Effective dialogue in fiction:
1. Ensure natural flow, avoiding formality;
2. Reveal character traits and emotions;
3. Use clear dialogue tags sparingly;
4. Incorporate action beats for context;
5. Avoid excessive exposition;
6. Move the plot forward;
7. Vary sentence lengths;
8. Use contractions appropriately;
9. Ensure every line serves a purpose;
10. Edit by reading aloud for clarity.
Consider using Scrivener's features for streamlined dialogue editing.
https://www.literatureandlatte.com/blog/how-to-write-dialogue-in-a-story