(How Do I Develop a Character’s Voice?)

Banter is a specific subset of dialogue with a teasing or playful tone. It’s dialogue with an edge and sometimes, depending on the characters, it even has teeth.

As a rom-com author, I know my readers expect to find good banter when they open one of my books. But what makes for good banter? To explore what good banter needs to be successful, let’s look at five ways to ruin good banter.

How to Ruin Good Banter in 5 Easy Steps

1. Technical Issues

To write effective banter, it’s important to master the technical parts of dialogue first. Dialogue needs to clearly indicate who’s speaking so the reader doesn’t get confused. Too many dialogue tags, too few, or too many alternative words for “said” can all impact the effectiveness of dialogue.

As you read back through a section of dialogue, check first to make sure it’s clear who is speaking each line. Vary the dialogue tags, gestures (the actions or movements a character makes around a line), and lines that have neither. You can also change up where these indicators are located—at the start, end, or even in the middle of a line of dialogue.

The goal is for the technical setup to be so seamless that readers are never pulled out of the story to notice your hard work.

2. Imitation Conversation

Have you ever read a transcript for an interview? Even the most entertaining conversation loses its shine when recorded word for word. The second way to ruin witty banter is to make it too close to actual dialogue.

As Anne Lamott puts it in Bird by Bird, “You’re not reproducing actual speech—you’re translating the sound and rhythm of what a character says into words. You’re putting down on paper your sense of how the characters speak.” Banter needs to sound like an actual conversation, not be a literal conversation.

3. Bad Rhythm

Like dancing, dialogue doesn’t work without a good sense of rhythm. Banter is snappy and tends to have a faster pace than typical dialogue. But it also needs to be balanced out by various line lengths to avoid sounding stilted and boring.

The best way to test rhythm is to read it out loud. Listening will reveal where the interplay between the characters shines. It will help you see where to slow the pace by adding a dialogue tag or physical gesture—like a character taking a sip of water or fidgeting with something.

Bad rhythm is what stops the banter from bantering.

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4. Lack of Characterization or Uniqueness

The most common piece of advice I hear regarding dialogue is to make each character’s speech be something only they would say. Of course, this isn’t possible for every line of dialogue in a book. But a quick way to ruin banter is to have such generic lines that they could be said by any old character in any old book.

Sometimes when I’m in a groove, writing banter is easy, as though I’m eavesdropping on an actual fictional conversation. Other times, I simply write basic prose in the first draft, then push for more in edits.

Is there another way for a character to say that they’re tired? Is there an analogy or comparison they could use that relates to their job or interests? Does this character have an extensive vocabulary? Do they tend to speak in complete sentences or choppy fragments?

The better you know your characters, the easier it will be to write dialogue that sounds unique and uniquely like them.

5. Missing Subtext

One of the things that makes banter really sing is what the characters aren’t saying. It’s the unspoken current running beneath the words.

How does he really feel about her? What secret is she keeping? Why is he reacting so strongly at this moment?

This work requires not only knowing your characters but keeping in mind their motivations as well as the things they do and don’t really want to say. When writing conversations between Wyatt and Josie in my book If All Else Sails, I tried to remember at all times how they felt about each other, how they each wanted the other person to think they felt, and what they really wished they could say to each other.

While this is subtle work, I think of it like infusing the banter with the kind of depth that really brings it—and the characters—to life.

In her book, Wired for Story, Lisa Cron states that “when a story enthralls us, we are inside of it … and the last thing we’re focusing on is the mechanics of the thing.” Great dialogue—and especially great banter—is usually doing several things at once and doing them so well that readers don’t even notice.

The goal is to work so well at crafting your banter that readers don’t see the hard work—they’re too busy lost in the moment.

Check out Emma St. Clair’s If All Else Sails here:

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(Using Internal Dialogue to Reveal Character.)

That’s not to disparage witty banter between fictional friends and family members, of course—the more WB the better, I always say—but there is something special about two strangers gently and flirtatiously goading each other into mutual smiles, and then mutual feels. It’s one of the things that makes us readers smile goofily at the page, after all.

But how do you write it? Do you have to be a naturally funny person to get it right? Read on for a few quick tips on verbal sparring that could make your next rom-com zing.

