on Live Write Thrive:

Heads up!

Dialogue Doctor Jeff Elkins joins me in this special event on Tuesday September 23 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time! If you’re a fiction writer or penning creative nonfiction, treat yourself to a 2-hour intensive master class that will help you supercharge the dialogue in your scenes. Enroll HERE to attend the master class.

Writers often think of dialogue as the ultimate tool for speed. Characters talk, the story zips forward, and the pages turn themselves. And while that’s true—dialogue doescreate momentum—it can also drag or sputter if the pacing isn’t managed well.

Too much snappy back-and-forth can feel breathless and ungrounded. Too much narration between lines can bog things down until the energy leaks out.

The trick is learning how to pace dialogue with intention. When you know how to slow down or speed up a conversation, you gain control over tension, character dynamics, and reader engagement.

Let’s look at five key strategies you can use to shape the rhythm of your dialogue.