creative writing dialogue exercises

100 Dialogue Exercises (With Examples)

Do you want to write great dialogue?

Let's do some deliberate practice — take the challenge of these 100 Dialogue Writing Exercises . 

These exercises are based on and organized according to the 7 DOs of Dialogue , the 3 DONT's of Dialogue , the 4 Mechanics of Dialogue , and dialogue as the Interplay of PLOT and CHARACTERS Within the SCENE . You can read more about these 17 aspects of dialogue in this article:

Make Your Story Sing — Write Great Dialogue!

It always helps to see examples, so we've curated 17 examples of great dialogue as inspiration. 

Of course you don't have to do all 100 Exercises (although that would be a cool challenge). Feel free to scan through and pick one, or a few, that speak to you. Then let your characters do the speaking.

7 DOs of Dialogue

These are the seven DOs of dialogue.

• MUSICAL   - get the rhythm right, make it sing
• NATURAL   - conversational, how your characters would speak in real life
• VARIED   - give characters distinct speech patterns
• SHORT   - snappy exchanges
• UNSAID   - imply rather than state outright
• ACTION   - body language, physical movements, gestures
• PERFORM   - say it out loud, act it out

Dialogue is musical. There’s a rhythm to dialogue.

Think about dialogue as being MUSICAL, and you will make your story sing!

Dashiell Hammett is a great example of dialogue with a rhythm. In the example above, the context is that the narrator (the unnamed Continental Op) is investigating a rigged boxing fight. There's a syncopated jazz beat to the hardboiled dialogue.

Notice for example how Hammett throws in the natural way of repeating — "I know for a fact that ain't so" said twice in short succession, then later "on the level" and "could send him over" are both phrases said by one character and repeated back by the other.

Not only does this sound like real, natural speech, but it also creates a rhythm.

Also see how the natural breaks and pauses are used to create rhythm in the dialogue.

Exercise 1: Iambic Pentameter

Write a dialogue between two characters, approximating the iambic pentameter rhythm.

Need to know more about   iambic pentameter  first? 

David Mamet believes that this is the natural rhythm of speech, whether or not we are aware of it, and he strives to write his dialogue in what approximates this rhythm.

Iambic pentameter alternates short and long syllables. Each of this pair of a short and a long syllable is called an " iamb ", and this is what creates the rhythm. Stringing together five of these pairs of short and long syllables sounds like this:

“da DUM, da DUM, da DUM, da DUM, da DUM.”

Here’s an example from Mamet's play (and film)  Glenngarry Glen Ross . Notice how he uses small “filler” words, deliberate word repetition, and pauses in some places to achieve the rhythm, which is exactly how we speak.

LEVENE I can’t close these leads, John. No one can. It’s a joke. John, look, just give me a hot lead. Just give me two of the premium leads. As a “test,” alright? As a “test” and I promise you…

WILLIAMSON I can’t do it, Shel. Pause.

LEVENE I’ll give you ten percent. Pause.

Also, notice that it’s not exactly the five-syllable pairs (ten syllables in total) of iambic pentameter. The example from Mamet’s dialogue above are actually between six and nine syllables per (go ahead, count the syllables), so it’s more of an approximation.

OK, now go ahead, try the exercise:  Write a dialogue between two characters, approximating the iambic pentameter rhythm.

Exercise 2: Rhythmic Differences

Write a dialogue between two people, where the two have very different rhythms to their speech.

For example, one character has a long, drawn out speech pattern, like a saxophone, another character speaks in short, choppy sentences, like a jazz piano. How do the rhythmic differences interplay?

For extra credit, consider what the speech pattern says about the characters. How does that create a natural conflict and interest in the dialogue? Check out this article on creating layered character descriptions . 

Exercise 3: Tone

Write a dialogue that has a distinct tone. 

For example, the tone of the dialogue may be sad, or upbeat, or tense, or ....

Exercise 4: Volume

Write a dialogue between two people, where the two have very different volumes to their speech.

For example, one is domineering with a strong, loud voice, the other speaks in a near whisper. How does that come across in the dialogue? Don't cheat by using fancy tags ("roared"), adverbs ("loudly") or the combination ("roared loudly"). Let the words and the actions and reactions of the two characters show the differences in their volumes of speech.

Exercise 5: Timbre

Write a dialogue between two people, where the two have very different timbre   to their speech.

The musical term  timbre  means those qualities of sound that make a note sound different when played by different instruments (and in different ways). Words like "round", "brassy", "sharp", "bright". Imagine the difference in the sound between a piano, trumpet, and violin, playing exactly the same notes.

So, for this exercise you may have your two characters say similar things, but with a very different quality (timbre) to how they say it. Play with the contrast, as if two different instruments are playing "call and response" together.

Exercise 6: Cadence

Write a dialogue between two people, where the two have very different cadence   to their speech.

The musical term  cadence  means the melodic patterns, with open cadence inviting and teasing that more is to come in the melody and closed cadence bringing finality, a resolution to a verse or the song.

The easiest way to translate the musical term cadence to dialogue is to think about a question, which is an "open cadence". Sarcasm is another flavor of cadence. You can read more here about cadence as a literary term .

Exercise 7: Aria (Monologue)

Write a monologue where only one of two (or more) characters in the scene is speaking.

A monologue isn't technically "dialogue" (since the definition of dialogue is a conversation between two or more people), but it can be the opportunity for one character to stand out and shine, like the soloist performer singing the aria in an opera. 

Consider what the other characters are doing as the spotlight is on the character that speaks the monologue. Weave in their reactions, so that it doesn't feel like the monologue is spoken out into thin air or as an aside to the off-stage audience (reader). Put the monologue in the context of a scene that involves at least one other person.

Exercise 8: Duet (Duologue)

Write a dialogue that feels like a duet, where the two characters are playing off each other, "singing" the dialogue together.

Perhaps you let the two characters finish each other's sentence, repeat back words or phrases. Or perhaps this is the kind of duet where one "sings" from their perspective, then we get a different perspective from the other.

Exercise 9: Trio (Trialogue)

Write a scene where three characters are all talking.

The third person speaking adds complexity in that you need to make sure it's clear who is speaking at any time. Think about how to do that both through the standard tags (Alice said, Bob said, Chris said), but also through actions that makes it clear who is speaking, or (even more sophisticated) by the way each of them sounds different.

The third person also allows for more complex interplay. Think about three characters that have very different agendas. How will that enliven their trialogue?

Exercise 10: Quartet   (Quadralogue)

Write a scene where four characters are all talking.

The fourth person speaking adds even more complexity and opportunities for interplay.

Exercise 11: Vivace

Write a dialogue between two (or more) people in vivace tempo.

The musical term "vivace" means "very lively, fast." This should be a very quick, back and forth, and even think about the length of the individual words and sentences to create a very fast pace. There may be a complete absence of pauses, lines firing back and forth rapidly with no breaks.

Exercise 12: Allegro

Write a dialogue between two (or more) people in allegro tempo.

The musical term "allegro" means "brisk, lively." Similar to vivace, but perhaps you slow down a bit with slightly longer sentences, a pause or two, etc.

Exercise  13 : Andante

Write a dialogue between two (or more) people in andante   tempo.

The musical term "andante" means "steady walking pace, moderate." 

Exercise  14 : Adagio

Write a dialogue between two (or more) people in adagio   tempo.

The musical term "adagio" means "slow, with great expression." Slow down with longer sentences, pauses, and add more action beats that show the expressions and emotions of the characters. Consider adding some "scene & sequel" where one (or more) of the characters reflect through internal narration on what is being said.

Exercise  15 : Lento/Largo

Write a dialogue between two (or more) people in lento or largo   tempo.

The musical terms "lento" and "largo" both mean "very slow".   This is even slower than the adagio tempo. L onger sentences, more pauses, even more and extended action beats that show the expressions and emotions of the characters. "Scene & sequel" where one (or more) of the characters reflect through internal narration on what is being said is a good way to slow the pace and create a slower, reflective mood.

Make your dialogue NATURAL by seasoning in idiosyncrasies that are right for your characters and their environment (including time period and culture).

Exercise  16 : Idiosyncrasies

Write a dialogue between two (or more) people where they each have different idiosyncrasies.

People don’t speak in perfectly grammatical sentences. They use contractions, broken phrases and interruptions.

Aaron Sorkin (i n his  MasterClass  course)  calls these “idiosyncrasies” since they should also be unique to different characters. He recommends approaching this in two steps:

Step 1   - write your dialogue without thinking about the “idiosyncrasies.”

Step 2   - go back over and add in character idiosyncrasies, thinking about how different characters will speak. One character will have more false starts, stops, uhs and uhms, while another speaks in more complete sentences. There can even be idiosyncrasies between characters, such as a relationship so close that they complete each other sentences, or characters that are awkward around each other, stuttering and using more uhs and uhms when they speak, or an age difference and/or power relationship between the characters so that there is an interplay of hesitation/deference and directness/command in their speech.

By adding in the idiosyncrasies in a separate step, you will be doing it thoughtfully, deliberately, and you can guard against overuse of these quirks of natural speech — a little goes a long way. Think of the idiosyncrasies as   seasoning , and apply just a pinch here and there.

Exercise  17 : Slang/Dialect

Write a dialogue between two (or more) people where they use slang and/or dialect.

You should be careful about slang and accents and dialect, with just a little of it placed here and there in the dialogue, so it doesn’t take over and become distracting and difficult to read.

You should know your world, including the historical time period. Once again, use idiosyncrasies as seasoning. Give the reader the “flavor” of, for example, 1930s gangster slang.

Exercise  18 : Culture

Write a dialogue between two (or more) people where their culture is evident.

