#writing dialogue

[the-cypress-grove]

Prompt: 218

"This is not how I raised you."

"No, you raised me to be weak. You raised me to be your puppet and do your bidding."

"It was necessary."

"And it will be the end of you."

[invalidstories]

Reunion After Suffering Dialogue Prompts

"Is that really you? I thought I’d lost you forever."

"I’ve dreamed of holding you in my arms again. Now that you’re here, it feels like all my wounds are healing."

"I kept hoping, even when everyone else gave up. And here you are."

"The world was so dark without you. Please don't leave again."

"Your absence was a hole in my heart."

"Now that you’re back, I feel whole again."

"All the pain and suffering seem worth it, just to see your face again."

"I missed you every second. Your presence is the greatest gift I could ever receive."

"I carried you in my heart every day. Now that you’re here, it feels like coming home."

"I'll meet you in every lifetime, you can never leave."

"All this time, I felt a part of me was missing. Now that you’re back, I feel whole again."

"I survived by holding onto the thought of seeing you again. You were my strength."

Masterlist

[maybeitsalivescribbles]

TTD - Of hair and shadows

“Ding!”

“Mmmmphfthphf?”

That brilliant one-liner uttered, Hero threw a tired glance at the text that has startled them awake, groaned, then buried their face into the pillow. They stayed a moment like that, letting their tired brain register what they had seen, then gasped and took a second look at the phone. It was really that late. To be fair, it had been a very long time since their last day off. Yawning, they slowly went to the door and stopped on the threshold.

The living room was an absolute mess. Everything was covered with sawdust. On a carpet, in the middle of a wood shaving nest, a dark silhouette was carving what had been a broken table leg, so focused on their task they hadn't noticed them. Hero crossed their arms, staring silently. For a moment, they wondered how Villain could have done that without any noisy tool, then shrugged this off. They were getting used to this. They were more concerned about the implication that their roommate had been awake all night.

Their stomach churned a little with guilt. In a wild turning of events, it had turned out that insisting on learning about Villain and Superhero's traumatic backstory had not, in fact, made things easier at all. Who could have predicted that, except anybody with a brain?

For a moment, they considered leaving them alone, but decided against it. The text had been from the agency, and Hero knew how careful they had to be with the deadlines.

They cleared their throat:

“Hey.”

“Greetings, nemesis.”

Villain glanced at them and added:

“Disheveled nemesis.”

Hero frowned in return, but it wasn't the time to bicker.

“Look, I’m sorry to ask you that,” they said, “but the agency is updating your file. I need to take your picture.”

Villain shrugged, leaning again on their work:

“Do what you must.”

Hero bit their tongue and added as gently as they could:

“I need you out of your shadow. And you need to stop doing... whatever you’re doing for a couple of minutes.”

They waited for the answer, looking anywhere but at their interlocutor. They hated they had to ask them such a thing.

Their roommate groaned.

“May I remind you that I’m the one supposed to torture you? My nemesis you might be, but you should be the glowing light contrasting my sinful shadow, not a thorn in my side. Your excessive love for paperwork will be the end of us all.”

Hero nervously crossed their arms, looking for a comforting answer, but there was nothing good to say back. They pulled out their phone with an apologizing glance:

“Come on, it will take a minute. Put yourself against the wall. I take the picture, then I won’t bother you anymore.”

After some more protesting, Villain stood and went to the other side of the room. The shadow over their face melted, leaving their sulking in plain sight. They stared back at Hero, who had their phone raised, but didn't move. They were pondering. In fact, they pondered for so long Villain shifted uncomfortably.

“Are my smoldering orbs startling you?” they inquired.

“Your?”

“My smoldering emerald orbs that seem to gaze deep into your very soul ? Or my perfectly sculptured cheekbones that give me a melancholic, though refined appearance?”

“Oh, no. I’ve seen your file, I know you look like a starving cat who’s been mildly inconvenienced. But I didn’t realize you had-”

“What?”

“How long your hair was.”

Villain looked at them with sudden, horrified comprehension. All embarrassment had disappeared from Hero’s face. In fact, it was replaced by a near maniacal glee.

“Oh no. You cannot mean-”

But their roommate was so excited they were rocking on their heels, their eyes glowing:

“Look, all I’m saying is that I’ve got a free afternoon for once-”

“You dare-”

“That I’ve got all the hair products in the world-”

“That I’ll give you, it’s an invasion-”

“They need to be taken care of.”

“You mean you need to play with them.”

“Same thing. Please?”

“But I’m brooding!”

“And I’m braiding.”

Villain looked at Hero with their jointed hands and their awkward grin, and groaned:

“You really are my nemesis. Fine.”

Hero beamed at them and took the photo. By the time Villain followed them in front of the dressing table, the shadow was back on their face. After a while, they sighed and accepted to show the back of their head. Grinning all they could, Hero gently let their fingers glide on the offered strands. Their roommate had beautiful hair, straight, shiny, and of course, raven-black. It also had all the knots in the world.

“The situation is dire. Pass me the spray.”

“You have more of them than a witch has bottles. I’m afraid you need to be more specific.”

“The green one.”

Villain handed it to them by the tip of their fingers. Hero took it, used it generously, then grabbed a brush. This was wonderful, but not as enjoyable as they thought it would be. Under the hair, the skinny shoulders were as tense as ever. No matter how soft they tried to be, Villain never relaxed a bit. Hero bit their lip, wondering how guilty they had to feel for that.

“Can I ask a question?” they said after a while. “Why do you cover yourself with your shadow all the time?”

“Because I’m dark and brooding and tormented.”

“Doesn’t that get exhausting, using your power constantly?”

Villain shrugged.

“At first it was. As the darkness grew in my heart, so did my shadow. Also I had a growing spur when I was fifteen. That helped.”

“I see.”

“Covering myself might seem impressive to you, it is but a little feat to me. I could plunge whole streets in the dark, should I wish so. No light could pierce through.”

“I know. You are incredibly powerful,” Hero smiled. “For a Twinkies thief.”

“You are never going to live that down, are you?”

“Nope.”

Hero took several strands and began to braid them.

“What I meant was why?”

“I don’t see how that might preoccupy you.”

Hero keep their eyes on what they were doing, but their voice shivered slightly when they said:

“Maybe it’s none of my business, but sometimes I worry it’s because you never feel safe, even here. It must be exhausting, never lowering your guard.”

“How can I, when I live with my dreaded foe?”

The hands in Villain’s hair froze.

“Do you really dread me?”

Villain had their usual booming, contemptuous laugh, the one that the neighbors hated.

“I’m your nemesis. It will be a sad day when I fear you.”

“Good,” whispered Hero.

Leaving the braid, their right hand rubbed their neck:

“I’m working for Superhero, it’s true, and uh...all of this...the situation is...complex? I had no idea what happened between you two-”

“I'm aware-”

“But now I know and things are going to get more complicated, but I’m- All I want to say is- ugh, I’m so not good at this-”

“On that, we agree.”

Hero took a deep breath:

“Look, I’m nothing compared to Superhero. I don’t think I can do much. But I will do it. To keep you safe. I know that’s just words-”

“I believe you.”

“You do?”

Green eyes emerged from Villain’s shadow to meet Hero’s gaze on the mirror:

“You’re a dreadful liar. I know when you lie.”

“Well…”

“For example, when you said that today was a holiday you’ve taken long ago, you couldn’t look at me.”

“Ah. Yes. I’m sorry. I just- I wanted to spend the day with you to make sure that-”

“-that I was unharmed so we could keep our endless dueling, for such is the destiny of nemeses.”

“Err, sure. Something like that. We...we’re good then?”

“No, I’m very evil. But I think we’ve understood each other.”

*

Check the These Two Dorks Masterlist or Tag for more snippets with this Hero and Villain. This is how they met and now they’re roommates.

Or back to Hero x Villain Masterlist.

[words-on-pa-per]

“The similarity between angels and humans is that they were both forged to fall. Wanting is natural. And wanting is all that demons are.”

[3hks]

How to Write REALISTIC and SMOOTH Dialogue

In a story, dialogue is quite important, it helps the readers paint a picture of what's happening and the characters themselves. However, it can be difficult to avoid the unnaturalness and choppiness that comes with a lack of experience. But luckily, I have put together A LOT of advice on how you can get over that rockiness and improve!

*** KEEPING YOUR DIALOGUE REALISTIC, AND PACING ***

>> Keep your characters in character:

Dialogue is a remarkably quick way for readers to determine your character's personality. Thus, you want their speech patterns to remain fairly consistent so the audience won't get confused. If your character is more serious, then they will use less slang and perhaps a more impressive vocabulary. If your character is more relaxed, they will use more slang and compress the words. (such as "dunno," "kay," "y'know," etc.)

