Here are four things about this little blog and me.
First and foremost, I write weird stuff: rape, noncon, abuse.
Those are not the only stuff I write but they're going to be a part of some stories. But not all the time. I'll be sure to tag what story has those contents in it, just in case passersby don't want to read anything like that. But either way, if you feel uncomfortable by what you have seen please feel free to block me.
I'm not responsible for your likes and dislikes.
Secondly, I usually focus on writing black female characters. Though I do want to expand out of fem-gendered characters. This is just an FYI if you see a lot of femme reader type of fiction.
Laslty, I'm pretty new at this whole blog-fanfic thing and I haven't posted on here for like years. Whoopsies. ( •᷄ - •᷅ ). I'm very sorry.
I will post blurbs on the blog but long fics in ao3.
Here is my work so far (subject to update):
RZ Myers:
Late Night Cartoons
Shadows of Obsession
Brahms Heelshire:
Stymied (coming soon)
OG Michael Myers:
For A Moment (coming soon)
TO THOSE DISCOMFORTED:
Again! If you don’t like the dark content and it makes you uncomfortable, please don't interact! Block me too for your own comfort.
Minors and ageless blogs please do not interact.
Deleted fic:
Love Hurts: A Halloween Tale
Reason: I feel like with the story I would end up rehashing the movies. Instead, I want to do something a little bit different with them.
18+ Only - Minors/Ageless Blogs DNI - You Will Be Blocked
Imagine: Just you going full-on protective and killing for Michael. No biggie.
WARNINGS: SMUT, mature scenes, Blood, Description of blood, Sex scene after. etc.
Dr. Loomis looked at you eyes wide with terror after the quick slice. His hand instinctively grasped his neck as he winced in pain, feeling the warmth of his own blood seeping from the deep stab wound. The skin around his injury was torn and jagged, and the crimson stain on his shirt rapidly spread like an ominous dark cloud.
With an intense gaze, you locked eyes with him, your eyes reflecting nothing but pure rage and anger. You did it. You finally did it. You finally put an end to the man who mistreated your lover's mental health as his psychiatrist and exploited him for his shitty book, calling him “evil ”. He didn’t know what true evil looked like. But now he did as he looked back at you, a person he thought he was protecting from Michael Myers, a person he thought was helping him find Michael Myers. A person who was working with him along.
With every labored breath, a trickle of blood escaped his lips, underscoring the severity of the injury. As he fell to the ground, the air around him seemed to thicken with tension as he struggled to stay conscious. However, his struggle went in vain as his heartbeat first echoing in his ears like a desperate plea for survival slowly fainted when he hit the hard wooden floors of the Myers home.
Michael's towering presence seemed to catch you by surprise since you hadn't noticed him initially. However, when he came into view, you looked up at him with a tender expression, showing nothing but warmth and affection in your eyes.
"See Michael? I took care of it. Like I said I would."
Michael looked down at his ex-psychiatrist limp body, his neck slit open and his blood spilling everywhere on the floor. His eyes made their way to the sharp end of a broken bottle in your hand that was drenched in blood. The sight caused a shiver to run down his spine. The sight of your heaving chest after a kill stirred something in him.
"We can finally be together now." you beamed, with a radiant smile. You dropped the broken bottle body on Loomis’s body while stepping over him to approach Michael.
As you stood in front of him, cupping the cheek of his mask with your bloody hands, Michael could feel a sort of scratching in the back of his brain and a restless surge within his veins, like bubbling blood yearning to break free.
He always felt this way since he saw you at the Halloween store looking for a costume for a party. There was always something about you that made him snap inside. It wasn’t your body or your face.
He saw something in you, the same thing that was in him. It was so stark that it leaked through the blackness of your pupils.
“Sheriff Brackett comes by and starts snooping around I’ll get rid of him okay?” You murmured. “No one will take you from me.”
You’ve always been like this like he was. You didn’t kill out of protection for him. You were killed because you were like him.
You were fascinating.
Just as you raised your toes to kiss his mask's lips, he instantly grabbed at your collar and began ripping apart your shirt exposing the dark green bra you chose to wear today. You gasped in response as you stumbled back on Loomis’s body, crimson blood smearing the heel of your feet.
