I thought I would expand on that dialogue tip I mentioned earlier.

I think dialogue is one of the most important elements in telling your story. It lets us get to know  characters. It moves the story plot along. If you are writing any type of romance in your story it allows the two characters to flirt, argue and eventually fall in love.

What I'm was saying in my tip on the early chapter is to picture two characters – your heroine and your hero – standing in a room in front of you. Now let them start talking.

When my characters talk in a scene I actually hear them talking as if I am overhearing two people having an actual conversation. I write down what they are saying like so:

I don't feel like going to the movies.

You said you wanted to go out.

I do. Just not to the movies.

How about going out to eat.

Where?

That Italian place you like.

I'm tired of eating Italian.

Jane what's wrong?

Nothing's wrong.

Obviously something is wrong or we wouldn't be having this conversation.

Did you see her again?

Who.

Don't do that. Don't act like I'm crazy. You know who I am talking about.

You know I saw her.

Do you still love her?

No. I love you.

I don't believe you.

Notice I just wrote one line after the other. No dialogue tags. Now let's go back in and add the dialogue tags and the punctuation to that conversation.

"I don't feel like going to the movies," I said.

"You said you wanted to go out." Roger sounded annoyed.

"I do. Just not to the movies."

"How about going out to eat," he suggested.

"Where?" I demanded.

"That Italian place you like," he answered.

"I'm tired of eating Italian."

"Jane what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," I whispered.

"Obviously something is wrong or we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"Did you...did you see her again?" I could barely get the words out.

"Who?"

"Don't do that. Don't act like I'm crazy. You know who I am talking about."

He was getting angry now, I could see it flash across his eyes. "You know I saw her."

"Do you still love her?" I held my breath as I waited to hear the answer.

"No. I love you," he said.

"You tell me you love me, but I don't believe you anymore."

Okay now let's go back in and start to layer into the scene the stuff  that's taking place while they are having the conversation. Let's make these two characters move around while they are talking.

I stood in the doorway watching him. "I don't feel like going to the movies," I said.

Roger was at his desk, shuffling papers into three neat piles. When I spoke he turned and gave me hard stare. "You said you wanted to go out." Roger sounded annoyed.

I walked into the room and went over to the window. I looked out into the dark. "I do. Just not to the movies."

He could hear him getting out of his chair. He came up behind me. His hand touched my right shoulder. "How about going out to eat."

I spun around and faced him. "Where?" I demanded.

He looked at me in silence for a moment before speaking. "That Italian place you like."

I took a step back and shook my head. "I'm tired of eating Italian."

His hand reached out and he caressed my cheek. "Jane, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," I whispered. I could feel the tears coming. I didn't want to cry  in front of him.

He moved closer. "Obviously something is wrong or we wouldn't be having this conversation," he said. His voice was full of concern.

"Did you...did you see her again?" I could barely get the words out.

"Who?"

"Don't do that. Don't act like I'm crazy. You know who I am talking about."

He was getting angry now, I could see it flash across his eyes. "You know I saw her."

"Do you still love her?" I held my breath as I waited to hear the answer.

"No. I love you," he answered.

The tears slid down my face. "You tell me you love me, but I don't believe you anymore."

This time we are going back into the scene and we are adding some internal thoughts that the heroine is having.

I stood in the doorway watching him. "I don't feel like going to the movies," I said. I no longer felt angry. The anger had been replaced with a sadness that seemed to fill me until I could barely breathe.

Roger was at his desk, shuffling papers into three neat piles. When I spoke he turned and gave me hard stare. "You said you wanted to go out." Roger sounded annoyed.

I wouldn't let it happen again. I would confront him this time. But as I looked at him I lost my nerve. Would he deny it this time? Would he finally tell me the truth? Did I want to hear the truth? I walked into the room and went over to the window. I looked out into the dark. "I do. Just not to the movies."

He could hear him getting out of his chair. He came up behind me. His hand touched my right shoulder. "How about going out to eat."

I spun around and faced him. "Where?" I demanded. My hands were trembling so hard I clasped them together. I would be brave this time. I would finally confront him with all the terrible thoughts that had been spinning through my head since I saw them together at the park. Was it just yesterday? God had it really only been twenty four hours? Twenty four hours of living hell as I kept picturing them together over and over in my mind. He would tell me the truth this time.

He looked at me in silence for a moment before speaking. "That Italian place you like."

I took a step back and shook my head. "I'm tired of eating Italian." I just had to get the words out. I had to confront him. Had to demand that he make a choice. Did he still love her? Had our relationship all these years been nothing but a lie?

His hand reached out and he caressed my cheek. "Jane, what's wrong?"

I know he cared about me. I could see it in his eyes. He did love me. But was it enough. "Nothing's wrong," I whispered. I could feel the tears coming. I didn't want to cry in front of him.

He moved closer. "Obviously something is wrong or we wouldn't be having this conversation," he said. His voice was full of concern.

"Did you...did you see her again?" I could barely get the words out. I had finally said them. Finally forced the question from my mouth. And once it was out I regretted asking it.

He gave me a blank look. "Who?"

My words rushed out. "Don't do that. Don't act like I'm crazy. You know who I am talking about." I raised my hands. I wanted to strike him. Wanted to tear his eyes out. But instead of hitting him I took another step back. I could feel the cool window pane against the palms of my hands.

He was getting angry now, I could see it flash across his eyes. "You know I saw her."

"Do you still love her?" I held my breath as I waited to hear the answer.

"No. I love you," he answered.

I wanted so desperately to believe him. Wanted this whole nightmare to go away. The tears slid down my face. "You tell me you love me, but I don't believe you anymore."

I could even go back into the scene and do some more layering--give more description to the room they are in. Each time I layer I add more depth to a scene.

So you see how I started out with just jotting down the conversation. By doing that I allowed myself to just concentrate on the two characters talking. I could get down what they were saying. That helps me make my conversation sound more naturally. It's not as jilted as when I try to write it while I'm also writing the whole scene. Sometimes I do write the whole scene first and then sprinkle in the conversation as I write it. But more often I just write the conversation out first, line by line, without tags, especially if it's a conversation happening with just two characters.

And here are some more tips I found on writing dialogue:

http://fictionwriting.about.com/od/crafttechnique/tp/dialogue.htm

http://writetodone.com/10-easy-ways-to-improve-your-dialogue/

http://www.booktrust.org.uk/books/teenagers/writing-tips/writing-fiction/dialogue

http://theeditorsblog.net/2010/12/08/punctuation-in-dialogue/