© Vicki Hinze 

After you've written your scene, it's a good idea to run a checklist on all dialogue. As you do so, ask the following questions:

• Did I say exactly what I meant to say?
• Did I say what I meant to say in a manner that is natural to the character speaking?
• Would the scene suffer or stand strong without this dialogue? Is it necessary, essential to the story?
• Does this dialogue propel the plot, contribute to its forward-moving momentum?
• Does this dialogue generate or complicate an existing conflict?
• Does this dialogue create intimacy or immediacy?
• Is it evident, by speech pattern, style, and tone, who is speaking?
• Does this dialogue subtly convey the mood (emotional state) at this given moment of the character speaking?
• Is the emotion being conveyed by this dialogue appropriate to the circumstance created within the scene? If not, is its inappropriateness intentional? Within character? Motivated?
• Is the body language of the character speaking attuned to what is being said, or being left unsaid?