How do you write compelling dialogue that feels natural and moves the story forward?

When crafting compelling dialogue, I ensure it aligns with the personalities of the characters in my manuscript. After completing the draft, I find it helpful to use the Read Aloud feature in Microsoft Word, allowing the computer to read the text to me. Hearing the dialogue spoken, rather than reading it myself, often provides a fresh perspective on my writing.

When I write dialogue, I often read it out loud to see how it sounds with vocal inflection to keep it natural. Over time, I get to know my characters well enough that I have a sense of what they would or wouldn't say, which also helps keep their dialogue natural. Simultaneously, I imagine what my characters might do physically while speaking to help me create dynamic scenes that continue to drive the story forward.

If you're wanting to know if your dialogue works, read it out loud. If it sounds cheesy or unnatural it probably is. Make sure the dialogue matches the tone of the scene. If the moment is very somber let the dialogue reflect this. Also, be careful of dialogue getting away from you, try to keep it focused on moving the story forward.

When I write compelling dialogue, I focus on making it sound natural by imagining how real people would talk in the given situation. I also ensure that each character has a distinct voice, reflecting their personality.

Don't hold back! I write how I would speak. I know my English Lit professor would probably have a field day telling me that we never write dialogue exactly the way we speak, but writers are allowed to change the game up. It's a creative field! (Sorry, Professor!)

I want my audience to get a real feel for where the characters come from. I love making use of immersive dialects. I love being able to portray where someone is likely from without having to say it outright. Sometimes, just having your characters speak to one another can help paint a better picture of who they are as individuals. 

Compelling dialogue moves a story forward. The more compelling the story is, the better momentum it builds. The best way to do this is to check that each piece of dialogue moves the story forward—if it doesn't, ruthlessly cut it out. Also, don't let your characters have mundane conversations unless there's a good story-based reason to do so.

When writing dialogue, it is important to put yourself in the character's shoes. You also need to ask questions like - what do I want the mood of the scene to be and what emotions are the characters experiencing at that moment?