Basically, you want their tone to match their traits so the way that they talk is more realistic and personlized to themselves. If the way all your characters speak is the same, there's something wrong. A strong tip is to put yourself in your character's shoes and imagine how they would respond!

>> Take the situation into consideration:

This is another part of keeping your characters in, well, character. Different emotional situations will have a different effect on separate people, so make sure that you have an idea of how your character will act during stressful, irritating, and sad times.

If your character is normally cold, they will struggle if it comes to comforting other people because they have less experience in that field.

>> Don't take too long with their words:

Unlike when narrating something, most people talk just to get the idea across. They will be more specific and quicker with what they say. (This excludes any character who likes to talk a lot.) Unless it's on purpose, they won't dance around the topic. Think of when you casually chat with your friends; you're pretty unlikely to use certain words and/or phrases that might be common to use while narrating.

If you want to explain something complicated, instead of writing out a paragraph of just one person talking, use a question-and-answer prompt! This is where another character continuously asks related questions that get answered by another person, so you can indirectly reveal your explanation.

*** HOW TO WRITE A SMOOTHER CONVERSATION AND DIALOGUE TAGS***

>> Having a variety of dialogue tags:

This is a pretty basic thing to look out for if you're new to writing conversations. Using words like "said," every other sentence can easily make it feel choppy and robotic. Instead, use words like "murmured," "smirked," etc. to paint some emotion into their words. Additionally, vary the location of the dialogue tags! They don't all have to go after the statement, you can include something in the beginning or even the middle, too!

Examples:

Beginning - She tilted her head, "What are you talking about?"

Middle - "Oh," he blinked, "I actually never thought about that."

End - "Wait up!" She exclaimed loudly, waving her hands around.

>> Using no dialogue tags to create a smooth conversation:

Having too many tags can also overwhelm your reader--remember, sentence variety is a crucial part of writing--so you can always drop them if they're unneeded. This applies when your characters (two is the suggested amount) are talking back and forth in a pattern straightforward enough for the reader to understand who's talking without it having to be labeled.

Dropping dialogue tags in these moments can create a smoother atmosphere during the conversation because the reader only has to focus on the talking present.

*** USING SLANG, STUTTERS, FILLER WORDS, AND PAUSES ***

Human speech is often not perfect; when talking, we often make mistakes such as filler words, grammatically incorrect phrases, etc. Hence, for more natural-sounding dialogue, it's important to incorporate some of these.

>> Pauses and stutters:

When reading dialogue, we read it at a steady pace unless it's written otherwise. However, that steady pace can soon get too robotic and too smooth. Luckily, there are several ways to change this! You can use dialogue tags, (ex: she quickly spoke) commas, and ellipsis (...). These are often integrated when the character is hesitant, nervous, answering something, or when they need to admit something. The same idea applies to stutters--they're mainly used to demonstrate anxiousness, which can be found in varying situations.

>> Filler words and slang:

Filler words can really just be used where you see fit. They may be used in the situations I previously mentioned (because it shows someone stumbling over their words) but it's ultimately up to you!

Slang, just like everything else, should not be used too often, or it will seem forced and exaggerated. The point is to sound natural, and increasing amounts of repetitiveness can ruin it. It's also important to remember that in real life, our conversations move slower; when someone speaks, another person usually doesn't respond quite literally, right after. However, in writing, dialogue can actually often seem that way, which is why using tags and these imperfections of speech is pivotal for building a realistic conversation!

*** CONCLUSION ***

Lastly, a key point when writing dialogue is to ALWAYS read the conversations! Whether it be in your head or out loud, it can often help you catch anything that seems off! Additionally, like I mentioned at the very beginning, write dialogue from your character's perspective! Imagine yourself as them and how they/you would talk. Try to keep your dialogue tags, sentences, and word use varied to create a natural conversation!

If you were struggling before, I hope that this (extra) long guide was able to really offer you some insight and useful tips! If you read this far, thank you!

Happy writing~

3hks <3

[novelbear]

”who me? couldn’t be!” - dialogue for those in denial about their feelings

prompt list by: @novelbear

"are you crazy? they're not my type, you know that."

"i don't have time for a relationship." "that has nothing to do with anything i just said. like at all."

"they're annoying as hell, no i don't have feelings for them."

