We've all read dialogue that feels like a tennis match—characters lobbing their intentions back and forth with perfect clarity. "I'm angry at you!" "Well, I don't trust you!" "That's because you're jealous!" It's technically conflict, but it lands with all the authenticity of a soap opera slap.

The problem isn't that your characters are fighting. It's that they're fighting too directly.

Robert McKee, in his seminal work on storytelling, introduced what he calls The Oblique Approach to conflict—and it's the secret to writing dialogue that crackles with tension while feeling completely natural. Instead of characters stating their positions like attorneys presenting opening arguments, they circle, deflect, and hide their true feelings behind seemingly unrelated conversations.

Let me show you exactly how to apply this technique to transform your stilted exchanges into scenes readers can't look away from.

What Is The Oblique Approach?

McKee's Oblique Approach operates on a simple but powerful principle: in real life, people rarely say exactly what they mean, especially when stakes are high.

Think about the last uncomfortable conversation you had. Did you march up to someone and announce, "I feel betrayed by your actions and require an explanation"? Probably not. You might have talked about the weather, mentioned a mutual friend, or discussed weekend plans—all while the real issue hung in the air like humidity before a storm.

The Oblique Approach means your characters pursue their objectives sideways. They want something desperately, but they talk around it rather than at it. The subtext—what's really being said—diverges dramatically from the text—the actual words spoken.

This isn't about being coy for cleverness's sake. It's about mimicking how human beings actually communicate when emotions run high and vulnerability feels dangerous.

The Three-Layer Method: Your Practical Framework

Here's how to implement The Oblique Approach in any dialogue scene using what I call the Three-Layer Method:

Layer 1: Identify the Direct Conflict

Write down what your characters actually want from this conversation in plain terms. This is your foundation—the version you'll never write but need to understand.

Example: Sarah wants Tom to admit he's been avoiding her since his promotion. Tom wants to end the conversation without admitting anything.

Layer 2: Choose the Deflection Topic

Select a neutral or mundane subject your characters will actually discuss—something related to their world but seemingly disconnected from the real issue. This becomes the surface conversation.

The key is that this topic must allow for natural back-and-forth while remaining emotionally "safe" territory. Office logistics, weekend plans, a broken appliance, what to order for lunch—everyday stuff that masks the undercurrent.

Layer 3: Insert Pressure Points

Now write the scene about the deflection topic, but insert moments where the real conflict punctures through—usually through:
- Tone shifts
- Loaded word choices
- Meaningful pauses or interruptions
- Physical actions that contradict the casual words
- One character pushing slightly closer to the truth, forcing the other to deflect harder

The Technique in Action

Let's see this method transform a scene. First, the direct approach (what doesn't work):

> "Tom, you've been avoiding me since you got promoted," Sarah said.
>
> "I haven't been avoiding you," Tom replied defensively.
>
> "Yes, you have. We used to have lunch every week."
>
> "I'm just busy now. It's not personal."
>
> "It feels personal."

Technically functional, but it has all the nuance of a sledgehammer. Now, the same scene using The Oblique Approach:

> Sarah appeared in Tom's doorway with two coffee cups. "They're replacing the kitchen coffee maker. Something about 'optimizing break room efficiency.'"
>
> Tom didn't look up from his screen. "Finally. That thing's been broken since March."
>
> "Since February, actually. You noticed it first." She set one cup on his desk, farther away than necessary. "Remember? You were making that terrible joke about how even the coffee maker was depressed about quarterly projections."
>
> His fingers stopped typing. "Was I?"
>
> "We were meeting about the Jenkins account every Tuesday. You always grabbed coffee first." She took a long sip from her cup, watching him over the rim. "Funny how your memory works."
>
> "Sarah—"
>
> "Anyway, they're going with some fancy espresso machine. Requires training." She turned to leave, then paused. "But I guess some people are too busy for breaks these days. Too important."
>
> The word hung there like a challenge. Tom finally met her eyes. "That's not fair."
>
> "Isn't it?" She kept her voice light, but her knuckles whitened around the cup. "I just mean... priorities change. Coffee makers. Tuesday meetings. People."

Notice how the actual words are about a coffee maker and scheduling, but every line bleeds with the real issue: abandonment, status change, and broken connection. Tom knows exactly what she's really saying. Sarah knows he knows. And the reader feels the tension in every deflection.

Why This Works So Powerfully

The Oblique Approach accomplishes several things simultaneously:

It mirrors authentic human behavior. We've all witnessed (or participated in) conversations where everyone understands the subtext but maintains plausible deniability about the text. It feels real because it is real.

It engages your reader actively. Instead of being told what characters feel, readers deduce it from word choice, behavior, and context. This transforms them from passive observers to active interpreters—and that's addictive.

It raises tension naturally. Direct confrontation can actually deflate tension by releasing pressure. Oblique conflict builds it, because the real issue remains unresolved, creating that "when will this explode?" feeling that keeps pages turning.

Your Action Steps

Ready to apply this to your manuscript? Here's your practical workflow:

1. Audit your dialogue scenes. Find conversations where characters are being too direct about emotional issues. These are your candidates for transformation.

2. For each scene, answer: What does each character desperately want that they won't say out loud? What would make them feel vulnerable if stated directly?

3. Brainstorm deflection topics connected to your story world. Make a list of mundane subjects your characters would naturally discuss.

4. Rewrite one scene using the Three-Layer Method. Don't revise—rewrite from scratch. Feel how different it is to construct dialogue with a deflection topic as your skeleton.

5. Read it aloud. Oblique dialogue should sound natural but feel loaded. If it's just mundane, you haven't inserted enough pressure points. If it's confusing, your deflection topic isn't clear enough.

The Bottom Line

The Oblique Approach isn't about making dialogue complicated or obscure. It's about respecting the complexity of human communication—especially when emotions run high and relationships hang in the balance.

Your characters have the same protective instincts we all do. They dodge, deflect, and defend. They talk about coffee makers when they mean abandonment. They discuss logistics when they're really negotiating love.

Give them that reality, and your dialogue won't just sound natural—it'll sing with all the messy, complicated truth of being human.

Now go find a too-direct scene in your manuscript and let your characters talk around what they really mean. You'll be amazed at how much more they reveal when they stop trying to explain themselves.