Writing Stack Exchange
Writing Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [dialogue]

He said, she said, or what your characters are saying.

596 questions
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avoiding making all your characters sound the same

We surely all have little quirks to our speech. Like my daughter once criticized my writing for using the word "surely" too much. (See, I used it on this post.) So how do you keep all your characters from sounding the same in dialog? That is, how do…
Jay
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Is there a way to explain how a character said a word sarcastically without dialog tags?

I have a character who is a talking shovel. He's arguing with another character and criticizing them. "Oh! And let me take a wild guess—you’ve probably asked the people who live around the jungle to harvest it and make the shirts for you …
Klara Raškaj
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6 answers

Dialog, just what's the best way to write it?

I've come across the following conventions: "What’s this for?" asked Jake. Sue replied, "None of your business." He shrugged his shoulders. "Well, it looks darned funny sitting here." "It’s still none of your business," she asserted. "It’s…
srcspider
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6 answers

Can I use parenthesis in a conversation

I wrote a dialogue as follows: Then he said to her: "I told you I won't do that! (And I think you shouldn't either)". Somebody then asked me: How is a speech in a parenthesis? I'd like to know if you can understand that it is something said in a…
ClayKaboom
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12
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7 answers

Is there a dialog tag for when someone is saying something in awe?

I'm looking for a dialog tag for when someone is in awe and saying something along the lines of "oooooo!" or "wooooooow!" "Oooooooo!" they ______ed. Does it exist? If so, what is it?
Klara Raškaj
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7
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2 answers

When Dialogue is used for more than one character?

When writing a dialogue for characters, say two or more who are speaking back and forth do you have to put who is speaking on every time you switch characters? Is it needed to put their name before they speak? Is it easier to read that way?
Tearya
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Should I write Internet slang as it is spoken or as it is written?

I'm writing a sci-fi novel where some of the characters are computer hackers. In some of the conversations they use the term "owned" which has a broad set of meanings in English. So I wonder if I should write the word as "pwned" like most of the…
Milan Babuškov
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How to format dialogue with an embedded long monologue

I use the following formats for dialogues: dialogue dialogue - describing action (if any) dialogue - describing action (if any) - more dialogue (if any) There is a chapter in my book that is mainly a conversation. During that chapter, after -…
Psicofrenia
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Is it always ok to use the verb "to say" after a question?

Does it sound strange to use the verb "to say" after a question? For example: "'Why is it called a memorial?' said Laura." If I were to have written this, I would have used "asked" instead. Am I alone in feeling that it sounds a little strange with…
ghshtalt
6
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1 answer

How can I add emphasis in an internal dialogue, given that I am already using italics for character thoughts?

In a novel I am currently writing, characters frequently express thoughts. Following the advice I found here, which states: "Never use quotation marks for thoughts, even if those thoughts are inner dialogue, a character talking to himself. Reserve…
Mark Anderson
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How can I communicate that an entire conversation is whispered?

Situation in fiction writing. Two characters are involved in an exploration of a long-abandoned gold mine. However, dangerous creatures may still lurk there. The two characters will be communicating over the course of a few hours but they need to…
Scott
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How to keep a story interesting when it's mostly dialogue?

I've realized that most of the short stories I've been writing recently are almost entirely dialog. The stories hinge on relationships between characters and associated conflicts, so it felt natural to write them almost entirely as conversations…
mushroom-house
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How can I write dialogue inside a dialogue?

I am writing a story where one person A is narrating a story to B. In the story, there are conversations between characters, C and D, of the story. How do I then write the dialogue between A and B and the dialogue between C and D which is being…
Ritwik
5
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2 answers

How to write a POC explaining to a bullied child that dark skin isn't bad

I'm writing a scene where the skin tone of an adult person of color (POC) is brought up in conversation. The POC has the nickname "Ghost" and another character asks if it's ironic like "Tiny" etc. (we later find out it's because of certain…
Frankie
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How to improve my dialogue writing, when feedback says it's not fluid and sounds stilted?

This is one area of writing that I find myself struggling a lot. I usually divide my chapters into scenes and each scene has a goal(s) that I have to achieve. And I have found that even though I know what the goal of a dialogue between certain…
user96551
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