>>21228212People aren't just talking heads, standing next to each other and reading off a script. They do things while talking - even the most autistic nerd cultures where people bizarrely don't move their hands or arms can't get around the fact that people often change expression with their tone. And that's of course if they're just talking - which isn't always the case. Often characters will be doing something else, another activity outside of their dialogue, even if it's just having a drink or smoking a cigarette.
Finally you have to assume your readers aren't morons. They don't NEED to be constantly reminded that somebody SAID something when dialogue is already separated by quotation marks. So for example, instead of:
>"I love pregnant women," you say, taking a deep drag from your cigarette. "Something about the whole milk thing just speaks to me, you know? And the swelling.">"Well, you're one sick cookie," Mori replies as she takes a swig straight from her bottle of cheap peach-flavored Smirnoff. "Gross," she murmurs with a disgusted grimace. "Even I can't pretend this shit's drinkable."Try:
>"I love pregnant women." You take a deep drag from your cigarette, the smoke trailing in front of your face. "Something about the whole milk thing just speaks to me, you know? And the swelling.">"Well, you're one sick cookie." Mori takes a swig straight from her bottle of cheap peach-flavored Smirnoff with a disgusted grimace. "Gross. Even I can't pretend this shit's drinkable."You'll notice the latter example takes the attention away from 'reading the script', and focuses on what the characters are doing, which dialogue is only a part of.
