For me, dialogue is the most difficult part of writing[cite: 11]. I can plan the plot and the world, but conversations cannot be forced[cite: 11]. Often, I don't know right away who should say what, why it is said, or what is allowed to be said at all[cite: 11]. Therefore, I don't start dialogues at the desk, but **in my head**[cite: 11]. I lie down, close my eyes, and spend time with the characters involved[cite: 11]. Only when I have them as real people before me do their voices emerge[cite: 11]. Dialogues grow from closeness, not from technique[cite: 11].
1. The Purpose: Every Conversation Must Deliver
My starting point is always the question of the **purpose of the dialogue**[cite: 11]. No conversation may exist just to fill space[cite: 11]. Every dialogue must achieve at least one of the following: convey information, intensify a conflict, prepare a decision, or change a character[cite: 11]. If I cannot say why this conversation is necessary, I delete it[cite: 11].
2. The Function of the Speaking Character
The second rule is: every character speaks **from their function**[cite: 11]. A king speaks differently than a soldier[cite: 11]. A priest differently than a merchant[cite: 11]. Rank, education, and power determine word choice and sentence length[cite: 11]. No one speaks neutrally[cite: 11]. Everyone pursues a goal: to convince, threaten, deceive, protect, or test[cite: 11]. Dialogues consist of intentions, not small talk[cite: 11].
3. Limitation: The Power of the Unsaid
The third rule is **limitation**[cite: 11]. Characters do not say everything they know[cite: 11]. They only say what they must or are allowed to say at that moment[cite: 11]. Secrets remain secret[cite: 11]. Lies remain incomplete[cite: 11]. **Silence is part of the dialogue**[cite: 11]. What is not said is often more important than what is spoken[cite: 11].
4. Dialogue is Action and Consequence
The fourth rule is **action in dialogue**[cite: 11]. Conversations never stand in a vacuum[cite: 11]. While words are spoken, something happens: a march, a watch, preparation for battle, an interrogation, or an escape[cite: 11]. Dialogues are embedded in situation and movement[cite: 11]. This keeps them alive and functional[cite: 11].
The fifth rule is **consequence**[cite: 11]. What is said in the dialogue changes the situation[cite: 11]. A command triggers an action[cite: 11]. An insult leads to violence[cite: 11]. A truth destroys trust[cite: 11]. If a conversation has no consequences, it was meaningless[cite: 11].
5. Technical Principles for Clear Dialogue
Technically, I stick to clear principles: short sentences, little decoration, no long monologues[cite: 11]. Every line belongs to only one character[cite: 11]. No explanatory side sentences about feelings[cite: 11]. Emotions are revealed through what is said or refused[cite: 11]. Dialogue carries the plot, characters, and world simultaneously[cite: 11].
My method remains personal: only when I am internally with my characters do I hear their voices[cite: 11]. Then I don't write what sounds good, but what they would actually say in that situation[cite: 11]. Dialogues are not literary ornaments, but decisions in words[cite: 11]. If they are right, the conversation carries the story forward[cite: 11]. If they are wrong, the scene collapses[cite: 11].