Rhythmic Writing: Dialogue Beats

Writing dialogue doesn’t always come naturally to writers. This isn’t really surprising, because fiction dialogue isn’t like spoken conversation. It’s not simply a matter of transposing how we talk onto the page. There are many differences between live conversation and prosaic speech. Some are subtle — repetitive words aren’t as noticeable in audible speech, especially when it’s casual, but in prose, repetition can make dialogue feel uninspired and dull. And some differences between speech and dialogue are bigger and more obvious, like the use of common hedge words such as “um” and “er,” which generally do not make the cut into dialogue although they are so frequently spoken aloud. Keeping a few of these hedge words in can be a powerful tool, but they must be used appropriately, to match character and occasion. Too many easily become quite tiresome to read.

The reader absorbs dialogue in fiction thanks to the pacing of dialogic prose. The way we encounter any length of speech in real life is peppered with other senses and thoughts — things we notice as a listener, or as a speaker. The softness of the chair under the speaker’s legs. The gesture they make after a phrase. The sound of their voice cracking slightly near the end of a long sentence. We’re rarely ever only experiencing one sense at a time, and it’s our job as writers to bring this multi-sensorial experience to the page, layering and weaving everything that can be noted there. In narrative prose, this is easily accomplished through simple description, but accomplishing it within dialogue requires a little more creativity. That’s where beats come in. Either descriptive or action-based, beats are the interjections in prose that put breaks between speech.

“I know we don’t have a lot of time together. That’s why I’m quitting my second job.”

Let’s explore how the phrase above feels different when you add in a beat to break up the two sentences. Right now there is only a short pause between them, thanks to the period. There is a rhythm, but it’s slightly rushed.

“I know we don’t have a lot of time together,” he said. “That’s why I’m quitting my second job.”

The most simple of beats is a dialogue tag. This adds in a bigger pause between the two sentences, which also brings additional emphasis to the second. The rhythm becomes more defined.

Tip: look for places that already need a tag for clarity and use this opportunity as your beat placement.

“I know we don’t have a lot of time together.” He sat up straight. “That’s why I’m quitting my second job.”

Adding in a beat that describes an action from one of the characters in the scene is an easy way to ground the speech. This takes away from or adds to the emphasis of the second sentence, depending on what the action is. Take care not to add an action beat that is more detailed or more lengthy than your most emphatic dialogic phrase.

“I know we don’t have a lot of time together.” The tone of his voice calmed me. “That’s why I’m quitting my second job.”

This type of beat is neither tag nor action, strictly speaking. Instead, it’s a descriptive beat that sews sections of dialogue together with emotional or additional details. Here we get to understand how the protagonist is feeling before the dialogue goes on. It’s a little porthole that can be extremely valuable.

The rhythm of dialogue isn’t something you can precisely count. If your dialogue becomes too regular or metered, it will feel more like a poem or epic than natural-feeling prose. Instead, looking at where you yourself need a breath, mentally, as you write and read, can help you find the spot to break out of the dialogue and add an action beat.

Tip: read your dialogue sections aloud and mark where you need to take a breath.

Think about emphasis, as noted above. Breaking up dialogue into smaller chunks emphasizes each piece separately. This can be a great tactic for conveying emotionally intense speech, but be cautious — each chunk needs to have its own rhythm if you separate too often. Overemphasis can render the entire work less meaningful, and your dialogue will feel choppy and strained.

Play with the dialogue in your work often, adding in beats in different places. Make a Version A, Version B and C — however many you need. Read through them all within the scene and pick your favorite.

Tip: use a second monitor to compare one version against another visually.

Challenge your current writing rhythm and try new ways of utilizing beats in dialogue for better reading experience!