In his  MasterClass  course,  David Mamet talks about how culture should influence how characters speak. By that he doesn’t just mean ethnic and socio-economic cultures, but also the culture of the group they belong to. Law enforcement, criminals,   sales people , they all have their culture which influences the way they speak. Any group has their own culture and way of speaking.

Is their culture one that enjoys witty banter, jokes, storytelling? Or are they in a culture that is very factual, no-nonsense, precise in expression?

If you don’t know the culture you’re writing about first hand, do your homework. Read fiction and non-fiction, watch film and documentaries, or go out into that culture, listen and observe. How do they talk?

Make your dialogue VARIED by giving each character a distinct voice and speech pattern.

I love how Terry Pratchett has the character Death always speaking IN ALL CAPS, NO QUOTES. Somehow the all caps and no quotes makes it feel like Death is speaking through some form of mental telepathy, rather than out loud. Also notice how Death speaks in short, declarative, commanding statements, where his human servant, Albert, speaks like ... a human being.

Exercise  19 : Character Description

Write a dialogue between two (or more) people where their layered character descriptions are showcased.

As you work on your  character descriptions , thinking through the layers from the external (skin) layer to the internal (flesh & bone, soul) layers, how will your characters come across in their dialogue based on their education, their social economic status, their background, and their personality?

Are they confident? Are they fearful? Are they educated and smart or uneducated, slow? Are they positive and upbeat or melancholy and negative? What’s their age and how does that affect their speech pattern?

Make each character have a distinct voice, a unique way of speaking, perhaps in the pattern and rhythm, their vocabulary, their tone, their unique idiosyncrasies.

Exercise  20 : Confident vs. Fearful

Write a scene between two (or more)  people where you show, through dialogue along with action and body language the contrast between confident and fearful speakers .

Make each character have a distinct voice, a unique way of speaking, perhaps in the pattern and rhythm, their vocabulary, their tone, their unique idiosyncrasies as it relates to being confident vs. fearful.

Exercise  21 : Educated vs. Uneducated

Write a scene   between two (or more)  people where you show, through dialogue along with action and body language the contrast between educated and uneducated speakers .

Make each character have a distinct voice, a unique way of speaking, perhaps in the pattern and rhythm, their vocabulary, their tone, their unique idiosyncrasies as it relates to being educated vs uneducated.

Exercise  22 : Positive vs. Negative

Write a scene   between two (or more)  people where you show, through dialogue along with action and body language the contrast between positive and negative speakers .

Make each character have a distinct voice, a unique way of speaking, perhaps in the pattern and rhythm, their vocabulary, their tone, their unique idiosyncrasies as it relates to being positive (upbeat, hopeful, perhaps a bit naive) vs. negative (melancholy, downbeat, skeptic, hopeless).

Keep it SHORT with snappy exchanges and lots of white space on the page.

Exercise  23 : Screwball Banter

Write a scene   between two (or more)  people in the style of old screwball comedy banter .

If you haven't watched a good screwball comedy lately, treat yourself. And if you're not familiar, here's a Beginner's Guide to Screwball Comedy .

Exercise  24 : A Fight

Write a scene   between two (or more)  people where they fight .

The fight might be all verbal or the dialogue could escalate to fisticuffs.

Exercise  25 : Get Out! 

Write a scene   between two (or more)  people where they need to get out .

You can decide whether "get out!" means that one character needs another to get away from them, or whether it's a bad situation they both need to get away from, or something completely different. Either way, make the dialogue short, snappy, and intense.

Leave things UNSAID and trust the reader to pick up on the subtext.

Let your characters leave things unsaid, implying rather than stating outright.

In real life, people don’t info-dump, especially not about feelings and deeper core issues, and especially-especially not about things that the other characters already know about.

You as the writer will know things that you’ll be tempted to have a character say. Don’t.

Instead, hold back. Let the subtext work subconsciously and trust that the reader will get the sense of what is unsaid, and will understand. Trust the reader.

This is Hemingway’s   Iceberg Theory  that you can leave the bulk unsaid, and the reader will not only get it, but it will make a stronger emotional impact because it’s not dragged out into the open, but left for the reader to discover (or wonder about). In the example above from Hills Like White Elephants , the subtext (never stated outright in the whole story) is a man pressuring (in a very passive-aggressive way) a woman to have an abortion.

Exercise  26 : After The Funeral 

Write a scene   between two (or more)  people set after a funeral .

You can decide whether the subtext that you're going to leave unsaid has anything to do with the deceased who was just buried, or whether there is something else going on entirely.

Exercise  27 : I'm So Happy 

Write a scene   between two (or more)  people where one character says "I'm so happy!", then burst out in tears.

What's the reason for the contrast between the words and the action? You can't spill the beans in the dialogue. How do you write around it, so that the reader gets a sense of what is really going on without anything being said out loud.

Exercise  28 : Silence 

Write a scene   between two (or more)  people where they use silence .

You can decide whether they use silence in a negative, manipulative, aggressive way, or whether the silence reflects some overwhelming positive emotion that can't be expressed in words, or something else.

ACTION makes dialogue come alive.

Exercise  29 : Body Language  

Write a scene   between two (or more)  people where they use body language along with the spoken words .

Body language is all about facial expressions, shrugs, shaking head, nodding, pointing a finger, clenching a fist, leaning forward in a chair, all the little gestures and twitches. Consider how the body language adds to, perhaps even contrasts with, the spoken words.

Exercise  30 : More Body Language, Less Words

Write another scene   between two (or more)  people where they use body language along with the spoken words .

This time, less spoken words, more body language.

Exercise  31 : Broader Action 

Write a scene   between two (or more)  people where they use broader action along with the spoken words .

In contrast with body language, these actions involve more than the speaker's own body.  Let your characters speaks while at the same time moving around the space, pick up things, give hugs and backslaps, take a sip of coffee, etc. For this exercise, keep the action contained, trivial, nothing dramatic, nothing violent.

Exercise  32 : Violent/Dramatic Action 

Write a scene   between two (or more)  people where they use violence or some other form of dramatic action along with the spoken words .

Now, go to town with a real "action piece", where there is still a focus on dialogue in the scene.

Exercise  33 : Interjected Action Instead of Tags 

Write a scene   between two (or more)  people where their interjected actions are the sole way they are identified as the speaker .

Tags are the small words that are used to quickly identify (i.e. “tag”) the speaker, so the reader doesn’t get confused and lost in the dialogue (Alice said, Bob asked, Chris answered, etc.).

Instead of using any "tags", use "interjected action". It looks like this:

“I didn’t mean it that way.” Alice reached out and patted Bob's hand. “Maybe we should just try.”

Note that you don't have to have an interjected action for every line. It it's clear who's speaking, you can skip the interjected action and just have the character speak. Just no tags for this exercise.

Exercise  34 : Broader Action Instead of Tags

Write a scene   between two (or more)  people where their broader actions are the sole way they are identified as the speaker .

This gets a little trickier. You don't get to interject the action. Instead the action is on it's own line/paragraph. You'll see that it gets a little harder to make sure that it's clear who's speaking. Give it a try!

Exercise  35 : Body Language As Subtext

Write a scene   between two (or more)  people where their body language carries subtext .

Leave things unsaid, but let the body language provide clues to the subtext.

Exercise  36 : Broader Action   As Subtext

Write a scene   between two (or more)  people where their broader actions carry subtext .

Leave things unsaid, but let the broader action provide clues to the subtext.

PERFORM your dialogue to make sure it sings.

The real test of dialogue comes when you say it out loud. Does it ring true? Does if feel natural on the tongue? Does it have rhythm? Does it sing?

I selected Neil Gaiman as an example because he performs his own work so beautifully. If you haven't listened to one of his audiobooks, where he performs as the narrator, do yourself the favor. 

Exercise  37 : Read Out Loud

Pick a scene you've already written — read the dialogue out loud.

As you read it, does the dialogue ring true?  Does if feel natural on the tongue? Does it have rhythm? Does it sing?

What would you change after reading it out loud?

Exercise  38 : Act It Out

Pick a scene you've already written — act out the dialogue, body language, and broader actions.

This time, act it out, PERFORM the dialogue, as in a play, adding in the action around the dialogue, playing all the parts yourself, to “performance test” it.

As you act it out, does the dialogue ring true?  Does if feel natural on the tongue? Does it have rhythm? Does it sing?

How about the body language and actions? Did they feel natural? Did they fit with the spoken words? Can you picture it better after acting it out?

What would you change after acting it out?

Exercise  39 : Dictate Dialogue

Write a new scene by dictating it out loud.

Turn on a voice recorder — there's one on your phone, I'm sure — and speak the dialogue into life,  acting it out, speaking the “Ugly First Draft” .

If you’re using dictation/transcription (my favorite app is   Otter.ai ,) you can get an instant transcript. Otherwise, play back your recording and write it down.

How did it look "in the raw", before editing? Did it need a lot of editing, or did it come out naturally? 

Try it again if it didn't come out right the first time.  

The best dialogue is improv (more about that in the section on "Overthink" below). 

Have fun with it!

3 DON’Ts of Dialogue

Now for the 3 DON’Ts of dialogue:

• Don't say THE KNOWN
• Don't go past THE END
• Don't OVERTHINK

Don’t say THE KNOWN straight out, instead hint, summarize, and focus on the emotional reactions.

You can think of this as a flavor of leaving things unsaid, but specifically don’t have the characters tell each other what they already know. And don’t tell the reader what the reader already knows.

Exercise  40 : Reader Knows – Summary

Write a scene where information the reader already knows is conveyed to another character through a summary.

In this exercise, imagine that the scene comes after the reader already has been given a piece of information.

Instead of having the characters dialogue back and forth about something the reader already knows (which is boring to the reader, so they will likely skim and skip the dialogue), just summarize it, as in:  I told her about …

Exercise  41 : Reader Knows – Emotional Reaction

Write a scene where information the reader already knows is said, but the focus is on the emotional reaction to the information.

