How Can You Make Interruptions and Overlapping Dialogue Feel Real?
Ever read a scene where two characters are supposedly arguing — but they take turns, patiently waiting for the other to finish? It pulls me right out of the story. That’s not how people talk. Especially when emotions run high, or when people know each other well, or when the stakes are real.
I’m sure most of you already use interruptions and overlapping dialogue, but today I want to go deeper: why they work, how they subtly shape meaning, and how you can write them in a way that doesn’t just feel like a gimmick.
Real conversations aren’t polite. They’re chaotic. They reveal relationships through the way people interrupt, not just the fact that they do. They create a rhythm that either heightens tension or makes dialogue sing with energy. And when done right, they’re not noise — they’re a form of meaning in themselves.
Let’s dive in.
What Interruptions and Overlapping Dialogue Actually Do in a Story
They show power and relationships
Who interrupts whom says more than a paragraph of description.
Think about Succession. Logan Roy interrupts because he owns the room. Roman interrupts because he’s insecure and trying to impress. Shiv interrupts smoothly because she expects to be listened to.
The interruption itself tells you where everyone stands — in the family and in the scene.
They shape pacing and tension
In a fight, overlapping lines can make the scene breathless.
In a comedy, fast-paced interruptions build rhythm and punchlines. Think of Aaron Sorkin’s walk-and-talks or Gilmore Girls’ rapid back-and-forth — the interruptions keep the energy up.
Or flip it: if you want a moment to feel awkward, force a character to wait while someone talks over them. The silence they’re trapped in becomes its own kind of beat.
They reveal what characters aren’t saying
This is the juicy part.
When characters interrupt each other, they often derail the conversation — on purpose. A character who cuts in with a joke might be dodging an emotional question. One who suddenly changes the subject is controlling the narrative.
Overlapping dialogue gives you a way to put subtext right there on the page, without making it obvious.
How to Write Interruptions and Overlapping Dialogue That Actually Work
Use em-dashes and ellipses wisely
Em-dash (—) = a hard cut-off. Perfect for sudden, sharp interruptions.
“I told you, I never—”
“Don’t lie to me.”
Ellipsis (…) = trailing off. Great for when someone loses their thread or backs away from a thought.
“I just thought maybe we could…”
“You thought wrong.”
The trick is to mix them. If every line ends with a dash, it looks like a fencing match, not a conversation.
Let the interruptions vary
Interruptions aren’t one-size-fits-all. You can have:
A character cutting someone off
The classic. Used for dominance, frustration, or urgency.
Two people talking at the same time
This happens constantly in real life. In prose, you can imply it:
“—and then I—”
“No, listen, I’m telling you—”
Or in a script, you can literally overlap the lines. (Check out Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird script — beautifully done.)
Self-interruption
Insecure or overwhelmed characters will trail off mid-thought. This feels wonderfully human.
“I mean, it’s not like I— I don’t know.”
Play with white space and formatting
Structure matters. If your page is a wall of dense text, overlapping dialogue gets lost.
I like to:
- Break up lines so fast exchanges breathe.
- Use short paragraphs so interruptions hit visually.
- Occasionally isolate a line with white space to make it land.
In a screenplay, some writers even use dual columns to literally show overlapping speech.
Think about character voice
Different characters interrupt in different ways.
- A controlling character steamrolls.
- A nervous character might interrupt, then immediately apologize.
- Two old friends will talk over each other without missing a beat.
The style of the interruption is just as revealing as the dialogue itself.
Common Mistakes to Watch Out For
Losing clarity
If readers can’t track the conversation, you’ve lost them.
I’ve seen writers try so hard to mimic real-life chatter that the scene becomes unreadable. Remember: you’re crafting the illusion of natural speech, not replicating it word-for-word. Sometimes you need to cheat a little for clarity.
Forcing interruptions that don’t fit
Not every scene needs interruptions.
A scene between two strangers at a funeral shouldn’t sound like a couple arguing in the kitchen. Use overlaps when they fit the tone, stakes, and relationship dynamics. Forced interruptions feel artificial — and readers can smell it.
Ignoring visual flow
Especially in prose: if your formatting doesn’t guide the reader’s eye, the effect falls apart. Use paragraph breaks, pacing, and rhythm to help them “hear” the scene.
Making the chaos truly chaotic
Controlled chaos is key. You want the conversation to feel messy, but the reader should always know what’s happening.
When in doubt: read it aloud. If you stumble or lose track, so will your audience.
There’s so much more we could dig into — I could geek out about this all day. The bottom line? Interruptions and overlaps aren’t just stylistic flair. They’re powerful tools for revealing character, controlling pacing, and injecting realism.
And when you use them with purpose, they can transform an ordinary scene into something that feels utterly alive.
How to Write Interruptions and Overlapping Dialogue That Actually Work
Alright, now let’s get into the craft. You already know the why — but how do you put this on the page in a way that feels alive and natural? And more importantly, how do you avoid writing interruptions that just look like clumsy line breaks?
Here are the techniques I lean on when I want dialogue that feels real, but also controlled enough that the reader can follow the flow.
Use em-dashes and ellipses wisely
This is one of the oldest tools in the box, but it’s shocking how often I see it used poorly.