1. The tease

I think of teasing as the cornerstone of witty banter. Perhaps the heroine is stick-shift challenged as in my new release Worst in Show or the hero eats his sandwich with a knife and fork like in my debut Love at First Spite, both of which are situations that lend themselves well to a light jab. Find those spots and go for it. Think about what you’d tease your sibling or your friend about (or perhaps there is something your younger self did that you now laugh about) and use those situations to your advantage.

There is a caveat here, however. Whether your love interests already know each other or have just met, whether they are friends or enemies, on some level they must like each other for the tease to land as witty banter. They might not know they like each other just yet, but the underlying feeling still needs to be good-natured. Without that, a tease can quickly sound rude, lose all playfulness, and create a power imbalance. A good way to ensure this doesn’t happen is to also include…

2. Self-deprecating digs

No one likes a person who can only dish it out. One of the main functions of witty banter is to build a quick connection and familiarity between the lovers on the page. After all, as authors we only have so many chapters to work with. 

Characters (like people IRL) who can joke about their own shortcomings are more likely to be perceived as relatable, humble, and friendly, and consequently, that primes us to interpret their teasing as benign. It also adds another quintessential ingredient to the relationship—vulnerability. So why not let your MC crack a joke about her terrible cooking (who doesn’t remember Bridget Jones and the blue soup?), let her love interest agree with a teasing remark, and then build on that, perhaps with another ingredient of witty banter, namely…

3. Puns

My rom-coms tend to be on the more light-hearted side of the angst spectrum, so while I know they’re not for everyone, I love me a cheesy pun. Case in point, Leo in Worst in Show makes liberal use of them as his online alter ego, engaging Cora in a riddle battle that speaks to her childhood nostalgia and thus sets her at ease. Since witty banter adds an aspect of cleverness to the characters, puns are also a great way to show off their quick thinking and situational awareness.

Now, early in a relationship, innocent word puns might feel most natural, but as the romance arc progresses, might I suggest its more risqué cousin, the double entendre? Perfect for upping the flirting game, witty banter with double entendres lets the characters entertain the possibility of moving beyond friendship and tests the romance waters by how their sparring partner reacts. Cue light blushing and meaningful gazes. They might even extend the repartee through intentional misunderstandings (is she talking about cucumbers or cucumbers?) or, my favorite…

4. Surprising honesty

Characters engaged in witty banter must be prepared for anything, but some of the best dialogue comes from one character responding in an unexpected way. Admitting faults, feelings, and/or desires in response to, say, teasing about mismatched socks will take the conversation in new directions that keep both the characters and the readers guessing. Honest communication is energizing, sexy, and inviting—great primers for witty banter.

So why not mix and match? Let your hero and heroine tease a little, twist some words, make a suggestive pun, then bam—truth bomb! Not only will it keep the dialogue fresh, but it infuses the relationship with vitality and forward motion. Because in the end, what we really want is for the two to get to know each other better and to find out how they fit together, and you can’t do that without honesty!

5. Speed

My final tip is more about the craft of writing banter that flows than about its contents. Witty banter runs like water. It’s quick, it’s snappy, and it doesn’t contain excessive information. For me, that means I scrap most dialogue tags. No “he said” “she said.” We typically know who is talking anyway, and if needed, an action beat does the trick—a sassy tilt of the chin, a raised eyebrow, or maybe a suppressed smile to avoid letting your rival know you’re melting a little at his wordplay.

I also highly recommend scrapping first names in dialogue, and never more so than in the banter-y kind. If only two people are conversing, their words (and, if needed, an action beat) should make clear who is talking, and if you listen to conversations around you, most people do not use first names when talking to their friends and partners. It just doesn’t sound natural.

Which brings me to my concluding recommendation. If you want to write witty banter that readers will love, read your dialogue out loud to yourself. It should be concise, roll off your tongue, and make you smile. Bonus points if you read it to someone else and it makes them smile. That’s when you know you’ve really done it—you’ve nailed your witty banter.

No pun intended. 

Check out Anna E. Collins’ Worst in Show here:

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A rom-com, as the title implies, contains moments of romance and comedy. And while both elements present their own unique challenges, I’d wager that pulling off the comedic bits can often feel like the more intimidating of the two.

Years ago I took a writing workshop with a friend who swore she wasn’t funny. “It doesn’t come naturally to me!” she’d exclaim, insisting humor wasn’t a teachable skill. But sure enough, when other members in our group read her work, they always laughed. I don’t think this was a case of false modesty. Rather, what my friend probably didn’t understand is that you don’t have to be a comedian to write a funny scene.

