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LOCKE & KEY | 1x01Β βWelcome to Mathesonβ
Are you okay? I mean, I know none of us are okay, but β¦ you seem really far away.
what sign(s) yall stuck in the house with
WASIRAUHLPSDS, coloring 365. you flower you feast (x)
Reddish coloring with green tone.
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You can adjust the layers if you need to.
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WASIRAUHLPSDS, atn 06. pink dreams (x)
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I know someoneβs gonna hate me for this, but dialogue is actually hands down the easiest part of writing for me. I used to struggle a lot with it, then one day something clicked and now my scenes are quite literally built on the dialogue - my rough drafts look like screenplays lmao. So, I might be the worst person to attempt to give tips on this particular subject, but I will do my best!
π
Unique Voices:
Every character should have their own voice. It might sound impossible at first, but here are some factors to consider when designing a speech pattern:
Upbringing.Β This is where it all begins, really. The way we speak can certainly change over time, but a lot of habits are gonna be established earlier on in life. So, who raised your character? How did their parents/siblings speak? Who were their friends, and how could their speech patterns have had an influence on your character? Where did your character grow up? Is the area known for a specific dialect or strong accent?
Age and era.Β Not only should you consider your characterβs age, but also the era in which theyβre living. If youβre in your thirties and youβre writing about a teenager in 2020, your character is not going to speak exactly the same way you spoke when you were a teenager. If youβre 20 and writing about a 20-year-old in 1920, theyβre not going to speak exactly as you speak now. Do your research!
Who are they speaking to? Regardless of whether or not they live in a society where there is a very strict hierarchy between social classes or age groups, your character is still likely to adjust their speech depending on who theyβre speaking to. Boss, teachers, parents, siblings, lovers - your character will probably have a slightly different way of speaking to all of these people.
Multi-lingual. Was your character raised with more than one language? Is the language your character usually speaks their first language? Are they entirely fluent? What might trigger them to slip into their first language - anger, excitement, meeting a certain person, praying, counting? Do they often forget or confuse certain words in one language or another? You can have a lot of fun with multi-lingual characters, but if you werenβt raised with more than one language yourself, Iβd do some research before writing a bilingual character!
Slang. Again, if youβre writing a character who belongs to a different era/age-group/nationality to you, do a little research. Youβll want to avoid using stereotypical slang and speech patterns - for example, not a single fucking Irish person has ever seriously saidΒ βtop oβ the morninβ to yeβ. Each person usually has a specific set of slang terms and expletives they favour.
Iβm not a linguist, these are just some of the things I consider when deciding how a character might speak. Not all voices are 100% unique, so donβt stress yourself out too much. The way we speak is the sum of hundreds of different influences, many of which we share with others. The idea is just to keep these factors in mind and implement small changes here and there to make sure your charactersβ voices stand out from each other.
Break it up!
No to big chunks of solid dialogue - itβs boring. Even if your character is going off on a long monologue, you should break it up with motion and description. Imagine youβre watching a play and the actor just stands there, stock still, emotionless, reciting these lines - no one wants to see that and no one wants to read it either, my fren. Below is the best example I could find in my recent writing of a monologue broken up with motion and description:
Only one character speaks for this whole thing, but even if it was a conversation, Iβd weave those other details in through it in much the same way. As much as you can, try to drop in subtle reminders of the characterβs surroundings and feelings and the reactions of whoever theyβre speaking to. This keeps the reader in the scene.
Rehearse:
You might feel like a crazy person muttering random lines of dialogue under your breath, but saying things aloud can help you figure out if it sounds nice and natural or stilted and weird. We canβt all be Oscar-winners, I know, but for best results, you should try to channel your character and their emotions when you do it. Personally, when Iβm in bed before I fall asleep, I play scenes through in my head like a film and thatβs my kinda way of βrehearsingβ them.
Listen:
A lot of people have trouble actually constructing dialogue. You sit down to write and itβs like youβve never had a conversation before in your goddamn life, I know the feeling. The first thing you need to do is stop putting so much pressure on yourself. Just like you canβt force conversation in real life without it getting awkward, I think itβs the same in writing. Relax, step back from the keyboard, shut your eyes and try to imagine the scene as if youβre watching a film - what are they saying?Β
If that fails, watch a film or an episode of something, listen to the actors. Read a novel and focus on the dialogue, how itβs constructed. When youβre out and about, listen to conversations going on around you, take notes of anything you find funny or interesting, anything that inspires a bit of dialogue for your story. Listening in this way is also a good exercise for studying other peopleβs speech patterns - think about how theyβre unique and what the way they speak can tell you about them.
Practice:
I think this will be a point in most of my posts because itβs just so vital when it comes to all aspects of writing. Dialogue isnβt just a skill, itβs an entire group of skills. Within it, thereβs humorous dialogue, flirtatious dialogue, arguments, etc. - the list goes on. Theyβre all a little different and present unique challenges, and you will be better at some aspects of dialogue than you are at others, so donβt get stuck in anΒ I suck at dialogue rut, thatβs not sexy at all.
Hereβs a diverse list of dialogue prompts. To practice and challenge yourself, you could try building a conversation around each one or just a few. To start with, you could try writing only the lines of dialogue; when you feel more confident, start weaving in tone, setting, motion, etc.
β§ο½₯οΎ: * :ο½₯οΎβ§*
For me, the dialogue is the first thing I get. Before a scene has even begun to really take form, I have all these snippets of dialogue in my head, but then I often struggle with filling the gaps to make it a readable scene, you know? Every writer has different strengths. Dialogue may seem tricky at first, but youβve been having conversations you whole life, pal, you know how to do it. The real trouble lies in finding your charactersβ voices and figuring out how theyβd interact with each other - once youβve done that, the dialogue will come much easier for the rest of your story.
Sorry for the long gap between posts this time! I have a lot going on right now, but I love writing for this blog, it makes me feel like I know things, so thank you for all your support so far! Especially those who sent in asks - keep βem coming! If I donβt reply, itβs because I plan to make a post on the topic, so donβt worry, Iβm not ignoring anyone.
Thanks for reading, frens, I hope youβre all having a good day <3
those westerns finally make sense now. itβs like honey iβm going into town. iβll pick up sugar, flour, beans, salt pork, bullets, and kerosene. do you want a bolt of calico? some maple syrup? iβm taking the wagon iβll be back in three days
shout out to me in 5 yearsβ¦hope shes doing something cool iβm rooting for her
Laughing at your own texts before you send them because youβre so damn funny
Zoey Deutch Reacting to an Interviewer Gifting Her a Bag of Chips
Instead of a death note, I just want a book where I can write my friendsβ names in it and they will have a good day.
Alphonse Elric (via incorrectfmaquotes)
*signs a legal document with a glitter gel pen*
We are just acquaintances with a history now.
feelings-of-wanderlusttΒ (via wordsnquotes)
The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair (2018β) Created by Jean-Jacques AnnaudΒ