The em-dash (—) is your friend for abrupt interruptions — one speaker cutting off another. It mimics that little jolt we feel when someone jumps in.
“I’m telling you, I would’ve—”
“No. You’re not listening.”
If every line ends this way, though, the scene starts to feel too choreographed. I see this mistake a lot in first drafts of fast-paced arguments. It’s worth remembering: interruptions only land when there’s a rhythm to interrupt — otherwise it’s just two characters taking turns slamming the brakes.
Ellipses (…) work better when someone’s thought trails off naturally or when they’re hesitating.
“I just thought… maybe it wasn’t the right time.”
One of my favorite things is mixing the two — especially when writing characters who interrupt someone who’s trying not to speak with full confidence. That contrast between a trailing-off voice and a sharp interruption is pure gold for building subtext.
Let the interruptions vary
If you really want a scene to feel alive, mix up your types of interruption. Not every overlap should be one character dominating another.
Cutting off
This is the most direct form, and the easiest to pull off. A character simply barges in:
“But I told you—”
“You lied.”
Talking over each other
Harder to write, but worth practicing. The trick is to signal that both characters are speaking at once without confusing the reader. One way is to stack incomplete lines or interrupt mid-word:
“And when I said I—”
“You never—”
“—was going to explain!”
In screenwriting, you can show literal overlaps with formatting. In prose, I find that you can often imply it with broken beats and careful pacing.
Self-interruption
One of my secret favorites. People constantly break off their own sentences — whether because they rethink, get embarrassed, or let the other person take over. It adds so much texture.
“I mean, it’s not like I was— I didn’t mean— never mind.”
You can load a ton of emotion and subtext into that kind of moment.
Play with white space and formatting
Your formatting is doing as much storytelling here as your dialogue is.
If you stack long paragraphs of dense dialogue, overlapping moments will feel flat — or worse, invisible.
Break it up. Use short lines. Let the white space breathe. Give key interruptions their own line so the reader’s eye can catch the shift.
In scripts, some writers will even use dual columns or center placement to force the overlap visually. While that’s not always an option in prose, the spirit of that technique — guiding the eye and ear — still applies.
Think about character voice
This is huge. Interruptions mean nothing if they all sound the same.
When I revise, I always ask: who interrupts like this? Why?
A power-hungry character will bulldoze through with no regard for the other person. A nervous character will interrupt, then immediately backpedal or apologize. Two old friends might interrupt each other constantly, laughing as they do it.
Let the way characters interrupt carry as much personality as their spoken words.
Here’s a quick example of a basic interruption rewritten to reflect different voices:
Neutral:
“I think we should go—”
“Hold on, that’s not smart.”
Dominant boss:
“I think we should go—”
“We’re not going. Next.”
Nervous friend:
“I think we should go—”
“Wait, sorry, I just— are you sure?”
Casual sibling:
“I think we should go—”
“Yeah yeah, I know, you always say that.”
See how different that feels? Same mechanical structure, totally different tone.
Common Mistakes to Watch Out For
Alright, now let’s be honest: this technique is easy to get wrong. I’ve made every one of these mistakes myself at some point. Let’s walk through them so you can avoid them — or spot them fast in revision.
Losing clarity
This is the #1 problem I see when writers try to use overlapping dialogue: they get so caught up in making it sound real that it turns into pure noise.
Real conversations may be messy, but your written version must be legible.
If your reader can’t tell who’s speaking, or loses track of the argument, you’ve broken the scene. You’re crafting the illusion of natural chaos, not actual chaos.
A good test? Read it out loud. If you can’t follow the flow, neither can your reader.
Forcing interruptions that don’t fit
Not every scene needs overlapping dialogue.
I see this a lot in drafts where writers fall in love with the technique and try to apply it everywhere. But in scenes with high tension or careful politeness, characters will often fight not to interrupt each other. That restraint can be just as powerful as a shouting match.
Use overlaps when they fit the tone and character dynamics — not just because you can.
Ignoring visual flow
In prose especially, your formatting is key. Dense, blocky paragraphs will kill any sense of pace or overlap.
Let your dialogue breathe. Break lines where the interruption hits. Guide the reader’s eye.
One trick I often use: isolate a key interruption with white space to make it land harder. Here’s a quick example:
“I know what you’re thinking, and I—”
“No, you don’t.”
Simple. Clear. Visually sharp.
Making the chaos truly chaotic
This is related to clarity, but slightly different. Sometimes I see writers get so excited about writing overlapping chaos that they lean in too far: half-sentences everywhere, every line an interruption.
What happens? The scene stops making sense.
Controlled chaos is the goal. Think of it like jazz — you need a structure under the improv. Make sure the emotional beats still land and that the reader can track what matters.
Before You Leave…
I know this is a technique many of you already use — but my hope is that this gave you some new ways to think about it.
When done well, interruptions and overlapping dialogue are more than just window dressing. They shape character relationships. They control pacing. They deliver subtext in ways nothing else can.
It’s not about replicating real conversation. It’s about crafting dialogue that feels real — alive, unpredictable, human.
Next time you’re revising a scene, pay attention to where an interruption might add energy, or where a bit of overlapping dialogue could reveal something beneath the words. And don’t forget: sometimes what’s not said is even more powerful than what is.
Now go make your characters talk over each other — and make it sing.