When Good Dialogue Breaks the Pattern

Hi writing friends,

I’m working in one of my neighborhood coffee shops, and there are two women at the table next to me. I’d put them in their 60s and probably related because they have the same square jawline and eye color. The tables are so close together in this place that it’s impossible not to overhear their conversation, and I pick up on something really interesting.

These women are the queens of interrupting each other. There’s no waiting politely for their turn to speak. They’re cutting each other, and themselves, off. They change subject and redirect at least ten times. They’re so excited, they can’t wait for the other to finish.

This, I realize, is what I want to see more of in dialogue on the page. I want conversations that are messy and realistic. When I’m editing, I often review dialogue that technically “works” but still feels overly controlled. The missing ingredient is usually friction, and as I listen to these women, I realize that interruption creates friction naturally.

Here’s a quick example:

“I just think after everything that happened with your sister, maybe you should—”
“Don’t.”

Isn’t it interesting how that single interruption hints at conflict, history, and emotional movement without adding exposition? So let’s take a look at some ways that you can effectively incorporate interruptions into your story to elevate the dialogue.

• Real people rarely wait politely for their turn to speak.
  Dialogue can feel artificial if every character delivers complete, uninterrupted thoughts. Strategic interruptions create urgency and emotional realism.

• Interruptions reveal power dynamics.
  The character who interrupts usually controls the scene—or wants to. When one character refuses to let another finish speaking, readers might wonder:

  • What are they avoiding?

  • What truth is too dangerous to say aloud?

  • Who has power in this scene?

• Interruptions also reveal character.

  • Think about the different ways that we interrupt based on personality. Someone with confidence likely interrupts more strongly or more often than an anxious person. A controlling character may bulldoze through an entire conversation. Someone insecure might interrupt with apologies or over-explanations. A manipulative character may redirect the conversation before another character can finish an uncomfortable sentence.

    This goes hand-in-hand with my next point…

• The type of interruption matters.
  Different interruption styles create different energy:

  • cutting someone off mid-sentence

  • answering before the question finishes

  • changing the subject

  • talking over someone

  • finishing another character’s sentence

  • interrupting with action instead of words

• Not all interruptions are aggressive.
  Characters interrupt for different emotional reasons:

  • excitement

  • anxiety

  • affection

  • defensiveness

  • fear of silence

  • urgency

  • manipulation

• Silence after interruption can be more powerful than the interruption itself.
  A character might interrupt themselves by stopping mid-thought, which can leave emotional residue in the scene.

• Overlapping interruptions can increase pacing without adding exposition.
  Just like the women in this coffee shop, quick interruptions can make scenes feel faster and more alive. Think about your favorite scene involving arguments, flirtation, or negotiations.

• Review a dialogue-heavy scene in your story and identify the following:

  • Where would someone realistically cut in?

  • Who has control and who wants control?

  • What truth keeps getting avoided?

• If one character has a longish dialogue, try removing the final line and let another character interrupt before the emotional conclusion lands. The scene might become more dynamic.

The real power of interruption dialogue is that it compresses emotion. Instead of explaining tension, you let readers feel it unfolding in real time. Dialogue isn’t memorable because characters say perfect things. It’s memorable because characters struggle to say what they mean.

Comments are open to all. 👇 Please share any questions you have about writing dialogue below.

Until next time,

-Jackie

📚 What I’m reading:

Since I’ll be teaching a class on writing road trips 👇 I’m rereading a few novels like Kevin Wilson’s Run for the Hills about a found family of half siblings driving across country in a PT Cruiser to find their father. And if you know Kevin Wilson, you know it’s touching and warm and filled with humor.

🎥 What I’m watching:

I just wrapped up Running Point — a low-stakes, easy viewing show with Kate Hudson at the helm of the fictional LA Waves basketball team. Any recommendations on what to watch next?

🀄️What I’m looking forward to:

I took a class on Hong Kong style mahjong, and I’m hooked! I’m still not sure what to do with those flowers, so if you have any tips, let me know.

June 17, 6-8pm Eastern

This online writing workshop invites you to explore the road trip as a powerful engine for your story. You’ll examine how physical movement generates emotional change, how varied landscape shapes character and voice, and how journeys reveal what can’t be discovered at home. Through close reading, craft talks, and generative exercises, you’ll learn to use travel — by car, train, or foot — as a catalyst for transformation on the page.

Whether you’re writing fiction or memoir, this creative writing course blends discussion, short readings, and in-class writing exercises designed to generate new work or expand existing projects. You’ll leave with concrete techniques for using motion, landscape, and destination (or lack of one) to drive your story’s emotional arc.

six weeks starting June 15 from 6-9pm Eastern

If you love stories that make you swoon and want to write your own romance novel, this course is for you. Whether you have the germ of an idea or are already well into a draft, you'll discover what makes a page-turning, heartfelt romance novel by drawing on popular examples of the genre, identifying the rules of romantic fiction and highlighting key techniques that you can bring to your own writing. In-class exercises and generative writing prompts will connect our lessons, and we'll wrap up each week with a writing assignment and feedback on your work.

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