“Do whatever you want with me.” you huffed trying to reach up to kiss him. Michael cupped his large hand under your chin, with his fingers squeezing both sides of your face, and slammed you into the staircase wall.
Michael heard his breath growing more ragged as he bore his eyes into yours and felt his bubbling blood heading south to his hardening cock.
“Do whatever you want Michael,” you whispered. You felt goosebumps all over your body as his other hand made its way down your stomach and to your flier. With one hard pull, he broke it. Revealing your matching dark green panties. With a forceful pull, he yanked you away from the staircase wall, causing you to stumble and fall face down onto the ground. The impact left you slightly hurt and disoriented as crimson stained your skin. You heard rustling behind you and looked back to see him unfastening the upper portion of his coveralls, removing the top half to free his girthy member.
His hands twitched at the sight of you quickly moving down your panties, while your eyes were completely fixed on his masked face. You felt the cold air bite at your soppy pussy.
"Come, Micahel." you cooed.
Something in him snapped. Growling menacingly, he suddenly lunged at you with intensity. His entire frame engulfed yours completely as if trying to devour you. You whimpered when he pressed his entire body weight on you, feeling his length on your pubic mound.
"Go as hard as you want okay?" you mewled as you felt his breath run down your neck. You began to tilt your hip on him. With that Michael took hold of his length and lined it with your entrance. The heat between your thighs made him throb harder. Your breath hitched when you felt his tip enter you and begin stretching you, until it was fully embedded inside your quivering folds. His hand slid down your side and gripped your breast possessively before he began to rock himself in and out, slowly at first. His breathing quickened as he leaned down to nip at the soft flesh of your neck with his teeth.
After several deep thrusts, your body began trembling uncontrollably as he continued to drive deeper inside you, each push eliciting a pleasurable shudder from your body. Your hips began undulating against him, seeking more friction. He groaned in appreciation at how much you loved being taken roughly.
His movements became faster and more erratic. His thrusts grew stronger as he pulled away from the wall and lifted your hips up toward his pelvis, making you moan in blissful pleasure. His hips slammed into you and he began grunting loudly, his balls slapping against your ass cheeks forcefully with each thrust. His breathing grew harsher and heavier, as his muscles bulged and twitched beneath his white Halloween mask.
You moaned as you felt your entire body bob up and down aggressively, hearing the floorboards beneath you whine at each thrust.
"Please go harder!" you cried out.
As he continued to slam into you, Michael felt something warm run down his leg, realizing it was your own sweat. He growled and bit down harder at your shoulder, causing you to cry out in pain, but also in blissful pleasure. It wasn't supposed to happen like this, but the more he pushed inside you, the more your body responded to his aggressive moves. His pace increased even further and he began panting as he held your waist tightly against him, slamming his body forcefully in and out of you. You couldn't stop yourself from moaning in joy as the sensations coursed through you, causing your whole body to quake and tremble and your eyes to roll back.
Your legs were wrapped around Michael's waist as you rode his thick cock, riding wave after wave of pleasure throughout your body. Michael's grunts intensified and his hips bucked furiously, his shaft jerking within you as he buried himself deeply inside you over and over again. He grunted loudly and moaned in your ear as your nails dug into his shoulders.
His movements became frantic and violent. His thrusts grew quicker and rougher with each passing moment. The sounds of slapping flesh filled the air as he thrusted relentlessly into you, his hot release shooting through his dick with every forceful thrust, coating your insides with copious amounts of his thick sticky cum. You screamed as his powerful thrusts sent waves of ecstasy through you.
Michael's breathing was raspy and harsh, his arms holding your waist tight as he continued to pump inside you, his cock throbbing inside your womb as he emptied himself inside you.
His strokes slowed gradually and he let you down to the floor where you collapsed next to Loomis' corpse, his seed still oozing from you with every slow movement.
As you lay there completely spent, you looked back at Michael who laid his head comfortably on your stomach, with his arms wrapped around you.
He was yours, and you'd be damned if someone took him from you.
"Well, looks like I have a lot of cleaning to do."
This is kind of a special thanks to the people that have been reading my shit, especially to those who interacted in some way.❤️
Many fans of the franchise were critical of the film, claiming that Zombie ruined Micheal Myers by humanizing him and giving him a childhood backstory, thus ruining his mystery and scariness, and hurting the franchise.
