Here's a few tips and exercises to help you out.
I find that dialogue is all about subtext. Who says what they really mean in real life? The trick is to make sure that the words of the characters are believable. In that same vein, every character has a unique voice. For starters, try and think of the vernacular used by the character you're describing. A teenager is unlikely to say, "Pleased to make your acquaintance," but a fifty-year-old would never be caught dead saying, "Yo, what up, homies?" (Unless he's a dad trying-- and failing-- to learn the language of his son).
To find the voice of your character, take them on a date. I know that sounds funny, but this is also a great exercise for character development. Take a person whose voice you know really well, like yourself, your best friend, your sibling or your mother. You know how THEY talk, you just need to find out how your character does. So write an exercise where you have your real-life personality take your character out for dinner. Ask your character (in the voice you know) what her favorite things are, where she works/goes to school, learn new quirks about her that you might not have even known were there. In the process of this, you might begin to hear your character talking, rather than just imagining it. I find this helpful, and it's also great for character development.
If voice isn't your problem, and it's just dialogue, here's a thought: Try writing a story completely in dialogue. Like a theater script. Though scripts have minimal descriptions of character, setting, and action, you can choose to omit these and try telling the whole story via dialogue.
Here's an example of moving the plot through dialogue from a link of mine. While not the BEST example, I'm too lazy to search for an ESTABLISHED playwright, and since I'm reading a lot of absurdist theater right now, the playwrights I'm thinking of aren't really into moving the plot.
LUCY
It’s always like this with him! He always orders the sushi and then when I finally show up, he never wants it. So I leave, and then he wants it again! Ugh, he treats me like brimstone ash! So this is Hell. I should have known.
JESUS
You think Hell is bad? Take a trip up to Heaven. I mean, there are so many issues with the world, and I keep trying to talk to Dad, but he never listens. It’s so boring up there, too, everyone’s all a bunch of goody-two-shoes— I can’t even find a good weed supplier!
LUCY
Let’s face it. They should have told us that neither after life is worth our time.
JESUS
Look at them. They argue about evolution and trivial things, but they never talk about the important things, like restoring balance to the world... Just pointless, circular logic.
LUCY
Well, it looks like they’re going to be at this for a while. Wanna go to Purgatory and make out?
JESUS
Why not?
Right there, you have the necessities of a story. No exposition, but what can you ask from an excerpt. You have the conflict (disillusionment with the afterlife) and the solution (livening it up by making out) all in a couple of lines.
I pulled out my Dario Fo book for an example of REAL dialogue from an established playwright.
From "We Won't Pay!"
Note: The character Margherita is hiding Antonia's stolen groceries under her dress and faking a pregnancy.
Margherita: I knew it would end up like this! What's going to happen at the hospital when they realize I'm pregnant with rice and tin cans?
Antonia: Nothing's going to happen, because we're never going to get to the hospital.
Margherita: Sure, because they're going to arrest us first.
Antonia: Stop whining! As soon as we get into the ambulance, we'll tell the driver where things stand... I'm sure he'll help us.
Margherita: What if he turns us in instead?
Antonia: Stop it, he's not going to turn us in! And pull up your belly!
Margherita: Another bag's slipping out. I'm falling apart!
Antonia: Hold onto it! Oh what a mess!
Margherita: No, don't press there... Oh my God, you ripped the packet of olives in pickle juice! Ahhhhhhhh!!!!
[Giovanni and Troopers return, alarmed by her shouting]
Giovanni: Now what happened?
Margherita: It's coming out! It's all coming out!
Giovanni: The baby's coming out! The baby's coming out! Quick, officers, help me grab the arms!
So you see the simple effectiveness of dialogue? No actions are described specifically, but the actors can pick it up and translate it to the stage with this skeleton. A good author can do the same.
For starters, just try a dialogue between person A and person B, in which there is a reversal of power by the end of the dialogue.