Jane Austen—arguably the master of romantic comedies—ended many of her novels with a wedding or heartfelt proposal. Yet in real life, she was never herself married. Her books were also classified as comedies of manners. Does this mean she was trudging over to Ye Old Comedy Pub every Friday night, putting her name in the open mic bucket to do a 10-minute set on the shortcomings of the British Empire and men’s dating habits in Georgian society? I doubt it. (If this did indeed happen, history is worse off for having lost all record of it.)

Thankfully, writing comedy on the page is more than just coming up with a good punchline. There are plenty of tricks and tools a writer can use to hone their natural comedic talents—whether they think they’re funny or not.

Know Your Comedic Tone

Let’s start with the most important rule of comedy: Humor is subjective. You’re never going to make every reader laugh. Believe it or not, this is a good thing. You can free yourself from the burden of trying to appeal to everyone. Besides, if you attempted to squeeze every style of comedy into your book—highbrow, lowbrow, parody, irony, slapstick—it’d be a tonal mess.

If you’re unsure what your comedic tone is, think about what makes you laugh. Do you like humor that’s dry and witty? A little over the top and absurd? Perhaps you find it impossible to pass up a good pun. Obviously, some types of humor work better in a romantic comedy than others. It’s not a hard and fast rule, but most readers are going to expect something on the lighter side. Which isn’t to say darker humor can’t be done. Jesse Q. Sutanto’s Dial A for Aunties begins with the romantic heroine accidently murdering her blind date.

Dead bodies or not, once you know what your comedic strengths are, focus on sharpening them. Reading your work out loud can help. And if you’re really brave, you can try reading it in front of other people. More often than not, people will laugh in unexpected places. Pay attention, and try to decipher later why those moments worked.

Know Your Genre (And Its Tropes)

Defining what a rom-com is—and isn’t—tends to be a hot topic that’s always up for debate. For my personal definition, a rom-com needs three things to work: romance, comedy, and conflict. There are, however, two asterisks attached to that last one.

The first asterisk is that your conflict needs to be the driving force behind a romantic relationship that’s the central plot of the story. Readers pick up a rom-com to see how two (or more!) people will end up together. If your heroine is vacationing in a creepy old mansion where dead bodies start piling up, and she needs to figure out how to get out alive so she can start dating the woman of her dreams she just met, you’ve written a murder mystery with a romantic subplot. If your heroine is vacationing in a creepy old manor and she needs to figure out how to win over the woman of her dreams she just met … while also not getting murdered, you’ve written a rom-com with a murder mystery subplot.

Is there some wiggle room here? Yes. Once you know the rules, it’s OK to bend them a bit.

The second asterisk is that your conflict needs to include moments of comedic tension. The tension in a rom-com can be sexy. It can be steamy. But if it isn’t also funny at times, then you’ve just written a regular romance. Thankfully, this is where the tropes come in.

A romantic trope is a theme, character, or plot device that’s been used so often it’s become conventional (and therefore easily recognizable) in the genre. The reasons tropes are used over and over again is because they work. Friends-to-lovers. Opposites attract. Forced proximity. There’s natural conflict baked into these situations already. And in a rom-com, this is where you start mining for comedic gold.

“Wacky hijinks” may not be the most scholarly term, but it’s part of the magic alchemy that occurs when using tropes. The First Son of the United States is forced into a fake friendship with his nemesis, the Prince of Wales … and wacky hijinks ensue. (Casey McQuiston’s Red, White & Royal Blue.) A publishing assistant looking to move ahead tracks down a recluse author to obtain his long overdue manuscript … and wacky hijinks ensue. (Jasmine Guillory’s By the Book.)

Let’s revisit our heroine at the creepy old mansion. What if she has to share a room with the woman of her dreams for the night … and there’s only one bed? What could possibly go wrong? Hopefully everything. Which brings us to our next point.

Pain is Funny (Especially When It’s Not Your Own)

As comedy legend Mel Brooks once observed: “Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you walk into an open sewer and die.” Other people’s misfortune can be funny—precisely because it didn’t happen to us. So don’t be afraid to make your characters squirm.

