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All writing is hard, and dialogue may be one of the hardest aspects of writing. Oftentimes, we start by putting two people in a space with a conflict to create a scene. We start writing, and we get them talking to see where the conversation takes them and the story. Simply letting them talk can work and eventually lead us to the core of the scene. It can also eat up valuable time.

Eavesdropping on strangers’ conversations can help us with crafting characters and giving them a voice. However, much of the day-to-day dialogue we hear in real life doesn’t belong on the page. Dialogue should be more layered. It should accomplish more than just making a scene. It should advance the story, further character development, and more.

The Throat Chakra represents the culmination of expression, after shaping the identity in the Root Chakra, understanding relationships with others in the Sacral Chakra, developing a sense of agency in the Solar Plexus Chakra, and the ability to view others with compassion in the Heart Chakra, which is a bridge between the lower and upper chakras.

Before you attempt to get your characters talking, give some thought to all the information you’ve amassed about them by studying them through the lens of the lower four chakras. Think about their desires and motivations. Think about their self-image and self-confidence or lack thereof. Think about their fears and vulnerabilities.

If you’re writing fiction, let your characters be their own free agents. Let them show their not-so-desirable sides – even your protagonist (and even if the protagonist is you, in the case of memoir). If you’re writing in the non-fiction, self-help/how-to category, write an imaginary conversation you might have with your Ideal Reader or client, or schedule a few discovery calls with people who you think might be your Ideal Readers, and see what unfolds in the conversation. No matter your genre, show your people in all their frail humanity. They will thank you for it, and your readers will thank you for it.

Has one of your characters been giving you trouble? Have you been stuck, not knowing how to move forward with him or represent him objectively? Write a dialogue between you and the character. Let him tell you what you’re not letting him say. Let him be in control.

Please leave a comment below. I’d love to know what you discover.