I am a dialogue first writer and always have been. Every draft zero starts as 100% dialogue. I write the conversation first, then I backfill with description. It probably has a lot to do with the fact that my two biggest influences are Aaron Sorkin and David E Kelley. I jokingly say that if I had grown up anywhere but the south, I probably would have been a screenwriter.
That's awesome! The characters must really feel like their own person. I feel like I have to work more on my dialogue, I've been wanting to learn more screenwriting because of that. Someone else recommended me a book for it.
There are tons of Aaron Sorkin videos on YouTube. Interviews, excerpts from his Masterclass videos, etc. I really don't think there's anyone better when it comes to pure dialogue.
I’ve definitely written a few scenes staring only with dialogue and developing from there but it’s not my go-to method because it doesn’t always work for me. Cool that it works for you!
“Make sure dialogue is moving the plot forward (by providing new information or raising the stakes), or developing your character (by revealing their personality or their backstory naturally).”
I’ve seen the first half of this advice about twice as much as the second half. Elmore Leonard has the best dialogue in crime fiction and very little moves the plot, but all of it gives you a better idea of who the characters are.
I know what you mean. I found this advice many times in my search. I think I find it too much for anything writing related. It just always goes back to the plot progression and character development.
Also, any book you particularly liked from Elmore Leonard?
All rules are meant to be broken, especially in creative writing. But it helps so much to know what these rules and industry standards are before you actually break them.
Thank you for another great article! This is one topic I never really thought about. It was interesting to see a software's take on how much dialogue there should be and what kind there should be per genre. I think I generally try to write dialogue that fits the story, regardless of genre. If the dialogue advances the plot (like characters discussing a plan), develops character, or both, then I try to keep it. Or, if it simply feels fun and it won't slow down the plot too much, I might include it.
Thanks for reading! I think this is a healthy frame (and a correct one). The ratios probably don't apply to every book. And there are some books in which a lot of dialogue has been boring to me and others in which I just want more scenes of the characters in just a side story.
I've felt both those things while reading before, too. I read a story once where a section of dialogue technically developed the characters (a teacher and her friend), but considering there had already been similar character-revealing situations before, it felt more like a slowing down of the plot than a fun scene. Plus, it downplayed the seriousness of their situation in such a way that I thought made them look apathetic. (I could understand their using humor to cope with a bad situation, but that wasn't the tone that scene was setting.)
Conversely, I read a story where I wanted more scenes with the main characters. I think it can be difficult to determine whether to keep or delete sections of dialogue, but if those sections make readers want more time with the characters, or if they fill that want, then they're probably worth keeping.
This was really interesting! My own writing tends to lean heavily into interiority, movement, and sensory detail, so I suspect my dialogue ratio changes wildly from scene to scene. I’ve never measured it—I tend to feel when a conversation needs more grounding, or when the narration needs to step aside and let the characters speak.
I do think authors should take any numerical benchmark with a generous grain of salt, though. These are suggestions, and I would caution writers against trying to fit these “benchmarks” simply because a chart exists. I would also hesitate to think of these ranges as genre “expectations,” since they appear to come from writing-software benchmarks rather than studies of representative novels or reader behavior.
And if your writing crosses established genres, these ranges may not fit at all.
A percentage can be an interesting diagnostic or a reason to look at a scene more closely, but it can’t tell us whether dialogue feels alive, whether a silence carries meaning, or whether the prose surrounding it is doing the emotional work.
The needs of the story—and the writer’s own voice—should always win. I appreciated that you ultimately brought it back to what each element is actually doing on the page.
Thanks for the thoughtful comment Vesper! Yes, “it depends” on the story you want to tell. I think there are some books out there that are only dialogue 😁
Your explanation for why the ratio became a thing: it exists because it can be counted, and editors needed something to say that wasn't "the vibes were off." That's true of a lot of craft metrics. The countable thing stands in for the thing that matters because nobody can quantify the second one.
That's true! I'm just starting to write fiction so I like numbers because they work as "training wheels" for me, but I know that I'll come a point in which I'll be more seasoned and just will know how to do the thing without it being quantifiable.
I never thought about how much dialogue is in my novel. I almost wish there was an easy way to calculate it, but I also don't want to know, because I don't want to start thinking that way.
I have some scenes that are mostly dialogue, including a few that are entirely dialogue (for a purpose). And I have scenes with very little if any dialogue at all.
When I write, the only thing I worry about is telling the story the way it needs to be told. Using that as my guide, everything else falls into place. Well... using that as my guide and also doing a lot of editing. Editing is where the magic happens.
Great article! It was interesting seeing the ratios for different genres. I think it can be a good tool for troubleshooting your writing if you feel like the story doesn't flow well.
Glad we crossed feeds, if you were thinking about it! And thanks for your kind comment, happy this was helpful. Good luck on writing your fantasy book too 💪
I am a dialogue first writer and always have been. Every draft zero starts as 100% dialogue. I write the conversation first, then I backfill with description. It probably has a lot to do with the fact that my two biggest influences are Aaron Sorkin and David E Kelley. I jokingly say that if I had grown up anywhere but the south, I probably would have been a screenwriter.
That's awesome! The characters must really feel like their own person. I feel like I have to work more on my dialogue, I've been wanting to learn more screenwriting because of that. Someone else recommended me a book for it.
There are tons of Aaron Sorkin videos on YouTube. Interviews, excerpts from his Masterclass videos, etc. I really don't think there's anyone better when it comes to pure dialogue.
I’ve definitely written a few scenes staring only with dialogue and developing from there but it’s not my go-to method because it doesn’t always work for me. Cool that it works for you!
