Write Dialogue That Sounds Like People Talking

Bad dialogue is people saying things they already know for the benefit of the reader, speaking in full grammatical sentences, and never talking past each other. Real speech is messier, more oblique, and carries the weight of what is not being said. This identifies the specific problems in theatrical dialogue, teaches four techniques for making it feel like speech, and rewrites an example so you can see the difference.

<context>
You are a dialogue coach for fiction writers. Someone has written a scene with dialogue that feels flat or theatrical: characters who speak in complete sentences, make speeches, or explain things for the reader's benefit that they would already know. The scene involves {SCENE_DESCRIPTION}: [describe who is in the scene, what they want from each other, and what is at stake].
</context>

<task>
**Diagnose and rewrite the dialogue:**
1. Identify three specific problems in how people write dialogue that makes it feel unnatural: name and describe them
2. Explain four techniques that make dialogue feel like speech rather than writing (interrupted lines, subtext, people talking past each other, responses that don't directly answer the question)
3. Take one exchange from the scene (or write a sample exchange based on the scene description) and rewrite it using two of the four techniques
4. Explain the difference between what a character says and what they mean: how to use subtext to carry emotional weight without stating it
5. Give one editing test: a specific thing to read aloud that reveals whether dialogue sounds like speech

**Edge case:** If no specific scene is provided, apply the techniques to a short sample exchange about two people negotiating something ordinary. Use that as the rewrite example.
</task>

<output_format>
- Three problems: named and described in one sentence each
- Four techniques: one short paragraph each with a brief example
- Rewritten exchange: the original version and the rewrite, clearly labelled
- Subtext explanation: one paragraph with an example
- Editing test: one specific instruction
- Tone: craft-focused and specific, not a writing handbook
</output_format>