"i honestly don't even know who you could possibly be referring to."

"what if i told you i said those types of things about everyone? then what?" "i would really hope you didn't. oh god."

"i do not want to see their face, hear their voice or their name for that matter. stop talking about them."

"what gave you that idea?"

"why does everybody keep saying that?"

"it's just been a while since i've had a close friendship like this, that's all."

"no.....no."

"i wasn't blushing! it was hot out." "it is literally snowing outside as we speak are you joking."

"i don't even like them like that i don't know what you mean."

"i'd do that for anyone!"

"flirting? me? i wouldn't say i was."

"cut it out, i'm tired of hearing you guys tease me about this."

"that's not true, where did you hear that from?"

"they're just a friend. that's all."

"we've been friends since we were little, we're practically siblings! no!"

"love?! you think i'm in love?"

"i know what having a crush feels like and this is nothing close..." "have you considered that it's because this is more than just a crush?" "stop talking."

[slayingfiction]

Words to use instead of ‘said’

**Using the word ‘said’ is absolutely not a bad choice, and in fact, you will want to use it for at least 40% of all your dialogue tags. Using other words can be great, especially for description and showing emotion, but used in excess can take away or distract from the story.

Neutral: acknowledged, added, affirmed, agreed, announced, answered, appealed, articulated, attested, began, bemused, boasted, called, chimed in, claimed, clarified, commented, conceded, confided, confirmed, contended, continued, corrected, decided, declared, deflected, demurred, disclosed, disputed, emphasized, explained, expressed, finished, gloated, greeted, hinted, imitated, imparted, implied, informed, interjected, insinuated, insisted, instructed, lectured, maintained, mouthed, mused, noted, observed, offered, put forth, reassured, recited, remarked, repeated, requested, replied, revealed, shared, spoke up, stated, suggested, uttered, voiced, volunteered, vowed, went on

Persuasive: advised, appealed, asserted, assured, begged, cajoled, claimed, convinced, directed, encouraged, implored, insisted, pleaded, pressed, probed, prodded, prompted, stressed, suggested, urged

Continuously: babbled, chattered, jabbered, rambled, rattled on

Quietly: admitted, breathed, confessed, croaked, crooned, grumbled, hissed, mumbled, murmured, muttered, purred, sighed, whispered

Loudly: bellowed, blurted, boomed, cried, hollered, howled, piped, roared, screamed, screeched, shouted, shrieked, squawked, thundered, wailed, yelled, yelped

Happily/Lovingly: admired, beamed, cackled, cheered, chirped, comforted, consoled, cooed, empathized, flirted, gushed, hummed, invited, praised, proclaimed, professed, reassured, soothed, squealed, whooped

Humour: bantered, chuckled, giggled, guffawed, jested, joked, joshed

Sad: bawled, begged, bemoaned, blubbered, grieved, lamented, mewled, mourned, pleaded, sniffled, sniveled, sobbed, wailed, wept, whimpered

Frustrated: argued, bickered, chastised, complained, exasperated, groaned, huffed, protested, whinged

Anger: accused, bristled, criticized, condemned, cursed, demanded, denounced, erupted, fumed, growled, lied, nagged, ordered, provoked, raged, ranted remonstrated, retorted, scoffed, scolded, scowled, seethed, shot, snapped, snarled, sneered, spat, stormed, swore, taunted, threatened, warned

Disgust: cringed, gagged, groused, griped, grunted, mocked, rasped, sniffed, snorted

Fear: cautioned, faltered, fretted, gasped, quaked, quavered, shuddered, stammered, stuttered, trembled, warned, whimpered, whined

Excited: beamed, cheered, cried out, crowed, exclaimed, gushed, rejoiced, sang, trumpeted

Surprised: blurted, exclaimed, gasped, marveled, sputtered, yelped

Provoked: bragged, dared, gibed, goaded, insulted, jeered, lied, mimicked, nagged, pestered, provoked, quipped, ribbed, ridiculed, sassed, teased

Uncertainty/Questionned: asked, challenged, coaxed, concluded, countered, debated, doubted, entreated, guessed, hesitated, hinted, implored, inquired, objected, persuaded, petitioned, pleaded, pondered, pressed, probed, proposed, queried, questioned, quizzed, reasoned, reiterated, reported, requested, speculated, supposed, surmised, testified, theorized, verified, wondered

This is by no means a full list, but should be more than enough to get you started!