Firstly I don't think those who argue this seem to understand that Rob Zombie's Michael was his own version of Michael Myers not a continuation of the Carpenter's Myers hence why they both have different personalities and carry themselves differently. I'm stating this given the scene in the 2007 Halloween film where Michael shows Laurie a picture of him and her as children. In that moment, Michael Myers was clearly not the "Shape" or "The Boogeyman '' Loomis had portrayed him to be. He was a damaged person with severe mental health issues that was mistreated by society, and this is the image of Michael Rob Zombie wanted to convey.
Secondly, if I'm being honest with y'all, giving Michael Myers a believable backstory was refreshing after the ridiculous directions the Halloween franchise had previously taken during that time.
Lastly, does changing Michael's character hurt the franchise? In all honesty, I doubt it. As a matter of fact, I believe the change added more subtleties to Michael Myers than simply being the epitome of evil. Compared to his original counterpart, RZ Michael is much more complex and nuanced. His backstory, motivations, and personality make him more interesting than just a white mask wearing killer. As a result, he managed to be both the most brutal and softest version of Myers I have ever seen. I think the franchise benefitted from the little nuance.
Regarding Rob Zombie's Myers, I want to explain the reason as to why Rob Zombie changed up his character, and the answer is simple:
He didn’t want his version of Halloween to be stylized or continued in Carpenter's vision, but his own. Thus he created his own version of Michael Myers.
I believe the reason for people's disdain for this version of the character can be traced back to this, the fact that Rob actually went on to follow his own artistic vision rather than the traditional one.
His remake wasn't a remake it was supposed to be in the eyes of fans who expected a traditional Halloween remake. He acknowledged that there was no point in approaching the story of halloween the exact same way because honestly what would be the point of just doing the same thing as the original again when the original is already a classic?
A good remake should always aim to re-imagine things and show us something different than the original in my opinion; otherwise there is no point for the remake to exist.
It might seem pedantic but his Halloween was a reimagining- so he was taking it from the perspective of "what if this is how things played out"
His film didn’t erase any of the previous films or lore. Through his version of Michael and showing how his character affects others, he takes a different approach to Halloween that is more grounded on emotion and tragedy.
This is best illustrated by how Zombie portrayed the death of Michael's victims. Zombie chooses to linger on the pain and fear of Michael's victims and not just make quick and easy deaths people would enjoy. He never wanted viewers to enjoy the death Michael causes but be uncomfortable by it as they witnessed how his horrific acts caused havoc among those around him. The first instance of this is in Michael's fatal confrontation with his bully, in which the kid begged Michael to stop, but Michael ended up beating him to death. Even after Michael's brutal attacks and killings, in the second installment, people are left with mental, emotional and/or physical scars.
Rather than a quick slasher flick about a man in a white mask killing off babysitters at night, Rob Zombie's Halloween movie seems more like a story about trauma.
All in all, Rob Zombie has a very specific type of film, and if you're not for that style, his duology probably weren't going to float your boat. His Michael Myers take was deliberately designed to be a real-life-grounded serial killer because his goal was to build a real life, "nurtured" psychopathic killer from the ground up rather than Evil possessing a random kid one day. You know, a massive storytelling difference on purpose.
I feel like Zombie's version shouldn't honestly be compared to the original since he wasn't trying to follow what the original Halloween did because he never wanted to copy and paste what John Carpenter did. He wanted to go through his own vision. I actually appreciate that it deviates from the original because John Carpenter told RZ to make the movie his own, and I'd rather a movie try to be different.
Seeing how this is the end of my rant, I also want to add that Studio interference certainly affected the movie since the backstory was actually supposed to be one complete movie that he was forced to shorten and fit into the completed movie. The second movie was going to be the actual Halloween. Which would have been so interesting to see!
This does not mean I think the movie is without fault . In fact a major criticism I myself have for the movie is more about the writing itself. There were times when the dialogue seemed forced and cheesy, like i lowkey feel like Zombie shouldn't be writing his own scripts or at least have others to edit the script. And god don't get me started on the unneeded and disgusting sexual assault scene that was there for "realism" or shock value. I really preferred the prison guard scene that displayed Michael's brute strength and unstoppable nature, especially the scene where he let all the other patients out.