Go ahead, say “the known”, but in such a way that what the dialogue is really about is the emotional reaction of the other character, along with the  conflict and tension and other complications that come from the revelation of the information. Focus the dialogue on the reaction and cut the (already known) information to the bone. Often the other character may “get it” with just a hint, and then the rest of the dialogue is about what happens in the aftermath of sharing.

Exercise  42 : Reader Knows – Emotional Reaction + Summary

Write a scene where information the reader already knows is said in passing, followed by emotional reaction, then a summary.

Tee up the emotional reaction with a short, barely-hinted-at statement and get right into the emotional reaction, then add a summary — which may not even have any information stated since the reader already knows ( ex.  When I told her the rest of it … ) — and then more emotional reaction. This will make “the known” slip in, practically unnoticed, into the dialogue.

Exercise  43 : Characters Know – Reader Stand-In

Write a scene where information the characters know is conveyed to the reader through a character that acts as a reader stand-in.

The reader doesn’t know the information, but two (or more)   characters in the scene do. You must NOT have the "in the know" characters directly state what they know to each other, because that’s not how it would come out in a real conversation.

In this exercise, add another character who stands in for the reader, who doesn’t know and has to be told by the other(s) in the scene. A good example is the rookie/newbie (new cop, trainee for the job, etc) which lets the seasoned characters show them the ropes, and by so doing, the reader learns alongside the rookie/newbie. 

Exercise  44 : Characters Know –  Hints + Aside Narrative Summary

Write a scene where information the characters know is conveyed to the reader through hints and a narrative summary in an aside.

The reader doesn’t know the information, but two (or more) characters in the scene do. You must NOT have the characters directly state what they know to each other, because that’s not how it would come out in a real conversation.

In this exercise, have the characters hint about this shared knowledge and then add in an aside narrative summary for the benefit of the reader.

Exercise  45 : Characters Know –  Hints (Subtext, Open Loops)

Write a scene where information the characters know is (subtly) conveyed to the reader through   hints, subtext, open loops, but never stated.

The reader doesn’t know the information, but two (or more)   characters in the scene do. You must NOT have the characters directly state what they know to each other, because that’s not how it would come out in a real conversation.

In this exercise,   let the characters hint, but leave almost all of it unsaid, so that it is subtext, which also opens a loop for the reader — something is going on, you don’t quite know what, so as the reader, you’re curious.

In a later scene it can be fully revealed, or another hint dropped, so that bit by bit the reader clues in. For extra credit, write this future scene when the reader is clued in. How is the information eventually revealed?

THE END

Don’t go past THE END — find “the button”, the “true end”, and cut everything after.

It’s hard to know where to end a dialogue. Most often, we will write “past the end”, meaning that there was a point in the dialogue where cutting it off would leave the reader with a more meaningful and memorable impression. The trick is to spot “the true end” of the dialogue.

As with the example above in writing natural dialogue, this is best done in a two-step process:

Step 1   - write the dialogue without worrying about the “true end.”

Step 2   - as you review your dialogue, ask yourself where you should cut if off (it’s most likely going to be somewhere before the last sentence you wrote). Find the “button” that perfectly ends the dialogue. Cut everything after that point (even if you love the words you wrote).

Exercise  46 : Find The End (1)

Pick a scene you've already written — find the "true end".

Can you see the "true end"? Can you just cut it off there, or does it need a better "button"?

Exercise  47 : Find The End (2)

Pick another scene you've already written —   find the "true end".

Practice = mastery. Try it again with another scene.

Exercise  48 : Find The End (3)

Pick   one more   scene you've already written —   find the "true end".

Once more, so it really sinks in. Third time's the charm.

Don’t OVERTHINK it, just go for it, let it rip, and “improv” your dialogue.

Keep the focus on plot, characters, and scene (more about this below).

Has the dialogue moved the plot forward, revealed characters, and served the purposes of the scene?

Does it sound like real people talking?

Great, you’re done!

And as you’re writing the “Ugly First Draft”, just “let it rip” and get into the natural flow. The best dialogue is improv.

Exercise  49 : Let It Rip –  Plot

Write down the key plot points you need to get across in dialogue between two (or more) characters, then let it rip, improv the dialogue.

Just get the plot points across. Maybe you speak the dialogue out loud, recording it, so you can't edit yourself while writing. Let it rip! Improvise. Done! 

Exercise  50 : Let It Rip –  Character

Write down the key character revelation you need to get across in dialogue between two (or more) characters, then let it rip, improv the dialogue.

Just get the character revelation across. Let it rip! Improvise. Done!

Exercise  51 : Let It Rip –  Scene

Write down the key elements of the scene you need to get across in dialogue between two (or more) characters, then let it rip, improv the dialogue.

We'll talk more about the key elements of scenes below (they're things like "conflict", "choices", "obstacles", "twists", "callbacks to prior scenes", "foreshadowing future scenes").

Pick one or a few of these elements. The dialogue needs to get these elements across. Let it rip! Improvise. Done!

Exercise  52 : Edit, But Don't Overthink It (1)

Pick one of the scenes you wrote in Exercise 49 - 51 —  go ahead, edit it .

Or does it not need editing? It could be that your improv achieved the goal (plot, character, scene) and sounds natural. That's a great lesson too. But most often the dialogue can be improved to be more musical, natural, varied, etc. Just don't overthink it!

Exercise  53 : Edit, But Don't Overthink It (2)

Pick  another of the scenes you wrote in Exercise 49 - 51 —  go ahead, edit it .

Once more. And remember, don't overthink it! When it gets across the plot, character, scene goals and sounds natural, musical, varied, etc, you're done!

The 4 Mechanics of Dialogue

The “mechanics” of dialogue are the things that surround the actual spoken words. Here are the 4 main areas of dialogue mechanics, using the acronym mnemonic TAPS — Tags, Action, Punctuation, and Scene & Sequel.

Tags are the small words that are used to quickly identify (i.e. “tag”) the speaker, so the reader doesn’t get confused and lost in the dialogue. In a play this is easy, because it’s actually the name of the speaker directly before the spoken line. In prose fiction, you need to find natural ways of identifying the speaker.

Here are the best practices for Tags.

Primarily, use ‘ said ’ (he said, she said, John said) … or ‘ says ’ if writing in present tense.

Sometimes use other simple words (answered, asked, stated).

Never (or veeery rarely) use ‘vigorous’ dialogue tags (‘roared’, ‘spat’, etc.) — these are sometimes referred to as "fancy" or "creative" tags.

Never (or extreeeemely rarely) use adverbs - ‘he roared angrily’. Adverbs are a form of “telling”, a clichéd and lazy way of avoiding the harder work of “showing” the way a character speaks, thinks, feels, and acts. Instead of using the adverb ‘angrily’, let the anger come across in the words and in the body language.

Notice in the example from Cormac McCarthy, "No Country for Old Men" how sparingly he uses even the simple "said" tag — just twice in the whole passage, the rest is mostly "no tag", some action, and once the female character tags the male character by using his name.

Exercise  54 : Said

Write a scene where the only tag is the word "said".

This is the simplest and cleanest way of showing who speaks. Nothing fancy, just:

“We’re gonna need a bigger boat,” Chief Brody   said .

Be mindful that if you use it all the time, it gets irritating to the reader’s eye. Take another look at the example by Cormac McCarthy for the right way to do it.

Exercise  55 : Other Simple Tags

Write a scene where  you use some other simple tags (ex. asked, answered) .

The tag ‘ said ’ is not the only one that feels natural. Sometimes, for example, when there is a question and an answer, it’s fine to use ‘asked’ and ‘answered’.

You can use other words such as ‘stated’ (gives the sense that the the line spoken is a more formal or perhaps commanding, definitive statement), but any time you stray from the clean, simple ‘said’, ‘asked’, and ‘answered’, you’re entering dangerous territory, walking into a  Grimpen Mire  bog full of quicksand. Watch your steps (and your tags)!

Exercise  56 : Vigorous (Fancy) Tags and Adverbs

Write a scene where  you blatantly use vigorous (fancy) tags and adverbs .

A ‘vigorous’ tag (sometimes called a ‘creative’ or 'fancy' tag) is one where the writer tries to be clever with the tags. It almost never works. It’s almost never as clever as the writer thinks. In her MasterClass course, Judy Blume has a funny story about an early attempt at writing, where she resolved that "said" was so boring, so she used a thesaurus and found a different "fancy" tag for every line. The result was cringeworthy. She still has the manuscript tucked away, never to see the light of day.

Trying to help the humble ‘ said ’ tag by adding an adverb is, as we said before, a clichéd and lazy way to avoid the work of showing what the character is thinking, feeling, or doing.

But ... for this exercise, let's go for it. Break out that thesaurus, just like Judy Blume did, find the fanciest tags and slather on the adverbs.

Now step back and admire your cringeworthy "masterpiece."

Exercise  57 : Fix The Mess

Edit Exercise 56 to remove the vigorous (fancy) tags and adverbs.

 Save the original version from Exercise 56. Now fix it. Get rid of the fancy tags. How do you "show" what you were "telling" with the adverbs?

Compare Exercise 56 to Exercise 57, side by side. Do you see how much better the latter version is?

Instead of a “tag”, such as ‘ said ’, describe what the character does. You can either do this right before or right after the spoken line, or start the spoken line, then intersperse an action, then continue the line.

This is not an either-or. You should change it up, using tags, action, and no-tags. I’ve never seen a rule or direction on this, but here’s my suggestion:

• Said - 40% of the time (a little less than half)
• No Tag - 30% of the time (3 times for every 10 lines)
• Action - 20% of the time (2 times for every 10 lines)
• Another Simple Tag - 9-10% (1 time for every 10 lines)
• Vigorous Tags and Adverbs - 0-1% (either never or max 1 time every 100 lines)

Exercise  58 : All Action

Write a scene where there is action interjected for every line (100%).

