on Live Write Thrive:

Dialogue is perhaps the most potent element in a fiction writer’s toolkit. Through dialogue, writers can reveal character, escalate conflict, build microtension, layer in mystery, and propel the plot—all within the spoken (or unspoken) exchanges between characters. It’s this multidimensional utility that makes dialogue worthy of careful craft.

Why Dialogue Matters (and Why Writers Should Hone It)

Yes, dialogue should always serve more than one purpose. It’s not simply a tool for expositional information about the plot—it’s a dynamic space where character, tension, and subtext converge.

Fiction writers need techniques to utilize dialogue to make every line do double (or even triple) duty. Here are 4 ways dialogue achieves that: