Dialogue is an extremely important part of any story. It establishes character relationships, emphasises characters' personalities, and sets the pace and tone of the story.
However, it's easy to get lost in dialogue. How much should you write, and when should it occur? Here are some tips!

Monologues. In plays and musicals (mainly Shakespeare) these may be common and welcome, but not so much in stories. Where a play emphasises and dramatises, a story engages a reader with realistic characters and situations. While listening to a villian loudly boast their evil plan is thrilling onstage, it seems strange and out of place in writing. In normal conversations, people keep their speeches short and concise. The only time I would advise writing a rant would be when a character has lost their temper, or is telling a story. Even then, try not to make it too over-the-top.

Vocabulary. While it is tempting to flaunt an impeccable expanse of complex words, it's not usually necessary in dialogue. In certain descriptions it may be useful, but the thing is, nobody really says "conglomeration" in real life.

Frequency. Dialogue is important, but it should not make up most of your story! I used to make my writing too dialogue-oriented. You don't want this. Description and action are just as important and should take up more space than your conversations. Dialogue is good—it just shouldn't be the way you express your plot.

Unnecessary dialogue. Sometimes, even when a character is in an extreme situation and/or feeling an extreme emotion, they do not have to say anything. Please don't feel that it is necessary for your character to speak. If you feel that the situation or emotion can be better conveyed silently, then do so. A beautiful piece of description will always be better than a mood-ruining line.

Dialogue according to personality. When you write a line of speech, stop to think, "Would my character say this?" As we've mentioned before, it is very important for your character to have a consistent personality, and it is noticeable when they say something out of character. A sassy character might snark in an enemy's face, but a cold one would be more likely to remain silent. Don't get them mixed up!

Well, I think that's all for now. See you!