Use both action interjections and standalone action between the spoken lines. 

The action should be both body language and broader picking up something or setting it down, sitting down or standing up, pacing back and forth, etc.

For extra credit, work in actions that provide subtext to the spoken words. Let the actions illustrate the unsaid. Let the actions take the place of adverbs — instead of ‘angrily’ show through body language that the speaker is angry.

For this exercise, break the guideline of having only 20% of the time. Instead purposefully slather the action on for every single line. No "said", no other tags.

There should be at least 10 spoken lines of dialogue, but better if there's 20, 30, or more lines. This way you have to force yourself to pile on the body language and broader action in a longer dialogue to the point that there's just TOO MUCH ACTION, which is what we are illustrating with this exercise. It will also give you enough spoken lines of dialogue to work with in the next two exercises. 

Exercise  59 : Cut Back The Action

For the Exercise 58 scene, cut back the action to 20% (every 5th line).

Cut back the action to around 20% of the time, meaning that every fifth line or twice in ten lines, have one of the characters do an action that identifies them as the speaker instead of a tag (or no-tag).

Exercise  60 : The Right Mix

For the Exercise 59   scene, edit to create the right mix of "said", simple tags, no-tags, and action.

Look back at the pie-chart with the proposed ideal mix. You already have the 20% action. Now get to 40% "said", 30% "no-tag", and 10% other simple tags (ex. asked, answered). Actually count the total number of lines to make sure it matches that "ideal mix".

How does it look compared to the original (Exercise 58)? How about compared to Exercise 59?

PUNCTUATION

Here are some rules on punctuation in dialogue:

Each line gets its own line (i.e. paragraph), even if it’s very short.

Quotation marks go around the spoken words.

Quotes start with a capital letter, even after a comma. Ex.   He said, "What do you want?" 

Comma (inside the quotation mark) before the tag. Ex:   “I don’t know,” she said.

Question mark or exclamation mark - you still don’t capitalize the tag. Ex:   “What’s there to know?” he said.

Interjected tag in a continuous sentence - use commas before and after (and also note that since it's a continuous sentence with the tag interjected as an aside, the second quote is NOT capitalized).   Ex: “That,” she said, “is a philosophical question.”

Action - most of the time, the action taken around the dialogue should be on it’s own paragraph, separated from the speech. But, sometimes (and especially if you want to use the action as a tag) you can insert a (short) full sentence between the parts of the dialogue. Ex:   “I didn’t mean it that way.” John smiled, then shrugged. “Maybe we should just try.”

Em Dash vs Ellipsis - The em dash (a long dash like this: — ) is used when there’s an aside — like this — and it’s also used to show that the sentence is cut short, like —. By contrast, the ellipsis (three dots, like this: …) is used to show that there is a … pause or that the sentence trails off, like …

For even more rules and examples, check out Beth Hill's "Punctation in Dialogue" , a 25-page guide which is an excellent reference.

That said, as creative writers we get to break the rules, as in the example from Alice Walker's "The Color Purple". 

There has to be a reason to break the rules, though, as in this example, where the book is written in the form of diary entries, addressed to " Dear God, " and narrated by a poor, illiterate,14-year old girl.

But first ... know the rules. Then you can break them, knowing what you're doing. 

Let's practice proper punctuation!

Exercise  61 : Question + Tag

Write a short dialogue with multiple questions + tags

Question mark (or exclamation mark) — you still don’t capitalize the tag. Ex:   “What’s there to know?” he said.

Exercise  62 : Interjected Tag

Write a short dialogue with interjected tags

Exercise  63 : Interjected Action — Complete Sentence(s)

Write a short dialogue with interjected action, where the action is complete sentences.

Most of the time, the action taken around the dialogue should be on it’s own paragraph, separated from the speech. But, sometimes (and especially if you want to use the action as a tag) you can insert a (short) full sentence (or sentences) between the parts of the dialogue. Ex:  “I didn’t mean it that way.” John smiled, then shrugged. “Maybe we should just try.”

Exercise  64 : Interjected Action — Subordinated Clause

Write a short dialogue with interjected action, where the action is a continuation of the line (a subordinated clause, not an complete sentence). 

Here's an example:   “I didn’t mean,” as he wiped a tear from Alice's eye, “to make you sad.”

Exercise  65 : Em Dash (—)

Write a short dialogue with em dash —

The em dash (a long dash like this: — ) is used when there’s an aside — like this — and it’s also used to show that the sentence is cut short, like —. 

Exercise  66 : Ellipsis (...)

Write a short dialogue with ellipsis ...

The ellipsis (three dots, like this: …) is used to show that there is a … pause or that the sentence trails off, like …

Exercise  67 : Em Dash (—)  +  Ellipsis (...)

Write a short dialogue with both em dash and ellipsis

In this exercise, show asides, sentences cut short, pauses, and sentences that trail off, all in one short dialogue. 

SCENE & SEQUEL

By   Scene & Sequel  we mean dialogue that is followed by thoughts, the interior reflection of one (or more) of the speakers.

The spoken word is the “scene”, the thoughts are the “sequel”.

This originally referred to a full scene of dialogue and action, followed by the “sequel” of reflecting on the prior scene, and transition to the next scene. Sort of a breather between scenes, where the reader gets to be inside the head of the narrator.

Using “Scene & Sequel” in the middle of a dialogue doesn’t mean that you’re shifting to a different scene. It’s a mini-breather of reflection interspersed with the spoken words.

Similar to action, this can be used instead of a tag to identify the speaker, but the real reason for the “Scene & Sequel” is to enrich the dialogue with the narrator’s thoughts. It’s also a good way to get across information that needs to be left unsaid in the spoken words, but that you want to make sure the reader is in on.

How often to use “Scene & Sequel”? It depends on the mood and rhythm of the story. If it’s a very interior story, where the reader is just as interested in the narrator’s inner world as the words and actions of the outside world, then … a lot. In most cases, it’s best to use it sparingly. Let’s say once or twice every three pages.

In Hilary Mantel's "Wolf Hall" trilogy, there's a constant interplay of dialogue and Thomas Cromwell's interior musings. The result is prose that feels intimate, hypnotic, where we drift in and out of Thomas Cromwell's thoughts. Hilary Mantel is a master of "Scene & Sequel" prose.

Notice that in the example, the first words spoken by Cromwell is the very last line. Yet, it feels like there's been a back and forth dialogue between Cardinal Wolsey and Cromwell. This also illustrates how close the two of them are. It also shows Cromwell to be interior, reserved, hearing much, saying little, remembering, reflecting. 

Exercise  68 : Scene & Sequel  – Memory

Two characters are speaking, and what one says triggers the other to have a memory.

Let the two characters banter back and forth first ("scene"), then there's the memory ("sequel") described through interior narration, then the dialogue continues.  

Exercise  69 : Scene & Sequel  – Observation

Three characters are speaking, and while two speak, the third character (narrator) is observing through interior narration.

Let all three characters banter in a "trialogue", back and forth at first ("scene"), then, as the two characters continue to speak, the third character, who is the narrator, observes the other two and shares his/her thoughts about them (and what they are saying) with the reader through interior narration ("sequel"). Then let the narrator re-join the conversation.

Exercise  70 : Scene & Sequel  – Reflecting

Two (or more) characters are speaking, and what one says triggers the other to reflect through interor narration.

Let the two characters banter back and forth first ("scene"), then that leads one character to reflect on what they talked about in interior narration ("sequel"). You can either let the dialogue pick back up again, or end with the "sequel" reflection.  

Dialogue is the Interplay of PLOT and CHARACTERS Within the SCENE

So, let’s end with the true purpose of dialogue.

Dialogue is the interplay of   plot   and   characters   within the   scene .

The intent of dialogue should always be to move the plot forward, to reveal the characters, and to serve the purposes of the scene itself (we’ll get into what that means in a little bit).

Once you focus your dialogue in this way, it’s not mysterious. It may even become easy. With this mentality, you will …

… not lack direction for your dialogue (keep bringing it back to plot, characters, scene),

… no longer write stilted or fancy dialogue (because the dialogue is simply there to serve plot, characters, scene), and

… let go and not try so hard (after all, if it serves plot, characters, scene, then the dialogue has done its job, that’s all it needs to do).

Let the words spoken by your StoryPEOPLE pull all of your writing craft together: plot, characters, and scenes.

Dialogue is a means for advancing the plot.

Let’s use the plot structure of the   FictionMAP  with its three acts (Act I: Challenge, Act II: Complications, Act III: Conclusion).

Exercise  71 : Act I (Challenge) – Context

Through dialogue, establish the context for the story.

Act I introduces the context or “setup” of the story, which includes the situation and setting in the world of the characters “before” (sometimes called the “ordinary world”).

Use dialogue to show the characters in their "ordinary world." 

For extra credit, show through dialogue some of he problems inherent in the "ordinary world" and tee up the theme of the story.

Exercise  72 : Act I (Challenge) – Catalyst

Through dialogue, establish the catalyst for the story.

Some form of  catalyst  (the “inciting incident,” “trigger event,” “call to adventure,” “opportunity”) turns everything upside down.

Exercise  73 : Act I (Challenge) – Conversion

Through dialogue, work through the conversion to move into Act II of the story.

Your characters have wills of their own, so before they go along with the change, show them reacting to the catalyst, which typically involves some form of initial refusal, debate, then acceptance and commitment to go forward, which we can call the  conversion , moving the story along into Act II.

Exercise  74 : Act II (Complications) – Contrasts

Through dialogue, establish one (or more) of the contrasts in the story.