Any more words you favor? Add them in the comments!

Happy Writing :)

[keyotosprompts]

we were somewhere else *ੈ𑁍༘⋆

established relationship dialogue prompts

⇴ "were you thinking about eating that?" "yes... why? wait. you were planning on eating it, weren't you." (and they still end up giving their partner a share of their food)

⇴ "really? we've been together for [x] years and you're still worried about that?"

⇴ "wait–why didn't we hear anything about this?" "you and person b were in your own little happy, coupley, rainbow-sunshine world!"

⇴ "okay, let's put the laptop away. we're going to bed."

⇴ "i feel awful. like literal death." "that's why i told you to always wear a jacket. now you've caught a cold. now let me take care of you, babe."

⇴ "no, i'm not doing that," and they do it anyway.

⇴ "your feet are freezing!" and they jolt when their partner's feet touches them.

⇴ "sometimes i don't know what i would've done if i haven't met you. it's like i need you, because if you're not here, it's like i can't even breathe."

⇴ "honestly, i think if you fell over right now, i'd laugh." "would you help me up?" "i suppose so."

⇴ "you've had me since day one. i know i like to say that you're entranced by me, but i've always been marveled by you."

⇴ "i miss you, will you come back to bed?"

⇴ "why are you trailing your fingers across my face?" "just wanted to admire you. you're really cute, did you know that?"

⇴ "out of everyone in my life, you're my person–the most important one. nothing tops you."

⇴ "did you use the last bit of my shampoo?" "technically, we both used it all–y'know, when we showered together–" (a pillow is thrown)

⇴ "this combined playlist is really mid, and i think i know who ruined it..." "do not slander chopin right now." "it's piano music mixed with rap!"

⇴ "i haven't told you this, but did you know that you inspire me?" "me? are you serious? what have i done to inspire you?" "everything you do for me. all the work you put into your work and your relationships. all those little things: every day, i want to be just like you."

⇴ "you remembered!!" "babe, that's the bare minimum."

⇴ "those could be our kids one day." "what...?" (person b malfunctions bc they've been thinking about kids w/ a for a while)

⇴ "i want a house by the beach. with big windows." "and a good kitchen." "oh of course. way better than ours."

⇴ "so it's going to be like this forever? you and me?" "who else?"

[lyralit]

all the dialogue tags you'll ever need

agreed

allowed

assented

assured

babbled

begged

blurted

boomed

breathed

cajoled

chimed (in)

chortled

clarified

concluded

confirmed

consoled

cried

cursed

declared

demanded

disclaimed

exclaimed

gasped

glowered

groaned

grumbled

grunted

gushed

hissed

insisted

jabbed

lamented

laughed

moaned

mumbled

murmured

mutter

noted

offered

ordered

promised

proposed

protested

queried

questioned

quipped

rambled

rasped

realized

recalled

relented

replied

reprimanded

retorted

said

scolded

screeched

shrieked

sneered

sneered

spat

swore

threatened

wailed

warned

whined

[novlr]

Vary your language with synonyms to use instead of "said"

While there is nothing wrong with the word "said" in and of itself, variety is the key to exciting writing that keeps readers engaged.

Combining action beats with varied synonyms as well as "said" yields the most interesting and varied results.

Here are some examples you can use in your next project to keep you writing varied:

Instead of "said quietly"

whispered

murmured

muttered

croaked

purred

hissed

crooned

breathed

buzzed

Instead of "said affectionately"

admired

gushed

praised

flattered

lauded

beamed

complimented

approved

exalted

Instead of "said sadly"

sobbed

cried

lamented

pleaded

wept

grieved

wailed

sniffled

bawled

Instead of "said angrily"

growled

fumed

demanded

hissed

scolded

mocked

yelled

bellowed

berated

Instead of "said fearfully"

stuttered

gasped

stammered

gulped

cautioned

screamed

wavered

croaked

blanched

Instead of "said excitedly"

cheered

sang

beamed

rejoiced

hailed

exclaimed

celebrated

exulted

blurted

Instead of "said uncertainly"

inquired

hesitated

balked

deferred

speculated

floundered

pondered

wavered

vacillated

Neutral synonyms to use instead of "said"

voiced

expressed

insisted

noted

uttered

continued

replied

went on

began

[girlwithherheadinthestars]

father figure prompts pt. 1 (cw: daddy issues)

"why did you think i'd be mad at you? of course i'm not mad at you. it's just one broken cup. there are seven hundred other cups."

