There are so many elements that go into creating a good story. One of the trickiest ones to get right: dialogue. When authors do it well, readers don’t even think twice about the back-and-forth between characters—that’s a sign of a job well done!

But dialogue that’s written badly? It can immediately jolt a reader out of the story and turn an otherwise good book into something else entirely. The most important thing when writing dialogue is to remember its purpose. In general, dialogue will do at least one of three things: move the plot forward in some way, create a more dynamic pace, or reveal an important truth about one or more of the characters. With that in mind, read on for five things you should never do when writing dialogue.

1. Avoid simply telling what a character says—show it too!
You probably remember the age-old advice of “show, don’t tell” from the countless English classes you took in school. Well, the same advice applies to dialogue. While it may seem counterintuitive to say a character shouldn’t tell you something while they’re, well, telling you something, it’s important to remember to also show how that character feels during the scene. Where are their eyes looking? What tone of voice are they using? Remember, a large part of social interaction involves nonverbal cues—this can be anything from a character chewing their fingernails thoughtfully or twirling their hair nervously. Be sure to weave your characters’ unique mannerisms into the story to create a more authentic reader experience.

2. Avoid trying to do too much.
While dialogue can (and should!) be immensely helpful in moving the story along, don’t try to cover too much ground in one conversation. Revealing too much information all at once interferes with the steady pacing of a novel and runs the risk of not seeming organic in the natural flow of conversation. A sudden influx of important information can also overwhelm the reader, making it harder for them to discern which details they should remember and which aren’t as vital to the overall understanding of the plot. Instead, reconsider when and how the information can be revealed. Perhaps it would be better broken up over a few conversations, or maybe a different character altogether should be the one to break the news.

3. Avoid name-calling.
One thing that can pull a reader right out of the story? Using a character’s name over and over again. In real life, we rarely say the name of the person to whom we’re directly talking, so someone who constantly throws in a character’s name during casual conversation is going to be distracting (and not in a good way). Instead of naming names, make good use of dialogue tags and action words to indicate who your character is speaking to. This is especially important when there are more than two people involved in a conversation. Of course, there will be exceptions to this, such as when a character calls to another character across the room or a teenager receives a stern lecture from their parents. But in general, inserting names into dialogue is largely unnecessary.

4. Avoid getting overly inventive with dialogue tags.
Yes, sometimes the old “he said,” “she said” dialogue tags get boring. But beware of swinging wildly to the opposite extreme by making up tags that are more distracting than they are functional. It is not the tag’s job to describe what the character is doing while speaking. If you pepper your dialogue with descriptors like “she yelled aggressively” or “he moaned pitifully,” it distracts the reader. Instead of focusing on the importance of what’s being said, readers have to take a moment to think about exactly how the character is saying it—and that completely breaks the spell of the world you’re trying to build within your novel. Instead, use prose before or after the dialogue itself to set the scene and incorporate the characters’ reactions more organically. Never try to pack it all into a dialogue tag.

5. Avoid using formal speech.
Obviously there is a time and a place for formality. But for the vast majority of conversations taking place in books, using overly formal speech just makes the characters seem stiff and unrealistic. This tends to be a particular problem for writers who are first starting out, since it takes time and practice to develop all the verbal idiosyncrasies and quirks of each character in a way that feels natural. It really does help to read the dialogue you’ve written aloud—if the sentences feel wooden or stilted, it’s a good sign that you’re using language that is much too formal for the occasion.

6. Avoid sticking too closely to reality.
One great thing about books is that, as close as they may adhere to our version of reality, they don’t actually have to follow the rules of real life. We can time jump a day, a month, or a year if we need to. We can focus only on the important moments of the characters of the novel—no need to record every grocery trip or stop at the gas station. And all the polite chitchat we engage in before getting into deeper conversations? Cut it from the dialogue. All the “umms,” “errs,” and “likes” that pepper people’s everyday language? Cut it from the dialogue. While it’s important to keep your characters’ conversations sounding real (see the previous point), there is such a thing as getting too real. If you include every benign interaction or unimportant tic in your characters’ lives, you can be sure your readers will mentally check out long before you get to the point.

Andrea Moran lives outside of Nashville. She’s a professional copywriter and editor who loves all things books. Find her on LinkedIn.