Act II focuses first on establishing the  contrasts  of the “upside-down” world your characters now find themselves in because of the catalyst from Act I. The contrasts with the "ordinary world" can be external, dramatic, and action-oriented -- think action scenes, victories, defeats, betrayals, twists and turns — or can be more quiet, internal, relationship-oriented elements (and ideally both external and internal contrasts carry the story forward).

Exercise  75 : Act II (Complications) – Crisis

Through dialogue, show the crisis of the story.

The story builds to a  crisis  moment where a major turning point appears to be either a big victory or a big defeat.

If it's a big victory, it will turn out to be a false victory (more trouble to come).

If it's a big defeat, it will be a turning point that will lead to future victory.

Exercise  76 : Act II (Complications) – Conflicts

Through dialogue, show one (or more) of the main conflicts in the story.

The crisis is followed by additional  conflicts  (more set pieces, chase scenes, bad guys closing in, consequences from the crisis point, higher stakes, bigger threats, and more and more problems stacking up). There may be an "all is lost" "or "darkest point" moment, where there  seems  to be no way to get to a good resolution, just before entering Act III.

Pick one (or more) of these conflicts, and write dialogue to bring this conflict to life.

Exercise  77 : Act III (Conclusion) – Change

Through dialogue, show the change that's going to lead to the climax of the story.

In Act III one or more insights, revelations, reversals, or another form of  change  moves the story forward to the climax.

Exercise  78 : Act III (Conclusion) – Climax

Through dialogue, show the climax of the story.

Everything comes to a head (the  climax ).

Exercise  79 : Act III (Conclusion) – Closure

Through dialogue, wrap up the closure of the story.

A resolution or “denouement,” an opportunity to explain and/or reflect, giving  closure  to the story.

Exercise  80 : Act III (Conclusion) – Cliffhanger 

Through dialogue, tease a cliffhanger that will draw the reader into the next story.

In some cases, you may choose to add a  cliffhanger  if, for example, you are writing a series of stories and want to hook the reader for the next installment.

CHARACTERS 

Reveal characters through dialogue. Let each character’s voice set them apart from others, and use dialogue to drop clues about their personality, their worldview, their attitude, fears, their wants and needs, their emotional arc, and their relationships with the other characters.

In Act I of “A Christmas Carol”, we see how Dickens uses dialogue to show contrast between the characters, for example between Scrooge (stubborn, grumbling, cynical, closed off) and his nephew (equally stubborn but in a positive way, full of Christmas cheer, open and seeking friendship even with his miserly uncle).

In the example above, when Scrooge has repeatedly turned down the nephew’s kind invitation to Christmas dinner with him and his wife, we see the contrast.

In a sense, dialogue is really always about what the characters want. They don’t talk just to hear themselves talk. They talk because they’re trying to influence, manipulate, ask, and in some way seeking to achieve something. Dialogue really comes alive when the characters have conflicting purposes.

Here's an article on getting clear about the many layers of your characters:

It's Alive! How to Write Character Descriptions .

Exercise  81 : Skin 

Through dialogue, show the "skin" (the “surface” level, the externals) of your characters.

By “skin” we mean the surface, everything that is on the outside, that you can see, hear, feel, smell, taste (if you lick their skin, I suppose) or observe directly in any way.

Exercise  82 : Flesh & Bones 

Through dialogue,   show the "flesh & bones" (“below surface”, things you could research) of your characters.

By “flesh & bones” we mean what’s below the surface. These are tangible things, but not immediately apparent when you see the character. At this level, you’re not inside the person yet (that’s the deep core “soul” that we’ll get to in the next section). Instead, think about something where you would have to do a little bit of research or interview some family members or friends to find it out.

Exercise  83 : Soul 

Through dialogue,   show the "soul" (the “deep core” that you could only know if the character reveals it) of your characters.

By “soul” we mean what’s deep inside the character, not tangible, not visible. In fact, in order to learn about this deep core of the character they would have to share it with you. You’d have to sit down (over several glasses of wine or whiskey) as your character opens up and unburden themselves. Or you’d have to be their therapist, or steal their private journal. Of course, as the all-knowing writer, you get to walk around inside your character, you get to learn about their deep core soul first hand.

SCENE 

Use dialogue as you write your scene as a mini-story, for callbacks and foreshadow, to open and close loops, create conflict, set up choices, hint at subtext, cause disruption, introduce complications, and bringing your scene to a powerful conclusion.

When asked what makes a great movie, the director, producer, and screenwriter   Howard Hawks  answered, " 3 great scenes and no bad ones. " That's good advice, not just for movies but for storytelling in general.  

Check out this article for more: 

What Makes a Good Story? — Great Scenes! How to Write Them

Exercise  84 : Callbacks 

Write a scene where through dialogue  you weave connections to a prior scene through callbacks .

You can use dialogue to weave connections to prior scenes. You do that by dialogue that includes  callbacks  to what was said or happened in prior scenes.

Exercise  85 : Foreshadow 

Write a scene where   through dialogue  you weave connections to a future scene through foreshadowing .

You can use dialogue to weave connections to future scenes. You do that by dialogue that  foreshadows  a future scene .

Exercise  86 : Open Loops

Write a scene where   through dialogue  you open loops .

"Opening loops ” means that what is said raises questions, poses a challenge, or creates suspense in some other way by stating something that’s not complete, unresolved.

Exercise  87 : Close Loops

Write a scene where   through dialogue  you close loops .

“ Closing loops ” means that the dialogue answers a question, or resolves something that was left unresolved in a prior scene.

Exercise  88 : Conflict

Write a scene where   through dialogue  you create conflict .

To create  conflict , imagine using dialogue to show two characters arguing. Of course that's just one example of conflict.

Exercise  89 : Choices

Write a scene where   through dialogue  you set up choices .

Dialogue is an effective way to set up   choices   as in the example from “A Christmas Carol” where the dialogue between Scrooge and Marley’s Ghost sets up the central choice: will Scrooge change his ways or be doomed to the same fate as Marley in the afterlife?

Exercise  90 : Subtext

Write a scene where   through dialogue  you hint at subtext .

What is left unsaid in dialogue can sometimes be as important as what is said. This is   subtext . It is also a natural way of speaking. We don’t complete our thoughts. We don’t share everything we’re thinking, especially in situations where the other characters in the scene are already in the know.

Exercise  91 : Disruption

Write a scene where   through dialogue  you cause disruption.

You can use dialogue to cause   disruption : a character suddenly blurting out something that is shocking, upsetting, unexpected.

Exercise  92 : Action/Reaction

Write a scene where dialogue serves as a form of action/reaction that creates complications in the scene .

Action/Reaction   -  dialogue   can be a form of “action” that there will be a “reaction” to as the characters engage in verbal sparring.

Exercise  93 : Danger

Write a scene where dialogue creates a sense of danger .

Danger   - dialogue can show that there is danger either because of a direct verbal threat or by having the characters speaking about their fears and the scary situation they find themselves in. 

Exercise  94 : Revelations

Write a scene where dialogue serves up one or more revelations that create complications in the scene .

Revelations   - the characters say something that reveals a fact or feeling that wasn’t known before to the other characters in the scene (or the reader).

Exercise  95 : Obstacles

Write a scene where dialogue creates obstacles as a form of complications in the scene .

Obstacles   - either where one character tells another that they can’t do something, explains how they are going to be stymied or stopped, or two characters discuss how to overcome an obstacle.

Exercise  96 : Confrontation

Write a scene where dialogue includes confrontation .

Confrontation   - for example by one character challenging another and the other character taking up the challenge in a verbal match. 

Exercise  97 : Twists

Write a scene where dialogue serves up one or more twists that create complications in the scene .

Twists   - for example by two characters revealing through their conversation that they are secretly conspiring. 

Exercise  98 : Raising Stakes

Write a scene where dialogue creates a sense of raising stakes .

Raising stakes   - for example by the characters escalating their verbal conflict and threats, taking it to the “next level."

Exercise  99 : Contemplation

Write a scene with dialogue that weaves in contemplation.

Contemplation   - the actual “contemplation” should not be spoken aloud (unless you’re writing a monologue for a play). Instead use dialogue to trigger inner thoughts in “ scene and sequel ” interplay between what the characters say and think.

Exercise  100 : Withholding

Write a scene where dialogue involves withholding information .

Withholding   - this is another example (as with subtext) of what is left unsaid in dialogue. Let your characters omit, speak in half-truths, or straight up tell lies to withhold information or feelings. A character can also blatantly state that they refuse to share.

Here are some examples of great dialogue along with other resources that will be helpful as you write your stories.

PUNCTUATION IN DIALOGUE

• Beth Hill's "Punctation in Dialogue"  -  a 25-page guide which is an excellent reference  

EXAMPLES OF GREAT DIALOGUE

• 15 Examples of Great Dialogue (And Why They Work So Well)
• 50 Examples of Dialogue to Inspire Writers
• Goodreads: Best Dialogue Books
• The Top 10 Best Dialogue Movies
• The 20 Best Dialogue Scenes in Cinema History
• IMDB: Best Dialogue Movies

MY FAVORITE ALL-PURPOSE RESOURCE

The Writer's Treasure Chest   - everything in one place, curated, organized, this is a great reference for all things writing craft, with tons of prompts, plot/character generators and other tools to inspire you to write a great story with great dialogue.