One area where a little catastrophe lends itself well is the meet-cute trope. Can your two leads bump into each other on crowded subway car and have it set off a chain of romantic events that sustains an entire novel? Sure. But is it memorable? Is it funny? What if one of the leads was just laid off from her job, and her dress gets stuck in the train door, ripping the back half open? (An unfortunate fate bestowed upon the heroine in Kate Spencer’s In a New York Minute.) Not only does this put the character in a vulnerable position, therefore upping the dramatic tension and stakes, but it allows us to sympathize with her as well. Maybe we haven’t accidently mooned anyone on public transportation, but we’ve probably all had moments of being equally embarrassed or mortified. When we laugh at something like this, it’s not because we’re being mean. It’s because we understand the feeling, and we’re relived not to be the one experiencing it firsthand this time.

That being said, a little bit of cringe goes a long way. Don’t be too cruel to your characters. Stories need peaks and valleys. Nobody wants to read 300 pages of suffering, so give your characters plenty of triumphs as well.

That’s What He / She / They Said

Good banter is one of the backbones of romantic comedies. Readers expect their romantic leads to be able to exchange snappy one-liners and clever retorts at a pace that’s rarely matched in real life. On the page, this should feel effortless. Learning how to pull this off effectively, however, may take a little work.

If you have a good sense of comedic timing, you already have a bit of an advantage. If you’re unsure of your comedic timing or worry it’s not a strength—don’t. This just means you get to do research. And by research, I mean reading and watching as many rom-coms as you want. If you immerse yourself in the genre and pay attention to the dialogue, you’ll start to develop an ear for the rhythms and cadences that make a scene snap. (Hint: more concise is usually better.)

Of course, how the characters are behaving is just as important as what they’re saying—another reason why writing a rom-com is more than just coming up with punchlines and jokes. As a general rule, you never want to let your characters get too mean. Banter is supposed to be fun and flirty. Think good-hearted teasing, not cold-blooded torture. While their words can still have bite to them, body language, action, or internal dialogue can help convey the true playfulness of the situation.

Let’s take a look a scene that could be in a novel, and definitely not a conversation my husband and I might’ve had when he caught me reading a book instead of working this article:

“I thought you were writing.”
“I told you. Half of writing is reading.”
“What’s the other half? Scrolling through Instagram?”
“Procrastination is part of my process. I work better under pressure.”
“In that case, why don’t you procrastinate by making us dinner?”
“And risk burning or cutting one of my precious typing fingers?”

These lines being delivered with an exasperated huff will hit differently than if they’re said with an arched eyebrow or playful smirk. If my husband rolls his eyes at me, maybe he also has to bite back a smile. Even in an enemies-to-lovers story—where a little spite is welcomed—we still need to root for your characters. Perhaps their meanness is covering up a vulnerability, or a secret passion for their sworn enemy that our hero is unable to process yet. Too much animosity will sour your readers on your characters and the supposed love story you’re trying to convey.

The Rule of Three

The rule of three is a storytelling principle that suggests a collection of things—words, ideas, sentences—are more effective and memorable when grouped together in threes. Goldilocks tried three different porridges and beds. The Big Bad Wolf chased after three little pigs. Stories all have beginnings, middles, and ends. The human brain latches onto something it recognizes—a pattern—and uses that to process the information it’s being given.

In comedy, the rule of three can be manipulated in a way that will almost always ensure you a laugh. Once the pattern is established with your first two things, the third can be subverted, therefore catching your audience by surprise. That’s part of the reason the waxing scene in The 40-Year-Old Virgin works so well. When Steve Carell gets his chest hair ripped out, he unleashes a string of expletives—humorous enough in itself. If that’s all there were to the scene, we might stop laughing after the first few times. But just as we think we know the pattern he screams out Kelly Clarkson’s name. It’s totally unexpected, giving us something new to laugh about.

Let’s come up with our own example. Perhaps we have a romantic protagonist who’s anxious about their first date. While sitting in the restaurant parking lot, the following monologue plays in their head as they consider whether or not to go through with it:

What if we have nothing in common? What if I get food stuck in my teeth? What if I develop a sudden shellfish allergy, my date falls in love with the cute EMT, and two years from now, when they feel obligated to invite me to their wedding, I find myself spending hundreds of dollars on a rice cooker for someone I never even made it to the dessert course with?

