Hello, lovely readers 👋 , my name is Sarah, and I’m your go-to person for all things dialogue. In this blog, I’ll be discussing a topic that writers or anyone in communication fields might love- creating tension and conflict through dialogue, and strategies for success.

Let’s get started.

What is dialogue, and why is it essential in creating tension and conflict? 🗣️😕🙂

Dialogue is the conversation between two or more characters in a story or any communication setting. It is a great way to convey emotions, express feelings and ideas, and communicate with others, whether that’s in a story or real life.

Creating tension and conflict through dialogue is an essential technique to keep your audience engaged and emotionally involved in your story. It takes your characters on a journey where their conversations become revealing, insightful, and emotional.

To create a compelling dialogue, there are several strategies to consider.

Use subtext 🤔🗯️🤔

Subtext is the underlying or hidden meaning behind the surface-level dialogue. It’s the unspoken tension between characters, thoughts, and actions that reveal what they are thinking or feeling.

By using subtext, you can create a sense of tension and conflict without directly addressing it. You can even use contrasting subtexts to create more tension, for example, a character saying one thing while their actions or tone of voice say another.

A man and woman sitting across from each other at a table, both looking unhappy while having a conversation

Create conflict with opposing beliefs 🤝👊🤝

One of the most effective ways to create tension and conflict is to have characters with opposing beliefs or values. The contrasts between these beliefs can cause friction between the characters and intensify the tension in the dialogue.

When characters have beliefs or values that contradict each other, it creates an opportunity for them to argue, disagree, or even create chaos, which can add tension to the scene.

However, it is essential to remain faithful to the characters’ personalities while keeping them tied to their beliefs and values.

Two people yelling at each other, with their backs turned to one another.

Build up to a reveal 😲😮😲

Revealing important information during a conversation can increase the suspense in the story. It’s a strategy that keeps the audience intrigued and also helps develop the characters.

You can use physical changes like the characters avoiding eye contact, stuttering or a tense tense tone of voice, or withholding information, to create anticipation before revealing the information.

A mysterious person sitting across from someone, they have a calm demeanor with a hint of inner thoughts suggested by the image

Use questions to create tension and conflict ❓❔❓

Questions are great tools to create tension and conflict. They can be used to convey a hidden agenda, imply something without needing to say it, or create confusion and uncertainty among the characters.

Questions should be open-ended, leading to a dialogue with more depth and insight. They could also be rhetorical, leaving the other character with a feeling of emptiness.

Furthermore, the tone and context of the questions asked are crucial in ensuring they create the intended effect.

Two people standing on opposite ends of a stage, as if they are about to engage in a debate, indicating tension and unease between the two

Conclusion: Dialogue is the key 🔑 to building tension and conflict in your story! 👀👦👧

Creating tension and conflict through dialogue involves the use of various tools and strategies that can help bring your characters to life. The main goal is to grab the readers’ emotions and imagination, putting them on the edge of their seat, racing through the pages to see how the conflicts in your story resolve.

Utilizing these strategies will help you create engaging dialogue that endures through the ages. Do you have any dialogue strategies that you have used before? Share them with us in the comments!

A book with an open page, a pen, and glasses on a table, indicating someone in the process of writing or reading