RELATED ARTICLES

Dialogue is the interplay between PLOT and CHARACTER within the SCENE, here are some articles that will be helpful as you work on all the aspects of the writing craft and your writing process: 

• Write Fiction Faster! — How to Speed Up Your Story Writing  
• Need a Great Idea for Your Next Story? Try the Story IDEA Formula
• From Idea to Story: 3 Methods to Develop Your Story Idea  
• How to Write Characters Who Stick in the Reader's Mind  
• What Makes a Good Story? — Great Scenes! Here's How to Write Them
• Flash Fiction: How To Use It To Supercharge Your Writing  
• Blast Through Writer's Block: How to Get Unstuck  
• Find Your Stagecoach — How to Master the Art of Writing Fiction

FREE COURSE, GUIDE AND WORKBOOK

Do you want to write fiction faster, while practicing your craft and your writing process to consistently get better? Check out this link to the " Write Fiction Faster ... and better " guide and workbook, which comes with a companion course with 23 bite-sized video lessons and 4 worksheets.

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199+ Dialogue Prompts to Break Through Your Writer's Block

Dialogue is the essence of communication and makes any story, whether a book, a play, a movie, or a TV show, come to life.

But writing compelling dialogue can be challenging, and it requires the writer to grasp language well and understand how people speak and interact with one another. 

Look no further if you need help developing fresh ideas for your characters' conversations! In this blog, I've compiled a long list of dialogue writing prompts  to inspire and challenge you to start writing and create compelling and engaging conversations.

These writing prompts will help you speed up the writing process, develop good dialogue and explore the full spectrum of human emotion, from heartfelt confessions to heated arguments. 

So, grab your notebook, open your text editor, and breathe life into your characters' words!

Funny Dialogue prompts

"I'm not saying you're a bad cook, but even the flies in the kitchen wear gas masks."

"I always have to be right because if I'm wrong, then who will be right?"

"I don't always drink beer, but when I do, I prefer to drink it in a bathtub full of ice cream."

"I didn't say you were stupid; I said you had a Ph.D. in common sense."

"I told my wife she was drawing her eyebrows too high, then she looked surprised."

"I may be a terrible dancer, but I've got great moves in bed."

"I have a photographic memory but always forget to load the film."

"I'm not arguing; I'm just explaining why I'm right."

"I don't have a dirty mind; I have a sexy imagination."

"I'm not lazy; I'm just conserving my energy for when I really need it."

"I don't always procrastinate, but when I do, I prefer to do it at the last minute."

"I'm not ignoring you; I'm just prioritizing my imaginary friends."

"I'm not a morning person; I'm a 'leave-me-alone-until-I've-had-coffee' person."

"I'm not a doctor, but I play one in my mind."

"I'm not weird; I'm just limited edition."

"I'm not high maintenance; I'm just low tolerance for mediocrity."

"I'm not drunk; I'm just chemically happy."

"I'm not bossy; I'm just passionate about my opinions."

"I'm not lost; I'm just exploring my options."

"I'm not paranoid; I'm good at predicting worst-case scenarios."

Romantic Dialogue prompts

"You take my breath away every time I see you."

"I never knew what love was until I met you."

"I could get lost in your eyes forever."

"Being with you feels like coming home."

"I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy."

"You make every day brighter just by being in it."

"I never believed in soulmates until I met you."

"You are the missing piece I never knew I needed."

"I'm so lucky to have you in my life."

"I love how you look at me like I'm the only person in the world."

"I can't imagine my life without you in it."

"Your smile could light up the darkest of days."

"I don't need anything else as long as I have you."

"You make me a better person just by loving me."

"I can't get enough of you, no matter how much time we spend together."

"You are my everything, and I will always be here for you."

"I love the sound of your voice and the way you say my name."

"I never want to stop falling in love with you."

"I love you more with each passing day."

"You are my forever and always."

Angst Dialogue prompts

"I can't keep doing this."

"I'm not sure I can trust you anymore."

"I need some space."

"I can't handle the pressure anymore."

"I'm sorry, I can't do this."

"You're not the person I thought you were."

"I feel like we're growing apart."

"I think we need to take a break."

"I don't know if I can forgive you."

"I'm tired of feeling like I'm not enough."

"I feel like we're losing each other."

"I can't keep pretending everything's okay."

"I think we're better off as friends."

"I can't handle your mood swings anymore."

"I'm not sure if I love you anymore."

"I feel like I'm always putting in more effort."

"I don't feel like I can be myself around you."

"I'm not sure we have a future together."

"I feel like I'm suffocating."

"I don't know if I can handle another fight."

Sad Dialogue prompts

"I don't think I can do this anymore."

"Why did you have to leave me all alone?"

"I wish I could go back and change things."

"I thought we had forever, but now it's all gone."

"I never imagined my life without you."

"I'm sorry, I just can't keep pretending everything is okay."

"I thought we were meant to be together."

"I don't know how to move on from this."

"I miss you so much it hurts."

"I wish I could have just one more chance."

"I never thought I'd have to say goodbye."

"I don't think I'll ever be happy again."

"I wish I could just hold you one more time."

"I feel so lost without you."

"I never thought I'd have to say goodbye to you so soon."

"I never got to say goodbye."

"I don't think I can ever love again."

"I wish I could turn back time."

"I miss how things used to be before everything fell apart."

"I never imagined that this would be the end of us."

Sarcastic Dialogue prompts

"Wow, I can tell you really put a lot of effort into that outfit."

"No, no, don't apologize. Your constant complaining is music to my ears."

"I'm so glad you're here to point out my flaws. I would never have noticed them on my own."

"I'm sure your parents are proud of your incredible achievements."

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were an expert in everything."

"Thank you for reminding me how terrible I am at everything I do."

"Oh, don't worry about being late. We'll just sit here and wait for you forever."

"My bad, I didn't realize that your way was the only right way to do things."

"I forgot that your opinion is the only one that matters in this world."

"Thank you for your invaluable contribution to the conversation. We couldn't have done it without you."

"Please continue to tell me how to live my life. I'm sure you have it all figured out."

"Wow, I'm impressed by your incredible ability to state the obvious."

"Thank you for your astute observation. I would never have thought of that on my own."

"Thanks for reminding me how little I matter in the grand scheme of things."

"Oh, thank you for pointing out my flaws. I had no idea I was so imperfect."

"I'm sorry. Did I ask for your opinion?"

"Wow, I'm really looking forward to hearing more about your life story. Said no one ever."

"Thank you for gracing us with your presence. I thought we were missing some negativity in this room."

"You should write a book about being a terrible human being. You'd be a bestseller."

"Wow, your ability to state the obvious is truly impressive. I'm in awe."

Dark Dialogue prompts

"Why do you always insist on seeing the worst in people?"

"It's not my fault you can't handle the truth."

"You don't know what I'm capable of."

"The darkness within me is what makes me powerful."

"I'll do whatever it takes to get what I want."

"You think you know me, but you have no idea."

"I don't care about anyone else's feelings but my own."

"The world is cruel, and I'm just playing by its rules."

"You'll never understand the depths of my depravity."

"Fear is a tool I use to control people."

"Do you really think I care about anyone else but myself?"

"I'll stop at nothing to get revenge."

"You think you're better than me, but you're not."

"I'm not afraid to cross any line to get what I want."

"I know what you're thinking, and you're wrong."

"There's a darkness inside me that I can't ignore."

"I'll use anyone I need to achieve my goals."

"I don't care who gets hurt as long as I get what I want."

"I'm not interested in your opinions or feelings, only your obedience."

"The ends always justify the means in my book."

Flirty Dialogue prompts

"You must be a magician because everyone else disappears whenever I look at you."

"I'm trying to think of a witty pickup line, but all I can think about is how beautiful you are."

"I have to say, your style is incredible. I'd love to get to know you better."

"I'm not a photographer, but I can definitely picture us together."

"I don't know what it is, but there's something about you that I find absolutely irresistible."

"I've never seen anyone look so stunning in this place before. Mind if I join you?"

"You must be tired because you've been running through my mind all day."

"I'm not great at math, but we're a perfect match."

"You have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen."

"Excuse me, but can you tell me when you have to be back in heaven?"

"Do you have a name, or can I call you mine?"

"I couldn't help but notice you from across the room. Can I buy you a drink?"

"I'm not sure what you're doing later, but I'm hoping it's me."

"I can't believe how lucky I am to talk to someone as amazing as you."

"You have a certain grace about you that I find absolutely captivating."

"I'm not usually good at this kind of thing, but I had to come over and say hi to you."

"I'm not sure what you're doing for the rest of the night, but I'd love to take you out for dinner."

"I don't usually believe in love at first sight, but I'm willing to make an exception for you."

"You have the beauty that makes me forget what I was going to say."

"I don't know if it's just me, but I feel like there's some serious chemistry between us."

Angry Dialogue prompts

"I can't believe you would do something so stupid!"

"I am so sick and tired of your constant excuses."

"How dare you speak to me like that!"

"I have had it up to here with your behavior!"

"Don't you dare try to shift the blame onto me!"

"You've made a huge mistake, and now you're going to pay for it."

"You've really messed up this time, and I'm not going to let you off the hook."

"Don't you realize how much you've hurt everyone around you?"

"You've made a fool out of me, and I'm not going to forget it anytime soon."

"I trusted you with everything, and you let me down in the worst possible way."

"I can't believe you would say something like that to me!"

"I am so done with your lies and your manipulation."

"I don't want to hear another word from you until you sincerely apologize."

"You think you're so clever, but you're just making things worse for everyone."

"Your behavior is completely unacceptable, and I won't tolerate it anymore."

"I trusted you to do this one thing, and you couldn't even do that right."

"I can't believe you would be so insensitive to someone else's pain."

"Your arrogance and your ignorance are a dangerous combination."

"You've made a complete mess of everything and expect me to clean it up for you?!"

"I don't know how you can live with yourself after what you've done."

Various Dialogue prompts

"I have something to tell you, but you have to promise not to freak out."

"You're not the only one who's been keeping secrets."

"Do you think I'm making the right decision?"

"Don't go in there! There's something dangerous in that room."

"I know I messed up, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make it right."

"You're not going to believe who just walked in the door."