Hope this was at least a little bit helpful. :o)
I find that dialogue is all about subtext. Who says what they really mean in real life? The trick is to make sure that the words of the characters are believable. In that same vein, every character has a unique voice. For starters, try and think of the vernacular used by the character you're describing. A teenager is unlikely to say, "Pleased to make your acquaintance," but a fifty-year-old would never be caught dead saying, "Yo, what up, homies?" (Unless he's a dad trying-- and failing-- to learn the language of his son).
To find the voice of your character, take them on a date. I know that sounds funny, but this is also a great exercise for character development. Take a person whose voice you know really well, like yourself, your best friend, your sibling or your mother. You know how THEY talk, you just need to find out how your character does. So write an exercise where you have your real-life personality take your character out for dinner. Ask your character (in the voice you know) what her favorite things are, where she works/goes to school, learn new quirks about her that you might not have even known were there. In the process of this, you might begin to hear your character talking, rather than just imagining it. I find this helpful, and it's also great for character development.
If voice isn't your problem, and it's just dialogue, here's a thought: Try writing a story completely in dialogue. Like a theater script. Though scripts have minimal descriptions of character, setting, and action, you can choose to omit these and try telling the whole story via dialogue.
Here's an example of moving the plot through dialogue from a link of mine. While not the BEST example, I'm too lazy to search for an ESTABLISHED playwright, and since I'm reading a lot of absurdist theater right now, the playwrights I'm thinking of aren't really into moving the plot.
LUCY
It’s always like this with him! He always orders the sushi and then when I finally show up, he never wants it. So I leave, and then he wants it again! Ugh, he treats me like brimstone ash! So this is Hell. I should have known.
JESUS
You think Hell is bad? Take a trip up to Heaven. I mean, there are so many issues with the world, and I keep trying to talk to Dad, but he never listens. It’s so boring up there, too, everyone’s all a bunch of goody-two-shoes— I can’t even find a good weed supplier!
LUCY
Let’s face it. They should have told us that neither after life is worth our time.
JESUS
Look at them. They argue about evolution and trivial things, but they never talk about the important things, like restoring balance to the world... Just pointless, circular logic.
LUCY
Well, it looks like they’re going to be at this for a while. Wanna go to Purgatory and make out?
JESUS
Why not?
Right there, you have the necessities of a story. No exposition, but what can you ask from an excerpt. You have the conflict (disillusionment with the afterlife) and the solution (livening it up by making out) all in a couple of lines.
I pulled out my Dario Fo book for an example of REAL dialogue from an established playwright.
From "We Won't Pay!"
Note: The character Margherita is hiding Antonia's stolen groceries under her dress and faking a pregnancy.
Margherita: I knew it would end up like this! What's going to happen at the hospital when they realize I'm pregnant with rice and tin cans?
Antonia: Nothing's going to happen, because we're never going to get to the hospital.
Margherita: Sure, because they're going to arrest us first.
Antonia: Stop whining! As soon as we get into the ambulance, we'll tell the driver where things stand... I'm sure he'll help us.
Margherita: What if he turns us in instead?
Antonia: Stop it, he's not going to turn us in! And pull up your belly!
Margherita: Another bag's slipping out. I'm falling apart!
Antonia: Hold onto it! Oh what a mess!
Margherita: No, don't press there... Oh my God, you ripped the packet of olives in pickle juice! Ahhhhhhhh!!!!
[Giovanni and Troopers return, alarmed by her shouting]
Giovanni: Now what happened?
Margherita: It's coming out! It's all coming out!
Giovanni: The baby's coming out! The baby's coming out! Quick, officers, help me grab the arms!
So you see the simple effectiveness of dialogue? No actions are described specifically, but the actors can pick it up and translate it to the stage with this skeleton. A good author can do the same.
For starters, just try a dialogue between person A and person B, in which there is a reversal of power by the end of the dialogue.
Hope this was at least a little bit helpful. :o)
