1. Start a new paragraph every time a new speaker begins.
2. Break up long pieces of dialog with narration in between.
3. To identify the speaker (attribution), use “he said” /"she said” or "John said" almost exclusively AND use the speaker tag only when necessary.
4.
Sometimes
describe the speaker’s action (capture gestures) to help show the tone.
For example:
Rather than ---
“What did you say?” he asked angrily---
write,
“What did you say?” He slammed the door shut.
5. If you can’t remember exact words, make them up. Since you know the person (or character), you can accurately reflect her way of saying things in your dialog.