If you didn't agree or like this rant, then tough shit...I’m fucking with you, I’d like to read your thoughts, just don't crucify me. I don't expect people to agree honestly because there is more hate than love for this movie, but i do want y'all to understand this movie is Rob Zombie's own thing, not a continuation of the orginal Michael Myers.
If you did like this rant then here is a really good analysis of both Rob Zombie's Halloween movies, this guy did a really great explaining shit I couldn’t put into words:
So check this, this tall ass dude was just standing in your room wearing an orange pumpkin mask while in his sanitarium drip right? While he was there, you were on the floor watching...whats that dumbass TV show called? The Simpsons! Yeah so you were watching the Simpsons and then suddenly you felt a large ass hand grab at you head and yank you up with so much force, you thought your head was about to be ripped from the rest of your body. And bro this dude's nails literally clawed your scalp as he took a fist full of your coily hair to pull you to your knees.
And that shit hurt like hell.
The first thing you saw was his sizeable and girthy erection staring you in the face leaking precum on your bedroom floor. It was kinda veiny, and the tip was so pink. You let out a whimper like a pathetic bitch when you saw it. Before you could even yell at this tall and buff bitch to let go of your fucking hair, he pressed his thumb against your lower lip pressuring it down. With your mouth open, he just shoves in his entire length with a loud grunt. You didn't even think your jaw was capable of stretching that wide. The bitch didn't even let you get accustomed or anything, he just started thrusting in your mouth with excessive force over and over again. Your eyes started watering as tears fell from your eyes as he pounded your face. There wasn't even any room for your tongue to move.
Like you started to be used like a little toy bro.
Eventually, you felt his balls slapped against your chin from how fast he was going. There were all sorts of obscene slurping sounds in the air when you were being bobbed back and forth on his length. You tried pushing your head up to breathe a couple of times but he just push you all the way down the base of his cock till you were gagging and drooling.
Then the fucking behemoth started fucking your throat harder.
You couldn't stop the tears from falling out of your eyes now. It was like this big fat dick was so far down your throat you was choking on it. He kept groaning and grunting as he fucked your face. You thought the sight of you straight up gagging around him was spurring him because he started to pant faster and faster. Soon his thrusts became slower as he grew more erratic. He groaned and groaned loudly in your ear as he sped up to his final thrust, gagging you more. You felt him throb inside and heard a strange splashing sound coming from your mouth.
He came.
He finally let go of your head and you fell back on the the floor.
He stared at you lying there in disbelief for a minute. Then he put his cock back in his pants and went out the door. You quickly sat up and spat out the cum. When you turned back to your fuckin TV, Episode five of season 1 of the Simpsons was already done.
Like bro, all you wanted to do was watch The Simpsons.
You've heard it a thousand times—show, don't tell. One of the most effective ways to do this in your writing is through dialogue. Dialogue helps bring your story and characters to life, propels the action forward, and engages readers. But crafting realistic, compelling dialogue is an art form that takes practice. Don't worry, Rin's got you covered. In this guide, you'll discover techniques for writing dialogue that sparkles. You'll learn how to make conversations sound natural, differentiate character voices, convey subtext and emotion, and use dialog for exposition. By the end, you'll be writing dialogue with confidence and watching your characters come to life on the page. So grab a cup of coffee or mocha (my favorite), settle in, and let's chat about the art of conversation.
Why Dialogue Matters in Your Novel
Dialogue is one of the most powerful tools in a writer's arsenal. It brings your story to life and creates realistic characters that readers can connect with. If you want to master the art of fiction writing, you need to know how to write compelling dialogue.
Dialogue reveals character and moves the story forward. Through dialogue, readers get a sense of your characters' personalities, backgrounds, and motivations. It's a chance to show, not tell, what your characters are like. Dialogue also propels the action and builds suspense, as characters chat about the events unfolding in the story.
There are a few keys to crafting believable and engaging dialog:
•Make it sound natural. Listen to real conversations for inspiration. Dialogue should flow and feel spontaneous, not stiff or forced. Use contractions, interruptions, and imperfect speech.
•Give each character a unique voice. The way people speak depends a lot on their background, education level, profession, and personality. Capture the subtleties of different speaking styles to bring your characters to life.
