Rant: One beta reader told me my dialogue read like a transcript, what side are you on?

I got feedback that my characters talk way too realistic like people actually do with all the ums and interruptions. But now I'm wondering, do readers want realistic chatter or polished lines that move the plot, which camp do you fall into?

2 comments

2 Comments

josephb357d ago

Wait, did your beta reader actually say your dialogue sounded like a transcript? Because in my experience, that's either the best or worst feedback you can get, and there's no middle ground. Real talk: if my characters started talking like my buddies at the bar with all the "uhs" and "likes" and interrupting each other, the plot would never move past chapter two. But then again, if they all speak in perfect, polished sentences like they're hosting a TED Talk, it reads like a robot convention. I wrote one scene where two characters argued about who forgot to feed the cat, and my beta said it felt "realistic to the point of boredom." So I lean toward plot-moving lines with just enough natural rhythm to not sound like a screenplay. Take that with a grain of salt though, my own dialogue probably sounds like a transcript of a transcript.

dixon.rose7d agoMost Upvoted

isn't that just the worst, when feedback hits that weird middle ground where you're not sure if you should be proud or embarrassed? @josephb35 i think you nailed it with the "realistic to the point of boredom" thing too, because that's my biggest fear with dialogue... i'll spend an hour tweaking one line to sound natural and then realize nobody would ever say that in a million years, or i'll write it too natural and it's just people saying "uh" and "like" for three pages straight... i say we all just embrace the robot convention and call it a day, at least the plot moves somewhere.