If Your Dialogue Sounds Flat, THIS Is Why

Thank you to ProWritingAid for sponsoring this video! Get 20% off ProWritingAid Premium (annual plan) when you use my special link: https://prowritingaid.com/pp/AbbieEmm... &utm_term= Do you ever read your dialogue and think: “Why does this sound like a first draft… even though I’ve revised it six times?” 😩 On paper, the conversation technically works. But something about it feels stiff. Or confusing. Or just… flat. In today’s video, I’m unpacking the four most common dialogue mistakes that instantly make writing sound amateur—and how to fix them with just a few simple changes. Ready to glow up your dialogue? let's dive in! ________________________________ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 How to write realistic dialogue? 01:03 Mistake 1: Relying solely on tags for emotion 02:59 How to fix telling instead of showing 06:31 Mistake 2: Underusing dialogue tags 07:51 How to fix confusing dialogue 10:48 Mistake 3: Slipping tense inside dialogue 12:27 How to fix tense slips in dialogue 13:41 Mistake 4: Failing to balance tags and action 16:28 How to fix bad pacing in dialogue 21:37 Try ProWritingAid for free 22:50 Subscribe for more writing videos! ________________________________ ✨ V A L U A B L E R E S O U R C E S✨ ❤️GET BONUS CONTENT + SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL:   / abbieemmons   📚READ MY BOOKS: https://amzn.to/3Ivk0Gr 🖥️TAKE MY SCRIVENER MASTERCLASS: https://makeyourstorymatter.teachable... ✏️TAKE MY EDITING MASTERCLASS: https://www.learnfromabbie.com/p/edit... 💬TAKE MY BOOK BLURB MASTERCLASS: https://www.learnfromabbie.com/p/how-... 📓GET MY FREE WRITING TEMPLATES: https://abbieemmons.ck.page/make-your... 💵GET 20% OFF SCRIVENER - USE CODE "ABBIE" → https://www.literatureandlatte.com/sc... 🎤LISTEN TO MY PODCAST WITH MY SISTER: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/sh... 🎥 MY GEAR + WRITING TOOLS: https://abbieemmonsauthor.com/my-gear 🎵 I GET ALL MY MUSIC FROM EPIDEMIC SOUND… CLAIM YOUR 60-DAY FREE TRIAL HERE: https://www.epidemicsound.com/referra... ✨F O L L O W ✨ blog: https://bit.ly/2Kl21m8 facebook: https://bit.ly/2FS2Ikh instagram: http://bit.ly/2Xr5hUI tiktok:   / makeyourstorymatter   patreon:   / abbieemmons   Business inquiries: [email protected] ✨ A B O U T ✨ My name is Abbie Emmons I teach writers how to make their stories matter by harnessing the power and psychology of storytelling, transforming their ideas into a masterpiece, and creating a lifestyle that makes their author dreams come true. Story isn’t about “what happens” — it’s about how what happens affects and transforms the characters. I believe that there is an exact science (a recipe, if you will) behind a perfect story. And if you know what ingredients you need, you can create your own perfect story with ease and confidence. That’s what we talk about every week on this channel – and if it’s something you’re into, be sure to subscribe and join this community!