“Make sure dialogue is moving the plot forward (by providing new information or raising the stakes), or developing your character (by revealing their personality or their backstory naturally).”
I’ve seen the first half of this advice about twice as much as the second half. Elmore Leonard has the best dialogue in crime fiction and very little moves the plot, but all of it gives you a better idea of who the characters are.
I know what you mean. I found this advice many times in my search. I think I find it too much for anything writing related. It just always goes back to the plot progression and character development.
Also, any book you particularly liked from Elmore Leonard?
Maximum Bob, Get Shorty, The Switch, and Out of Sight are all great.
(although I could go on to name most of his books!)
Very useful!
All rules are meant to be broken, especially in creative writing. But it helps so much to know what these rules and industry standards are before you actually break them.
Thanks :)
And yes, totally agree. I'm all for breaking the rules, but I like to know them first, if I'm going to.
Thank you for another great article! This is one topic I never really thought about. It was interesting to see a software's take on how much dialogue there should be and what kind there should be per genre. I think I generally try to write dialogue that fits the story, regardless of genre. If the dialogue advances the plot (like characters discussing a plan), develops character, or both, then I try to keep it. Or, if it simply feels fun and it won't slow down the plot too much, I might include it.
Thanks for reading! I think this is a healthy frame (and a correct one). The ratios probably don't apply to every book. And there are some books in which a lot of dialogue has been boring to me and others in which I just want more scenes of the characters in just a side story.
I've felt both those things while reading before, too. I read a story once where a section of dialogue technically developed the characters (a teacher and her friend), but considering there had already been similar character-revealing situations before, it felt more like a slowing down of the plot than a fun scene. Plus, it downplayed the seriousness of their situation in such a way that I thought made them look apathetic. (I could understand their using humor to cope with a bad situation, but that wasn't the tone that scene was setting.)
Conversely, I read a story where I wanted more scenes with the main characters. I think it can be difficult to determine whether to keep or delete sections of dialogue, but if those sections make readers want more time with the characters, or if they fill that want, then they're probably worth keeping.
This was really interesting! My own writing tends to lean heavily into interiority, movement, and sensory detail, so I suspect my dialogue ratio changes wildly from scene to scene. I’ve never measured it—I tend to feel when a conversation needs more grounding, or when the narration needs to step aside and let the characters speak.
I do think authors should take any numerical benchmark with a generous grain of salt, though. These are suggestions, and I would caution writers against trying to fit these “benchmarks” simply because a chart exists. I would also hesitate to think of these ranges as genre “expectations,” since they appear to come from writing-software benchmarks rather than studies of representative novels or reader behavior.
And if your writing crosses established genres, these ranges may not fit at all.
A percentage can be an interesting diagnostic or a reason to look at a scene more closely, but it can’t tell us whether dialogue feels alive, whether a silence carries meaning, or whether the prose surrounding it is doing the emotional work.
The needs of the story—and the writer’s own voice—should always win. I appreciated that you ultimately brought it back to what each element is actually doing on the page.
Thanks for the thoughtful comment Vesper! Yes, “it depends” on the story you want to tell. I think there are some books out there that are only dialogue 😁
Thanks, it was interesting to read and reflect upon!
Thanks for reading 🙌
Thanks, Jesse! That was indeed helpful! I appreciate that you gave both the numbers and the ways to balance dialogue beyond the math.
I'm glad you suggested the topic and even happier you liked it!
Your explanation for why the ratio became a thing: it exists because it can be counted, and editors needed something to say that wasn't "the vibes were off." That's true of a lot of craft metrics. The countable thing stands in for the thing that matters because nobody can quantify the second one.
That's true! I'm just starting to write fiction so I like numbers because they work as "training wheels" for me, but I know that I'll come a point in which I'll be more seasoned and just will know how to do the thing without it being quantifiable.
I never thought about how much dialogue is in my novel. I almost wish there was an easy way to calculate it, but I also don't want to know, because I don't want to start thinking that way.
I have some scenes that are mostly dialogue, including a few that are entirely dialogue (for a purpose). And I have scenes with very little if any dialogue at all.
When I write, the only thing I worry about is telling the story the way it needs to be told. Using that as my guide, everything else falls into place. Well... using that as my guide and also doing a lot of editing. Editing is where the magic happens.
Yes💪
That's how it should be. There are stories out there that don't follow this ratios and are great.
Great article! It was interesting seeing the ratios for different genres. I think it can be a good tool for troubleshooting your writing if you feel like the story doesn't flow well.
Totally agree with you! These shouldn't be “rules” but maybe act as helpful ratios if you want to get a grip on habits.
Thanks for venturing down that rabbit hole for us! Very informative. And nice to know there’s a fairly broad range of acceptable ratios
Thanks for reading. Gla this was helpful 🫡
I write middle grade adventure novels. No clue what the recommended ratio is there.
Tried to look it up, but couldn't find it. Thanks for reading and the restack 🙂
My manuscript is with beta readers. After that I’m hiring a developmental editor. She’ll know whether the ratio is off or not.
You actually covered this topic quite conveniently as this has been on my mind recently when writing my own fantasy books.
This has been very informative has put my mind as easy with my writing process.
I will keep this all in my mind and good luck on writing your book! Thank you so much for sharing this information!
Glad we crossed feeds, if you were thinking about it! And thanks for your kind comment, happy this was helpful. Good luck on writing your fantasy book too 💪
Thank you! I really appreciate it! I wish us both success on our writing journey!
💪
Nice! It helps to actually see this and know that there is some type of expectation.
Glad this helped :)