"you're okay. i promise you're okay."

"it's not your fault. it's not your fault."

(of MC's birth father) "did he hurt you again? going to beat him up one of these days i swear to god. come, let's get ice cream."

"you seem in dire need of cookies."

"oh, honey, come here." (hugging) "it's okay to be vulnerable, okay?"

"are you doing okay?"

"don't say you're sorry, please, you didn't even do anything."

"can't sleep?"

"are you sick? no, no, you're staying home. i'll make you soup and put on a disney movie you're not going anywhere like that."

"have you eaten?"

"i love you as much as my children, and no one hurts my children."

"nightmares?"

"you don't have to do anything, just rest. please."

"you're going to hurt yourself. take a break."

part. 2

[the-cypress-grove]

Prompt: 217

"How do you do this? How do you survive a job like this?"

"I learnt long ago which parts of myself to kill."

[ramen-writes]

Concerned love interest?!?? Yes please with extra angst in top!

"It's 2 am! where are you?"

"I'm your best friend, of course I care!"

"Where. Is. My. Wife/Husband?!" (In marriage of convenience trope)

"You need to stop, I'm serious. I don't want to lose you"

"I'm right here. You're safe. I'm not leaving. Stay with me"

"You said you were okay! You promised!"

"You idiot!" (With extra concern)

"You stupid stupid idiot! I'm so glad you're okay"

"you're safe now"

"you told me not to worry. You told me you were fine"

"It'll be over before you know it. Just push through"

"Please don't cry"

"Let it out. Cry all you want. I'm right here"

"stay" "always"

"Holding everything doesn't help, you know?"

"Why do you keep lying to me?"

"Why are you awake right now?"

"You said no secrets! You promised! I was terrified"

"Please look at me"

"[out of breath] I know I shouldn't be here, and I might have gotten the wrong idea from the call but-" [gets cut of by sudden hug] "[relaxes and hugs back] I'm right here, I always will be"

[thefirsthogokage]

Really fantastic thread from John Rogers late on May 6th, 2023, about having writers on set for DIALOGUE.

(click to enlarge/have better quality)

(link to first tweet)

What came after Number 17 was a link to his follow up thread on training which I'm linking here.

[writing-to-survive]

#119

"You're nothing at all of what I thought an alien would look like," Human says.

"What did you think I was going to look like?" Alien asks.

"I don't know. Multiple arms or heads. Maybe three eyes. Huge heads. Green skin," Human mumbles. "But you look like a human. Like me."

"You are very stereotypical. And—" Alien states.

"Sorry," Human winches.

"—saying we look like your species is an insult. The major difference between our two species is that mine is much more advanced than yours. I mean, you guys are still traveling to space in tin cans."

"I was wrong about what I thought you looked like, but I'm spot on about your personality," Human says.

"Intelligent and honest?" Alien assumes, grinning.

"A stuck-up, know it all who thinks their better than everyone else," Human corrects, wiping the smrik right off Alien's face.

[maccreadysbaby]

Writing Tips; Dialogue

Does your dialogue fall flat, or feel thin and strange? Does it feel like your characters are talking like robots? Do your conversations sound repetitive and monotone? We’ve all been there. It’s a very common occurrence amongst writers. Here are some of my favorite ways to avoid the monotone robot characters and add life and movement into your dialogue!

In this post, we’re going to have an example sentence that changes as I talk about different additions. Here it is in its naked, base form: “I know it’s real I saw it,” Nico said.

Now, let’s hop into making it lively, shall we?

-

1) PUNCTUATION

Commas and punctuation are your best friends! Use them. Use the crap out of them. Many people will say commas can’t go here and they can’t go there, but I say, in dialogue, it doesn’t matter. If you want your character to pause but you don’t want to use an ellipsis because it feels too long, use a comma. Put them wherever you want. Wherever your character pauses. If your character is rambling or talking really fast, take them out. It’s your dialogue. Use any and all punctuation to bedazzle up your lines. There is never too many or too little of anything if you want it that way, folks.

Keep in mind, punctuation can change the whole feeling of your sentence and the way your readers imagine your character talking. For example, your punctuation should differ between an excited and a sad line.

Here is the example sentence, punctuated in two different ways. “I know it’s real, I saw it!” Nico said. “I know it’s real… I saw it,” Nico said.

