Why does word economy in dialogues make your characters more real?
If prose is the skeleton of your story, dialogue is the heartbeat. It moves the plot forward, reveals character, and creates tension. But too often, writers treat dialogue like a dumping ground for exposition, emotional oversharing or as a bridge between two scenes. This is when word economy must step in, wielding its’ sword.
In real life, the body-language, facial expressions and hand-gestures form 80% of the communication package. Often no words are even needed, rambling or otherwise.
But on the page, readers only get words. We cannot afford the space needed to ramble. We must make our words replace the physical cues too.
Word economy in dialogue trims the fluff so that every spoken line feels deliberate. It must seem natural, but without the ERRs… UMMs… and unfinished, trailing sentences. Writing the way people actually speak—but sharper, cleaner, and tuned for impact.
The Problem with Overstuffed Dialogue
Consider this line:
“I was just thinking that maybe if we left now, even though it’s raining, we could possibly get to the station on time if we hurry a bit.”
Yes, it communicates the situation. But it also makes the character sound like they swallowed a thesaurus while panicking. Real people don’t talk like this unless they’re stalling. Readers sense the bloat immediately.
The Power of Precision
Now try this:
“If we leave now, we’ll make the station.”
Short. Direct. The urgency remains. The reader gets it. And the pacing of the scene picks up.
This isn’t about stripping personality from dialogue—it’s about amplifying it. In fiction, people don’t need to mimic every “um,” “well,” and “actually.” They need to sound like themselves, but in a distilled way that reveals who they are.
Word Economy as Characterization
Different characters can wield word economy in different ways.
- The terse one: “Running late. Let’s go.”
- The anxious rambler: “If we don’t leave soon, we’ll miss it. I mean, maybe not, but—”
Both styles reveal personality. Both are economical, because every word matters to the delivery.
The Rhythm Factor
Dialogue isn’t just words; it’s rhythm. Bloated exchanges slow scenes down. Tight, purposeful lines create momentum.
Compare:
Overwritten:
“I suppose you think you can just come back into my life after all this time and act like nothing happened, don’t you?”
Economical:
“You think you can just walk back in?”
The second one hits harder, and the silence after it does more work than ten extra words ever could.
Why Readers Love It
Economical dialogue makes stories easier to follow and more emotionally gripping. Instead of slogging through wordy lines, readers experience a back-and-forth that feels alive. They lean in. They imagine the pauses. They fill in the subtext themselves—which is where engagement really happens.
How to Practice Word Economy in Dialogue:
- Read it aloud. If you run out of breath or stumble, it’s too long.
- Cut redundancies. Your character doesn’t need to “sit down in a chair”—they just “sit.”
- Use interruption. Break long speeches into fragments. Real tension often comes from what’s
- Highlight verbs. Strong verbs replace piles of adjectives.
- Ask: does this line move story, reveal character, or create tension? If not, it’s clutter.
Word economy doesn’t mean your dialogue should all be one-liners. It means every line earns its place. When you cut clutter, you don’t just shorten—you sharpen. You turn noise into music.
Want to sharpen your dialogue and cut the clutter from your drafts? There is more about it on my last blogpost. Read it here: https://wp.me/pcNapz-39u
Looking for one-on-one coaching? Contact me!
Mother of three adult humans. An idealistic, outspoken woman of scrupulous integrity, in love with words. A storyteller who enjoys crocheting tales.
And a passionate bibliophile, of course.