoken.
4. Dialogue is Action and Consequence
The fourth rule is **action in dialogue**. Conversations never stand in a vacuum. While words are spoken, something happens: a march, a watch, preparation for battle, an interrogation, or an escape. Dialogues are embedded in situation and movement. This keeps them alive and functional.
The fifth rule is **consequence**. What is said in the dialogue changes the situation. A command triggers an action. An insult leads to violence. A truth destroys trust. If a conversation has no consequences, it was meaningless.
5. Technical Principles for Clear Dialogue
Technically, I stick to clear principles: short sentences, little decoration, no long monologues. Every line belongs to only one character. No explanatory side sentences about feelings. Emotions are revealed through what is said or refused. Dialogue carries the plot, characters, and world simultaneously.
My method remains personal: only when I am internally with my characters do I hear their voices. Then I don't write what sounds good, but what they would actually say in that situation. Dialogues are not literary ornaments, but decisions in words. If they are right, the conversation carries the story forward. If they are wrong, the scene collapses.