on Live Write Thrive:

Any writer or literary agent can tell you—dialogue is one of the trickiest tools to master but perhaps the most important in fiction. When it’s flat or purposeless, readers skim or lose interest. When it’s sharp, strategic, and emotional, readers stay engaged.

Dialogue is not filler. It should not be ordinary chitchat meant to mimic “real life.” It’s not an excuse for info dumps. Your goal in every scene—through dialogue and all other fiction elements—is the same: to get readers to care about what happens next to the characters.

The clearer you are on what you want dialogue to accomplish in your scene, the easier it will be to write lines that are clever, multilayered, witty, and moving. Yes, it takes practice, but the craft can be learned.

One wise step is to consider these 10 points before you put your characters’ words on the page.