"I need your help. It's a matter of life and death."

"We have to leave now. They're right behind us."

"You have to get out of here."

"What's the worst thing you've ever done?"

"You're not the person I fell in love with."

"I have a confession to make, and it's not going to be easy to hear."

"This isn't what it looks like."

You have to make a choice, and you have to make it now."

"You have to come with me; there's no time to explain."

"Why did you do that?"

"You're the only one who can help me."

"You have to be careful."

"I know it sounds crazy, but I swear it's the truth."

"I have a bad feeling about this."

"You're the only one who can save us now."

"I never thought I'd see the day you'd stoop this low."

"You're not the only one afraid of what's going to happen next."

"I have information that could change everything."

"You're the only one who can explain what happened that night."

"I can't believe you're leaving me here."

"Why did you lie to me?"

"You're not going to believe what just happened."

"I have a plan, but it will require your help."

"I have a secret that I've been keeping from you, and it's time you knew the truth."

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I know we've had our differences, but can we put them aside and work together on this?"

"Do you remember what happened the last time we were here?"

"You can't be serious."

"You have to promise me something."

"I'm scared to tell you how I really feel, but I think you need to know."

"You need to leave."

"I've made a huge mistake."

"You're the only one I can trust."

"You're going to regret this decision for the rest of your life."

"I don't think I can keep up with your expectations anymore."

"You're in danger."

"Why won't you talk to me?"

"You're not going to like what I have to ask of you."

"I think we need to talk."

"I have a confession to make."

"You're not the only one with a secret."

"I think we're being followed."

"You're not safe."

"I have information that could change everything, but we must act fast."

"You're making a huge mistake and don't even realize it."

"I've been thinking about you a lot lately."

"You're not leaving until you tell me what's going on."

"I'm sorry, but I can't be the person you want me to be."

"You're the only one who knows the truth."

"I have a surprise for you."

"I'm actually a spy working for the enemy."

"You're not going to believe what I just found."

"I can't believe you forgot about our anniversary."

"You're the only one who knows how to defuse the bomb."

In conclusion, dialogue writing prompts can be a handy tool for writers of all levels looking to improve their craft.

Writing prompts can inspire writers to delve deeper into their characters' personalities and motivations and help them avoid typical clichés and pitfalls by providing a starting point for conversations between characters. 

Whether you're looking to break through writer's block, explore new genres, or add depth to your characters, dialogue writing prompts are a valuable resource that should be considered.

With this collection of dialogue prompts, I hope to have inspired you to write good dialogue that engages and captivates your readers.

Frequently Asked Questions About dialogue prompts (FAQs)

What are dialogue prompts.

Dialogue prompts are writing prompts that provide a snippet of dialogue that can be used as a starting point for a new story.

These prompts are designed to inspire writers to create unique characters and explore different situations through dialogue.

Why are dialogue prompts useful?

Dialogue prompts can be helpful for writers looking to improve their dialogue writing skills or those struggling with writer's block.

These prompts help writers to generate new ideas and explore different characters and situations.

How do I use dialogue prompts?

To use a dialogue prompt, start by reading the prompt and thinking about the characters and situations involved in the dialogue.

From there, you can build out the scene and create a story around the dialogue. The goal is to use the prompt to inspire your creativity and help you create a unique story.

Can dialogue prompts be used for any genre?

Yes, dialogue prompts can be used for any genre, from romance to science fiction to horror. The prompts can be adapted to suit the specific genre and theme the writer is interested in exploring.

Can dialogue prompts be used for different formats of writing?

Yes, dialogue prompts can be used for various writing formats, including short stories, novels, screenplays, and more.

The prompts can be adapted to fit the specific requirements of the format and help the writer explore the characters and their relationships through dialogue.

How many dialogue prompts should I use?

There is no set number of dialogue prompts that you should use. Some writers may find that one prompt is enough to inspire a full story, while others may need several prompts to generate new ideas.

The number of prompts you use will depend on your writing style, preferences, and the amount of time you have to write.

Can dialogue prompts be used as writing exercises?

Yes, dialogue prompts can be used as writing dialogue exercises to help writers develop story ideas and skills and improve their craft.

Using prompts, writers can challenge themselves to write dialogue in different genres, experiment with other characters and situations, and develop their writing voice.

How can I create my own dialogue prompts?

To create your own dialogue prompts, start by thinking of a snippet of conversation that you find interesting or compelling.

From there, you can build out the characters and situations involved in the dialogue to create a unique prompt.

You can also use online dialogue prompt generators or other writing prompt resources to help you develop new ideas.

How can I make my stories based on dialogue prompts stand out?

To make your stories based on dialogue prompts stand out, it's essential to focus on creating unique and engaging characters and situations. 

Try to use the prompt as a starting point, but be bold and take the story in a different direction than the prompt suggests.

You can also focus on creating dynamic and realistic dialogue that captures the personalities and motivations of your characters .

Can I use dialogue prompts to improve my dialogue-writing skills?

Yes, dialogue prompts can be a great way to improve your dialogue writing skills. By focusing on writing dialogue that is engaging, realistic, and true to your characters, you can develop your skills as a writer and improve the overall quality of your writing.

Can I combine dialogue prompts with other types of prompts?

Yes, you can combine dialogue prompts with other types of prompts, such as character , setting , or plot.

This can help you create more complex and nuanced stories that explore different aspects of your characters and their world.

Can I use dialogue prompts to create longer stories or novels?

Yes, dialogue prompts can be used to create longer stories or novels, either by expanding on the original prompt or using multiple prompts to create a more complex narrative. 

However, it's important to remember that longer stories and novels require more than dialogue to develop engaging and compelling stories.

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Dialogue Exercises : 40 Writing Prompts To Get You Going

Dialogue exercises are a great way to strengthen your ability to listen to your characters. When you’re working on dialogue exercises, you’re not worrying about plot or where the scene’s headed. You’re not distracted by furniture or waiters or sunsets. In essence, you’re closing your eyes and giving your complete attention to the subtext of the conversation.

Sometimes, looking at a photo or an art object can help you get started with a story. In Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants,” a man and girl are waiting in Ebro for the train. Here are the hills above the Ebro River. What do you think? Do they look like white elephants? Image from Pixabay via ProyectoINDI

In my post on “Dialogue and Tension: Bringing Scenes to Life,” I introduced a man and a girl waiting for a train.  In this post I’m bringing them onstage again, but stripping out the “he saids” and “she saids.”

“They look like white elephants.” “I’ve never seen one.” “No, you wouldn’t have.” “I might have. Just because you say I wouldn’t have doesn’t prove anything.”

As you read this excerpt from Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants,” does the dialogue pull you along? Are you reading to find out what’s up? Of course, you are!

Now, here’s your chance to try your hand.

Forty Dialogue Exercises

Below are forty dialogue exercises. Pick one and start writing. You don’t have to know who the characters are, where they are, or why they’re at odds. Dialogue is one of the best ways to learn more about your characters. Maybe one of these exercises will even lead to a new story.

• “I thought you were supposed to call me.”
• “I never, ever want to hear you say that again.”
• “Don’t just stand there looking at me.”
• “Do you like my country?”
• “My back’s killing me.”
• “How much longer till we’re there?”
• “You have to tell her. It wouldn’t be right not to.”
• “It doesn’t do any good to get worked up.”
• “How much does he want?”
• “I know it’s a little expensive.”
• “Home is where they have to take you in. Am I right?”
• “Your mother wants us to come down for Christmas.”
• “I caught your cold.”
• “Finish what you’re doing. We have to talk.”
• “Could you not walk ten steps in front of me for a change?”
• “How much longer is lobster season going to last?”
• “It’s not that I don’t appreciate the thought.”
• “Give me the remote.”
• “Could you please not use that tone of voice?”
• “Little pitchers have big ears.”
• “Hey, there. Are you in the witness protection program, or what?”
• “Set me up.”
• “When was the last time we had a real conversation.”
• “You’re big and strong.”
• “I’m so sick of all this gloom and doom. Why can’t people just be happy?”
• “Look. There’s a place to park.”
• “In my next life, I want to come back as a butterfly.”
• “Do you know what today is?”
• “I been thinking we should move to Alaska.”
• “Ten bucks for this piece of crap!”
• “You first.”
• “I’m not cold in the least.”
• “What’s your problem?”
• “You’d be late for your own funeral.”
• “You’re not my mother.”
• “You know you’re wrong.”
• “He’s a moocher, all right.”
• “Why do you have that look on your face?”
• “You should have seen it coming.”
• “You’re going in there right now and apologize.

I picked one of these dialogue exercises, and I discovered a new story that’s waiting to be fleshed out. Good luck with the exercise you choose.

Marylee MacDonald is the author of MONTPELIER TOMORROW, BONDS OF LOVE & BLOOD, BODY LANGUAGE, and THE BIG BOOK OF SMALL PRESSES AND INDEPENDENT PUBLISHERS. Her books and stories have won the Barry Hannah Prize, the Jeanne M. Leiby Memorial Chapbook Award, a Readers' Favorites Gold Medal for Drama, the American Literary Review Fiction Prize, a Wishing Shelf Book Award, and many others. She holds an M.A. in Creative Writing from San Francisco State, and when not reading or writing books, she loves to walk on the beach and explore National Parks.

One Response to “Dialogue Exercises : 40 Writing Prompts To Get You Going”

Thanks dear it’s a perfect idea, am going to try it.

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5 Essential Exercises For Writing Dialogue

We are posting a series of Essential Writing Exercises to help you tell your stories. This post includes five essential exercises for writing dialogue .

We’re living in interesting times and many of us have more time on our hands. To help us get through it, I am posting  a series of Essential Writing Exercises to help you tell your stories.