•Use dialogue tags and actions. Adding "he said/she said" and descriptions of characters' actions and expressions during conversations helps readers keep track of who's talking and provides context. Use a variety of tags like asked, exclaimed, and murmured.
•Move the conversation along. Keep dialog concise and avoid unnecessary filler words. Get to the point so readers stay interested in what's being said. Dialogue should always move the story forward.
•Show tension and conflict. Interesting conversations often involve disagreement, sarcasm, arguing, or questioning. Create tension through dialogue to keep readers engaged.
With the right techniques, you can make dialogue a pivotal part of your story. So listen, observe, and practice the art of great conversation - your readers will thank you!
Developing Distinctive Character Voices Through Dialogue
To develop distinctive voices for your characters, focus on how they speak. Dialogue is one of the best ways to bring your characters to life and propel your story forward.
Pay attention to your characters’ backgrounds, experiences, education levels, and attitudes. All of these factors influence how people talk in real life, so apply that to your characters. Maybe your wise-cracking character uses a lot of humor and sarcasm, while your shy character speaks hesitantly in short sentences.
Listen for speech patterns, accents, and catchphrases in real conversations and note them for inspiration. Capture the rhythm and flow of natural dialogue.
Give each character their own vocabulary based on their interests, jobs, and lifestyles. The tech geek’s dialogue will differ from the history professor’s.
Establish characters’ voices from their first lines of dialog. Look for a memorable way for them to express themselves. The impatient character may frequently use phrases like “spit it out already!” while the pessimist’s go-to is “what could possibly go wrong?”
Use dialog to reveal aspects of characters’ personalities and backgrounds without telling readers directly. Show, don’t tell. For example, a character who says “please” and “thank you” in every sentence likely has a polite and courteous nature.
Read dialogue aloud to make sure it sounds natural. Get friends or family members to read different characters’ lines. If anything sounds off, rework it.
With practice, crafting distinct voices for your characters through dialog will become second nature. Your characters' voices, conveyed through the words they say and the way they say them, will make your story come alive for readers. So take the time to get to know your characters by how they speak. Their voices are worth developing.
Using Dialogue to Reveal Character
Reveal Character Through Dialogue
Dialog is one of the best ways to reveal details about your characters and show their personalities. Carefully crafted conversations can expose a character's background, values, education level, and more without telling the reader outright.
As your characters talk, think about what kinds of words and phrases they would use based on who they are. An older British gentleman will speak very differently than a teenage skateboarder from California. Listen to people with similar backgrounds and life experiences to your characters for inspiration.
Also consider:
The rhythm and cadence of their speech. Do they speak quickly or slowly? Formally or casually?
Their vocabulary. Does your character use complex words and jargon or simpler language?
Grammar and pronunciation. Does your character follow the rules or have their own way of speaking?
For example, here's a short exchange that shows the contrast between two characters:
Jenny (teenage skateboarder): "Hey, you gonna drop in on the half pipe today or just pose by the ramp again?"
Mr. Edwards (older British gentleman): "I'm afraid vert skating is a young man's game, my dear. I'm quite content to watch you whippersnappers from the sidelines."
Even from this brief conversation, you get a sense of each character's age, background, and attitude without the author explicitly telling you. Mastering the art of subtext in dialog will make your stories come alive and allow readers to discover the depth in your characters for themselves.
Driving the Plot Forward With Meaningful Dialogue
To keep your readers engaged, your dialog needs to propel the story forward. Meaningful exchanges between characters should reveal information, create conflict, and raise the stakes.
Share Relevant Details
Use dialogue as an opportunity to share important details about the characters, their relationships, backstories, and the world they inhabit. For example:
“Did you hear they’re raising tuition again next semester?” Jenny asked.
“Ugh, not again,” Mark groaned. “How are we supposed to afford another five percent?”
This exchange informs the reader that Jenny and Mark are college students struggling with the costs. Look for natural ways to slip in context through dialog without sounding forced.
Create Conflict
Interesting stories thrive on tension, disagreement, and clashing perspectives. Have your characters bicker, argue, and challenge each other. For example:
“You never listen to me!” Alice shouted. “You always have to be right.”
“I’m not trying to be right,” Brian retorted. “I’m trying to protect you, but you’re too stubborn to see that.”