Can you see how just the change in punctuation changes the way you imagine him saying it? Really hone in on how your character is speaking and punctuate it to show that. (Keep in mind that this is your story and your character. You don’t have to obey punctuation rules and writing stereotypes, your story obeys you.) Put whatever punctuation you want there. Use thirty commas in your sentence. Use an ellipsis after every word. If it makes your character sound how you want them to sound, go for it, friends!

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2) ITALICS

Some people hate reading over-italicized works, but that’s their own preference. Italics is a great way to add interest, movement, and a characters natural inflection into your dialogue. (I freaking love italics.) Italics helps readers understand what the character is focused on, and how they’re speaking. Again, people will say not to use it too much or only to use it so many times in a paragraph… but the key here is still to write it how you like it. Italics can make your sentences sound more human and more authentic.

Here is our pair of examples, now with punctuation and italics. “I know it’s real, I saw it!” Nico said. “I know it’s real… I saw it,” Nico said.

Take a minute and read through the example dialogue, imagining each word italicized one by one. Pay attention to the meaning and context it gives it. (For example, if the ‘I’ at the beginning is in italics — I know it’s real — that could imply that he’s talking to someone who doesn’t know or believe whatever he’s talking about is real.)

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3) DIALOGUE TAGS

Tags. Tags, tags, tags! Tags are so important! Tags are brilliant for clarifying and identifying exactly how your character is speaking and how they intend for the statement to come across. If you ignore every other tip in this post, don’t ignore the tag! There are so many different words you could use instead of said that give life and context to your lines. Muttered, mumbled, yelled, shouted, exclaimed, whined, groaned, whispered, and a ton ton ton more. Use these to your advantage, like an outline for your dialogue. The tag is undoubtedly the easiest way to make your lines come across the way you want them to.

Here’s the examples with different tags! “I know it’s real, I saw it!” Nico defended. “I know it’s real… I saw it,” Nico mumbled.

Don’t be afraid to move your tag around, either! Sometimes, in order to make your conversations less repetitive, moving your tags are nice. You can put them at the beginning, middle, or end! (Middle tags are my favorite, I use them a whole, whole lot…)

Here’s the example sentence with a tag at the beginning and middle. Nico growled: “I know it’s real, I saw it!” “I know it’s real…” Nico muttered. “I saw it.”

Don’t forget, tags don’t always have to be how they’re speaking. It can also be what they’re doing or how they’re acting, which can be just as telling as other tags. (I use action tags sooooooo much. Action tags in the middle of dialogue is my jam.)

The example sentences with action tags: Nico crossed his arms, huffing deeply. “I know it’s real, I saw it!” “I know it’s real…” Nico averted his gaze, staring down at his shoes instead. “I saw it.”

Or, you can mix them both! An action tag plus how they’re speaking for maximum impact and description.

Here’s the example sentence with both! Nico rolled his eyes, hissing: “I know it’s real, I saw it!” “I know it’s real…” Nico uttered, poorly stifling a shudder. “I saw it.”

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4) DESCRIPTION

Describing the way your character looks, moves, speaks, etc etc before and after the line can further help your readers know how they feel about what they’re saying. This is especially important if the character is not the main character and doesn’t have internal dialogue. Body language can explain things voices can’t or won’t. You can explore putting these descriptions before the line, after the line, in the tag, or after the tag. Whatever you prefer!

Here’s the sentence with descriptive sentences with it. I did one before the line & tag and one in the middle! He was practically fuming, his eyebrows knitted so closely together they looked like a single strip of hair. His eyes were flicking between his friends like he was trying to determine if they were joking, blue irises blurred with a rage-fueled haze. Nico finally rolled his eyes, hissing: “I know it’s real, I saw it!” “I know it’s real…” Nico uttered, poorly stifling a shudder. His eyes never left the floor, and he looked smaller, younger as he spoke. His breaths weren’t exactly even, but they weren’t too quick, either. “I saw it.”

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Look at those two very different scenarios we got out of the same base line! This is the power you hold, folks, the power to un-bland your dialogue and make it into something intense and memorable for your readers! The power to make it portray exactly what you want it to portray! No more worrying how your readers took that line, because you set in stone how it was presented.

Remember, making a paragraph like that for every line might get tiring or repetitive to read. Sometimes tags alone are good enough in fast-paced or long conversations, and sometimes, if the dialogue makes it clear who is speaking, the line can suffice by itself!

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