Not only does the third sentence heighten their anxiety to an absurd level we don’t expect, but it breaks the shorter pattern of the first two sentences.

*****

Writing comedy doesn’t have to be intimidating. Find what tips, tricks, and tropes work best for you—and have fun with it. Don’t worry too much about being funny. Your readers are usually the ones who will decide that for you.

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When not laughing at her own jokes, Sara can be found eating nachos. Follow her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

In this post, Sara shares how important research was to writing her latest novel, a romance comedy heist mashup.

Name: Sara Desai
Literary agent: Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary Agency
Book title: To Have and To Heist
Publisher: Berkely Romance
Release date: July 18, 2023
Genre/category: Romantic Comedy/Mystery
Previous titles: The Marriage Game, The Dating Plan, The Singles Table
Elevator pitch for the book: A group of struggling misfits disguised as wedding planners attempt to steal a $25 million diamond necklace from a dangerous criminal with the help of a charming but mysterious rogue.

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What prompted you to write this book?

I have always loved heist movies and I wanted to put my love of romance and my love of caper comedy together in one delicious diverse story.

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

It was approximately two years from idea to finished copies. I knew I wanted to write a romance comedy heist mashup but finding the right mix of characters, the perfect setting, and a challenging heist took a lot of trial and error.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

I think the biggest challenge was settling on a cover. At first, I thought it would be a great idea to include the entire crew, but the experts convinced me we had too many crew members and not enough space. After that it was a balancing act between the romance, comedy, and mystery elements and when I saw the current version, I knew that was the one!

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

I was surprised that the FBI or the Canadian equivalent (CSIS) didn’t show up on my doorstep given the questionable searches I had to make to research the book: How do you bypass a home alarm system? What is the best way to break into a museum? How do you hack a security camera? Can you carry a concealed weapon in Illinois? Where is the best place to buy stolen goods in Chicago? And of course, the extensive research into criminal organizations!

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

I hope they will find fun, adventure and a rollicking good time all wrapped up in a heartwarming romance. I also hope they learn all about how to pull off the perfect heist in case they ever need to steal a diamond necklace from a mafia boss to save their bestie from prison.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

Do your research! I often get pulled out of stories when things happen that I know from my experience are wrong. If you’re going to write about looping camera feeds, then learn how to do it as if you were planning to do it yourself. If you need to know how difficult it is to throw a rope up three stories in the rain, give it a try. If you want to write about a mysterious rogue with a love for plants, then you’d better learn the plant names because there are people out there who are going to know plants better than you!

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In order for writers to make readers invested in our characters’ happily-ever-after, in order to make them care about the fact that there’s (gasp!) only one bed, we have important work to do. We need to make readers like—or at least root for—our love interests and their burgeoning relationship, and we need to demonstrate why these characters belong together.

And fun, swoon-worthy banter is an essential tool for making that happen. Here are some tips to help you (and your characters) develop an A+ banter game.

(3 Tips for Writing a Love Story Featuring a Prickly and Pessimistic Heroine)

1) Listen to how people speak.

This is my #1 tip for learning to write dialogue well. You’re writing about people, so listen to people. Whether you’re waiting in line for coffee, hurrying through the airport, or wandering the cereal aisle at the grocery store, pay attention to how the people around you speak to one another. What words, tone, and body language do they use? How do they respond to each other?

Your characters are fictional, but in order for readers to care about them, they need to feel like real people. And they can’t feel real if they engage with each other in dialogue that sounds stilted or unnatural (unless, of course, they’re on a bad first date, because we’ve all been there!).

Yes, your characters are going to fire off clever comebacks and snappy retorts quicker than a real person would, and that’s necessary to write an entertaining story. But the closer attention you pay to the way people communicate, the more you’ll be able to write dialogue that sounds natural, real, and relatable. And if you feel awkward listening in, just remember, you’re not eavesdropping; you’re studying.

2) Keep it (mostly) good-natured.

Banter is supposed to make your characters and readers feel good. It’s playful, flirty, and fun, and while your characters should have free reign to tease each other, they shouldn’t tear each other down. After all, they like—or are starting to like—each other, and banter is a veiled way for them to explore those feelings.

Having A rib Character B about their reality TV obsession? Sure, yes, fun. Having Character B relentlessly mock Character A for their stage fright before a big presentation? No, thank you. Remember, your characters may start out guarded or even antagonistic, but they shouldn’t be mean. Very few readers will root for mean primary characters, let alone want to spend a whole book with them. So, keep the tension feisty, not ferocious.

