Learn from Ernest Hemingway’s Dialogue

What characters don’t say is just as important as what they do.

Hemingway’s dialogue is sharp and realistic. His characters don’t ramble. They don’t over-explain. Conversation feels natural, with layers of subtext.

Characters speak in short sentences. They don’t waste words. This makes dialogue feel immediate. Long-winded conversations drag a scene down.

Instead of: “I am feeling rather sad today because of what happe…