The quarrel fuels the underlying conflict in their relationship and keeps readers wondering how they’ll resolve their differences.
Raise the Stakes
Use meaningful dialog at key moments to increase the urgency, suspense or importance of what’s happening in the story. For example:
“The test results came back—it’s not good news,” the doctor said grimly.
Not only does this distressing announcement raise the stakes for the character’s health issue but it also creates a cliffhanger, leaving the reader wondering about the diagnosis and anxiously awaiting more details.
Meaningful dialog is essential for crafting an engaging story. Use it to inform readers, create conflict between characters, raise the stakes, and propel the plot toward a climax. With practice, writing authentic dialog will become second nature.
Creating Tension and Conflict Through Dialogue
To keep readers engaged, effective dialog should create tension and conflict between characters. As in real life, the conversations in your story should have stakes and push characters outside their comfort zone.
Show underlying tensions
Have characters disagree and argue to reveal underlying tensions. For example:
“You never listen to me. It’s always about what you want.”
“That’s not fair and you know it. I’ve sacrificed a lot for this family.”
This type of emotionally-charged exchange shows the couple has deeper issues to work through regarding resentment and lack of appreciation.
Create awkward situations
Put characters in awkward situations through dialog to ramp up the tension. For example:
“How’s the job search going?”
“Um, still looking. The market’s tough right now.”
“Really? I heard your company is hiring. I put in a good word for you with some people I know there.”
“Oh. Thanks, I guess.”
The second character is now in the difficult position of admitting the job search isn’t going well and they don’t actually have any leads. This cringeworthy moment translates the tension to readers.
Issue challenges and ultimatums
Have characters challenge each other by issuing warnings, demands or ultimatums, for example:
“If you walk out that door, we’re through. I mean it this time.”
“Don’t threaten me. You need me more than I need you.”
Throwing down the gauntlet in this way forces characters to back up their words with actions, which heightens the tension and conflict. Readers will keep reading to see who comes out on top!
Using dialog that highlights tension, creates awkwardness, and issues challenges is a great way to craft page-turning scenes that keep readers on the edge of their seats. Mastering the art of writing gripping dialogue is key to writing a story that resonates.
Avoiding Common Dialogue Mistakes
One of the biggest mistakes new writers make is crafting unrealistic or clichéd dialog. Your characters’ conversations should flow naturally and sound believable to readers. Avoid these common dialog doners:
Repeating Characters' Names
In real life, we rarely use someone's name in every sentence when talking to them. Only use a character's name when beginning a new exchange or for emphasis. Repeating names too often makes the dialog sound unnatural.
Overusing Exposition
Don't have characters explain things solely for the reader's benefit. Only include exposition that makes sense for the characters to actually say to each other. Find other creative ways to convey important backstory or worldbuilding details.
Forgetting Emotion
Dialog without emotional cues like facial expressions and body language can seem flat. Use emotive verbs and adverbs to show how the lines are delivered. For example, "she exclaimed" or "he muttered angrily." Also describe characters' physical reactions and behaviors to further bring the scene to life for readers.
Talking in Complete Sentences
Real conversations are often choppy, filled with interruptions, tangents, and imperfect grammar. Vary your sentence structure and length. Use fragments, run-ons, and breaks when appropriate. Not all dialog needs to be in perfectly punctuated full sentences.
Clichéd Phrases
Certain overused phrases like "it's quiet...too quiet" or "we've got company!" indicate lazy or clichéd writing. Come up with original ways for your characters to express themselves that fit with their unique personalities and situation. Avoid reusing trite or familiar sayings.
With practice, writing natural-sounding dialog will become second nature. Pay close attention to how real people speak, and aim to replicate the flow and cadence in your writing. Follow these tips, and your characters' conversations will truly come alive on the page!
Formatting Dialogue Correctly
When writing dialog, formatting it correctly is key to making it clear and compelling for readers. Here are some tips for formatting your dialogue effectively:
Use quotation marks
Place all dialogue between double quotation marks (“”). This indicates the character is speaking. For example:
“Hello,” she said. “How are you today?”
Start a new paragraph for each new speaker
Having each character's dialog on its own line makes it easy to follow who's talking. For example:
“Did you finish your homework?” Mom asked.
“I'm almost done,” I replied. “Just have some math problems left.”