3) Make it personal.

Part of what makes banter so fun is that it reveals something important: Your characters are paying attention—close attention—to each other. Perhaps one character overhears the other talking about a dorky hobby and teases them about it.

On the surface, your character is poking fun at their love interest for being a zealous Parkour champion. But underneath the whip-smart barbs, your character is revealing something important: I’m paying attention to you, love interest. I’m listening to what you say and learning what you like, and my breath catches every time you enter the room.

Take this excerpt from my rom-com Lucy on the Wild Side. In this book, my main character Lucy, a zookeeper, has to spend a summer working with Kai, the host and producer of a popular wildlife TV show. They get off on the wrong foot; Lucy thinks Kai’s obsessed with ratings, and Kai thinks she’s a stubborn workaholic who watches too much reality TV. When Lucy overhears Kai’s phone call, she can’t resist the opportunity to poke at him, and all bets are off when he can’t help but poke right back.

“That didn’t seem like a fun phone call,” I say, deciding that two can play at this game. “Poor thing, was it Prince William? Did he call to say you aren’t his very favorite boy anymore?”

Kai shakes his head. “Good try, but no. It was a producer from Fresh Air scheduling an interview for the fall.”

“Fresh Air with Terry Gross?” I ask, annoyed that I’ll have to skip an episode.

He grins. “That’s the one. I’m guessing you’re a fan? Well, good to know reality TV isn’t the only media you consume.”

I fix him with a benevolent smile. “I wouldn’t be so quick to criticize reality TV, since your show could technically be classified as such.”

His smirk disappears, and I mentally high-five myself for managing to hit a nerve. “On the Wild Side is an educational docuseries, Lucy,” he says tightly. “Let’s not compare it to The Kardashians.”

“I actually think you have a lot in common with the Kardashians,” I muse, thrusting the knife in deeper. “Your name starts with a K, for starters. And they’ve won an Emmy, too.”

“They haven’t.” Kai drops his hands from the back of his head and fixes me with a look that could melt whatever frozen Antarctic ice ridge he bragged about spending a week on.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure they have.” I’m talking entirely out of my ass, but Kai’s lips are twisted like he’s sucking on a black cherry Warhead, so I wave a carefree hand at him and keep going. “Or maybe it was a Teen Choice Award. Oh well. They’re basically the same thing, right? Tomato, ta-mah–to.”

Kai clenches his jaw like he’s on the verge of a stroke, and even though Sam and Elle would seriously disapprove of my behavior, it’s too satisfying to stop once I’ve started.

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What’s key here is that Lucy and Kai demonstrate that they’ve been observing each other pretty closely. They use things they’ve learned about each other, like Lucy’s fondness for reality shows and Kai’s mention of his relationship with the royals, to get under each other’s skin. Sure, they’re bickering, but what they’re actually revealing is that they listen to and care about the other one’s words, preferences, and behaviors. Through their dialogue, they demonstrate their awareness of how the other moves through the world.

4) Build toward something more.

Banter is fun, but on its own it isn’t enough to help your characters’ relationship journey reach a satisfying conclusion. Think of banter as the delicious appetizer that sets your palate up for a four-course meal; witty exchanges and flirty comments increase romantic tension, but beneath their lighthearted quips, your characters should be fully fleshed-out people with flaws, insecurities, and authentic struggles. And at some point, they need to share these deeper versions of themselves with each other. This is when you need to put the banter aside, at least temporarily, to let your characters have more complex, layered interactions.

In Lucy on the Wild Side, for example, Lucy and Kai both have big career dreams and complicated relationships with their moms. When they stop trading wisecracks and start revealing these hidden parts of themselves, their relationship deepens in a meaningful way. Part of what makes banter so enjoyable is readers’ anticipation that sooner or later, the characters will stop playing around and get serious. Banter is an important prelude to the emotional payoff readers receive when this finally happens, but without genuine conflict and vulnerability between your characters, your story won’t feel authentic.

So, there you have it: My foolproof guide to writing better banter. Now go forth, read widely, and practice! Because just like our stories, writers are a work in progress, and we need practice to make those stories come alive. But try not to stress too much; after all, writing—like a good round of banter—should be fun.

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