Describe the speech
Use speech tags like "said", "asked", "replied" to indicate how the dialog was delivered. For example:
“I don't want to go to bed yet,” the little girl whined.
Punctuate properly
Place punctuation such as periods, commas, question marks, etc. within the quotation marks. For example:
“Where are you going?” she asked.
I said, “To the store. Do you need anything?”
Use beats
"Beats" are actions or descriptions that replace the "he/she said" tags. They make dialog more engaging and help set the scene. For example:
"I'm tired." John yawned and rubbed his eyes.
"Then go to sleep." Mary folded her arms, annoyance in her tone.
Avoid over-tagging
Don't tag every single line of dialog with "said" or the character's name. Let context and formatting do some of the work for you. For example:
"Did you talk to Mom today?"
"Yeah, she called this morning."
"What did she say?"
"That she'd be home in time for dinner."
Following these guidelines will make your dialogue clear, compelling, and help bring your story to life. Readers will appreciate dialog that flows naturally and is easy to follow.
Using Dialogue Tags Effectively
To write effective dialog, you need to master the use of dialog tags. Dialog tags are the parts of speech that indicate who is speaking, such as “he said” or “she asked”. When used properly, dialog tags can enhance your story without distracting the reader.
Choose tags that match the tone
Pick dialog tags that match the emotional tone of the dialog. For example, use “he whispered” for hushed speech or “she shouted” for loud, angry speech. Avoid reusing the same generic tags like “he said/she said” repeatedly, but don't get too creative either. Stick with simple verbs that imply the manner of speech.
Use action tags
Action tags describe a character's physical actions or expressions while speaking. For example, "“I’m not going,” he shook his head.” or ““What a day!” She ran her hands through her hair and sighed.” Action tags bring dialog to life and help the reader visualize the scene. They also give you an opportunity to reveal character details.
Drop the tag when implied
Once two characters establish a back-and-forth dialog, you can often drop the dialog tags altogether. As long as it's clear who is speaking, the tags become unnecessary. For example:
“Did you finish your homework?” Mom asked.
“Most of it,” I said.
“Most of it? What didn’t you finish?”
“Just some math problems. I’ll do them after dinner.”
“You’d better. I’m checking it tonight.”
After the first two lines, the reader understands that Mom and I are the speakers, so the remaining dialog does not need tags. Dropping implied tags creates a snappier feel and prevents repetitive, unnecessary tags.
Using a mix of well-placed dialog tags, action tags, and implied dialog, you can craft seamless conversations between characters that flow naturally, without distraction. Keep practicing and listening to real-world conversations for inspiration. With time, writing compelling dialog will become second nature.
FAQs About Writing Dialogue
When writing dialogue, questions inevitably come up. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about crafting realistic and compelling dialogue.
Do I use quotation marks or italics?
In fiction writing, use quotation marks (“”) to denote direct speech. Only use italics for thoughts or emphasis. Quotation marks allow the reader to easily distinguish between dialog and narration.
How do I avoid “he said, she said”?
To prevent repetitive “he said/she said” tags, use action tags that describe the speaker's actions or expressions. For example:
“We should get out of here,” he whispered, glancing around nervously.
She slammed her fist on the table. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
You can also drop the dialog tag altogether if the speaker is clearly identified through context or action. The dialog itself and how you structure the conversation can imply the tone.
How do I make dialogue sound natural?
Pay attention to the cadence and rhythm of actual conversations. Dialog should:
Sound like natural speech, not formal writing. Contractions are okay!
Have an easy back-and-forth flow. Keep responses concise and avoid monologs.
Capture unique speech patterns based on a character's background and personality.
Include interruptions, changes in subject, and imperfect grammar. We don't speak perfectly in real life!
What are the rules for punctuating dialog?
Use a comma between the dialogue tag and the dialog: “Hello,” she said.
If the dialog tag comes before the dialog, end it with a comma: She said, “Hello.”
If the dialogue is interrupted by a dialog tag, use commas to separate it from the tag: “Hello,” she said, “how are you?”
Use a period to end a sentence of dialog: “Hello.”
Use a question mark for a question: “How are you?” she asked.
Use an exclamation point for excitement or emphasis: “Wow!” he exclaimed.
Start a new paragraph each time the speaker changes.
Following these tips will have you crafting dialog like a pro in no time. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Additional Tips For Writing Dialogue
Keep it concise
When writing dialog, less is more. Keep exchanges brief and avoid long speeches. Readers will get bored quickly if characters drone on and on. Focus on using just enough dialog to convey key information or advance the scene.
Use natural language
Write dialog like people really speak. Use casual language, contractions, slang, and imperfect grammar. Drop words like “um”, “like”, and “you know” into conversations to make them sound authentic. Read your dialog aloud to ensure it flows naturally. If it sounds stilted or awkward when spoken, it will come across that way to readers as well.
Share emotions
Dialog should reveal characters’ emotions and attitudes. Have characters express feelings like excitement, frustration, fear or affection through their word choice, tone, and body language. For example, a character who sighs, rolls their eyes or speaks in a sarcastic tone conveys a very different emotion than one who smiles, makes eye contact and speaks enthusiastically.
Keep it relevant
All dialog should serve a purpose, whether to reveal something about a character, advance the plot or set a mood. Avoid “empty” exchanges that fill space but add no value. If a conversation seems pointless or dull, cut or rewrite it.
Use action and description
Don't rely solely on dialog to carry a scene. Include action and descriptions to give readers a more complete picture. For example:
"Where were you?" Anna asked.
Mark sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I got stuck at work. I'm really sorry."
The description of Mark's actions and appearance helps the reader understand his emotional state and see the full context of the conversation.
Leave room for interpretation
Don't have characters over-explain or outright state their feelings and motivations. Leave some details to the reader's imagination. For example, instead of:
"I'm angry that you lied to me," Amy said angrily.
Try:
Amy folded her arms and glared at him. "You lied to me."
The emotional context is clear without having to explicitly state Amy's anger. Subtlety and nuance in dialog make for a more engaging read.
Conclusion
So there you have it, the keys to mastering dialogue/dialog in your writing. I hope my extensive research was enough information for you all. Focus on listening to the voices around you, develop unique voices for your characters, keep your exchanges tight and impactful. Remember, dialog should always move the story forward, not just fill space on the page. With practice, writing compelling dialog can become second nature. Now go eavesdrop on conversations, study your favorite books and shows, and get to work crafting those conversations. Your characters and readers will thank you for it. Keep at it and before you know it, you'll be writing dialog with the best of them!
(Keep in mind I used both dialog and dialogue just in case there's a few who get annoyed with that.)
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She's the "Y/N" I thought about from a really good RZ Michael Myers fic I read a while ago. I believe the fic's name is "Stuck On A Friend & Killer".
(Used a refrence photo)
I kinda wanna draw her as a 12-year-old little shit lowkey.
(backstory below)
TW: murder and dumbass backstory
My weird little brain came up with a backstory for Y/N because I have my delusions 🥰.
After living near her grandmother and cousin in Sacramento, Connie, Bruce, and she moved to Illinois. Prior to moving to California, they lived in a number of places, but California was the last place they lived before settling in Haddonfield.
Anyway, they moved to Haddonfield because shit went down in Sacramento. The shit that went down was Nora murdering someone to protect her cousin and her grandmother covering it up, not telling anyone what she did. Connie and Bruce move to Illinois gradually after Nora's grandmother influences them to do so in the wake of the killing.
I created this little backstory for my version of Y/N because I personally like the idea that Y/N has some similarities to Michael. In spite of that, she does not kill based on voices in her head, but rather out of love for the ones she loves or those she considers "family". As she sees it, it is essential to protect those who give you conditional love and some sort of support.
Having been separated from her cousin and grandmother, and then seeing her own imperfect family crumble because of the divorce, she clings to Michael, who is rarely affectionate, but is always present in her life and chooses to be with her out of all those around her. This makes sense to me, given that Connie barely shows her any affection or love, and her father barely even appears anymore. From here, Nora loves and cares for him throughout the years as if he were a member of her family. Therefore, she seems not to have ratted him out to the police and stays by his side.
I know very well that none of this is canon to the actual story, therefore it is only my version of Y/N. I just like being extra and adding backstories to reader inserts because I have no life.
(Still, a few kinks I gotta work with the backstory, and might make more art of her later, I just have to get good at said art. Btw I'm talking about the og story, not the au fluff story.)