We’ve included exercises about creating characters , dialogue , viewpoint , plotting , setting , beginnings , and pacing . (If you want a downloadable, advert-free workbook that includes all these exercises, please buy The Novel Writing Exercises Workbook .)

On our course, Writers Write ONLINE , we spend time creating characters, plotting, learning to write dialogue, learning how to pace, and learning how to show and not tell. We teach you about viewpoint, setting, description, and scenes, and much, much more. In my series, I am going to concentrate on a few of these areas.

My first post will be for writers who are trying to write better dialogue. I have included five essential exercises for writing dialogue.

TOP TIP: Learn to write better dialogue with The Dialogue Workbook

When we teach Writers Write ONLINE , we find that dialogue intimidates beginner writers.

Remember that great dialogue in fiction does the following four things:

• Dialogue allows us to show conflict .
• Dialogue creates tension.
• Dialogue advances the story.
• Dialogue reveals character. ( indirect characterisation )

Try to make every piece of dialogue achieve one or more of these requirements.

Exercise 1: Just For Fun

Write a dialogue-only scene between two inanimate objects that are normally used or found together. Examples : pen and paper; laptop and desktop; TV show and Reality TV show; bacteria and antibiotic.

This exercise will reveal tension and conflict between the two. It will also show you how to create a dialogue-only sequence in your story. It will show you that you need to choose characters that have something to talk about.

Laptop vs Desktop Example:

Laptop : You don’t know how lucky you are to just sit there all day, updating and scanning. Desktop : Easy for you to say. I never get to go anywhere and I have to do the bulk of the work in this household. He keeps on adding memory as if I don’t have enough to think about. Laptop : You won’t believe the disgusting places he put me down today. On a coffee shop floor. It was gross. And on his colleague’s lap – you know Dave? The one I always tell you about. OMG. It was so uncomfortable. Desktop : Stop complaining, LT. At least you get to see things. I wonder if Dave will ever come visit? Laptop : Believe me, you don’t want Dave here with his sticky hands and his icky breath. And he always leans in too close to the screen. It’s obscene. Desktop : I hope he disinfected you before he put you down next to me.

Exercise 2: A Tense Situation

Write a scene between a protagonist and their love interest. Show how the love interest complicates the protagonist’s story goal in some way. Examples : a detective who needs to get to a murder scene and his wife who wants to talk to him; a princess who needs to save her kingdom and her love interest who wants to go on a quest; a journalist wants to get to an important interview and their love interest goes into labour.

• Name the people.
• Use dialogue, body language , and the internal thoughts of the viewpoint character.
• Show the setting through their interaction with it.

This exercise will reveal your characters’ personalities and show them as three-dimensional people. It will also allow for conflict and tension. Love interests are perfect for sub-plots in stories.

Must-read: 10 Ways To Introduce Conflict In Dialogue

Exercise 3: Three Of Us

Write a one-page scene with three characters in it. Show how the three people all speak differently – the words they use and their speech patterns should not be the same. Examples : The banker, the politician, and the mistress; The robot, the robot’s creator, and the creator’s mother; The personal trainer, the actor, and the actor’s agent.

This exercise will show the characters: how old they are, how they see the world, and how they treat other people. It will also show the relationship dynamics.

Exercise 4: Eavesdrop

‘I was kind of excited about going to jail the first time and I learnt some great dialogue.’ ~ Quentin Tarantino

You don’t have to go to jail, but you need to listen in on a conversation for this exercise. Tape it if you can. Then write down exactly what the people said.

This exercise will show you that dialogue in fiction cannot be like dialogue in real life. Real life conversations are often vague and of no consequence. People often don’t even listen to one another.

Rewrite the dialogue as if it were a novel. Introduce a conflict and show the characters.

Must-read: 10 Dialogue Errors Writers Should Avoid At All Costs

Exercise 5: An important Conversation

Write a pivotal scene in a story, one where an important decision is made. This scene will propel your protagonist to their story goal. Examples : a woman tells her husband that she is leaving him; a detective interviews a suspect and discovers something odd; a knight captures an enemy and discovers that all is not what it might seem.

This exercise will show you how to use dialogue to move a story forward. It will show you how the things you conceal and reveal in conversations change stories.

The Last Word

Use these five essential exercises for writing dialogue.to practise incorporating dialogue into all of your scenes. The more you write conversations, the better your dialogue will become.

Look out for our next post: 5 Essential Exercises For Creating Characters

(If you want a downloadable, advert-free workbook that includes all the ‘essential exercises series’, please buy The Novel Writing Exercises Workbook .)

© Amanda Patterson

If you enjoyed this blogger’s writing, read:

• How To Finish Writing Your Book
• Thriller Book Title Generator
• The Almost Moment Is The Secret To Successful Romance Writing
• What Is Direct And Indirect Characterisation? And Which One Should I Use?
• 5 Steps To Creativity In Writing
• How To Write Your Novel From The Middle Like James Scott Bell
• 5 Ways To Choose A Pseudonym

• Dialogue , Exercises , Featured Post , Writing Tips from Amanda Patterson

1 thought on “5 Essential Exercises For Writing Dialogue”

Thank-you so much for the clear, concise, explanation!

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Dialogue Writing Exercises – Master the Art of Compelling Conversations

My name is Debbie, and I am passionate about developing a love for the written word and planting a seed that will grow into a powerful voice that can inspire many.

Introduction to Dialogue Writing Exercises

Key elements of compelling⁤ conversations, understanding characterization through dialogue, creating realistic dialogue: tips ⁢and techniques, exploring subtext: adding depth to conversations, mastering⁤ dialogue tags and punctuation, tips for dialogue ⁤tags:, punctuation guidelines:, enhance your dialogue​ skills with natural conversational exercises, conclusion: enhancing your writing with engaging conversations, frequently asked ‍questions, the way forward.

Welcome to the world ⁤of dialogue writing exercises! Dialogue writing is a crucial skill for any aspiring⁢ writer or storyteller. It⁤ allows you to bring characters to life, create engaging conversations, ‍and add depth to your narratives. Whether you ⁤are interested ⁢in writing fiction, ⁢plays, screenplays, or ‍even improving your​ everyday conversation skills, these exercises will provide you with a solid foundation. ⁢

⁣ ​ In this section, we will explore various ⁢dialogue writing exercises that will help you understand the‌ intricacies of effective communication through ⁤written ⁣conversations. You will learn how to develop ‍distinct character voices, create natural and engaging dialogues, and master the⁣ art of subtext. These exercises will also enhance ​your understanding of pacing, tone, and the use ‍of gestures and⁣ facial expressions to convey emotions. ⁢

​ ⁢ ‍So, if you are ​ready to embark on this exciting journey, grab‌ your pen and ⁢notebook, and let’s dive into the world‌ of dialogue writing​ exercises! Each exercise will provide you with a prompt ‍or scenario to stimulate your creativity. Feel free to⁢ take your time, experiment, and have fun along the‍ way. Let’s‌ unlock the power of words and bring your characters​ to life like never before!

1. Active Listening: One of the is active listening. This⁤ involves not​ just hearing the words being spoken, but truly understanding and empathizing with the speaker. Active listening requires giving your full attention to the ​person speaking, maintaining eye contact , and providing verbal and non-verbal cues such as nodding and⁢ acknowledging their points.⁤ By actively listening, you demonstrate​ respect and create a ⁢safe space for‍ open and meaningful discussions.

2. Asking Thought-Provoking Questions: ⁤Another important element is the ability​ to ask thought-provoking questions . Instead of simply asking generic questions, try to ‌dive ‌deeper and explore various perspectives. Open-ended questions encourage others to share their‍ thoughts and feelings, leading to more‍ engaging conversations. By asking thought-provoking questions, you can encourage critical ⁢thinking , challenge ⁣assumptions, and stimulate intellectual discussions that leave a lasting impact.

Dialogue is a powerful tool⁤ in literature that allows⁢ readers​ to gain insight into a character’s personality, beliefs,⁣ and values. Through the conversations between characters, ⁤authors can ‌paint a vivid picture of who these⁣ individuals are, creating a deeper understanding of their motivations and actions. By analyzing the use of dialogue ​in ‍a story, readers can uncover important details that shape a character’s identity ‍and contribute to the overall development of the narrative.

The Importance of Verbal Expression:

• Dialogue​ provides direct access to a character’s thoughts ‍and⁣ emotions. It allows readers to hear their authentic voice, whether it is revealing their insecurities or expressing their desires.
• Speech patterns and word choices in⁤ dialogue can reveal a character’s education,‍ social background, ‍or cultural heritage. For instance, a character who uses‌ formal language and sophisticated ​vocabulary might be seen as more educated and upper-class compared to someone ​who speaks in slang or⁣ colloquial terms.
• The tone and mood of a character’s speech can provide valuable information about their state of mind. Whether they speak with enthusiasm,⁤ sarcasm, or sadness, these linguistic cues can help readers understand ‍their emotional journey.

The ⁤Function of Subtext:

• Dialogue often includes subtext, ​which ‌refers‌ to​ the‌ underlying ​meaning beneath the words spoken. Subtext allows authors to incorporate subtle clues and suggestions about a character’s true intentions, feelings, or hidden agendas.
• Nonverbal cues within dialogue, such as pauses, ⁤gestures or facial expressions, can convey important information. These actions can hint⁤ at a character’s true emotions, even when⁢ their ​words might say otherwise.
• Conflicts or disagreements between characters can be revealed through‌ dialogue, ‌showcasing their contrasting viewpoints and creating tension within the story. These ‌interactions can shed light on a character’s beliefs and values.

By paying close‌ attention to ⁤the dialogue in a ‌story, readers‍ can unlock the complexities of a character’s personality, gain insight into⁢ their relationships with others, and better understand their role in the broader narrative.

Developing believable dialogue is an essential skill ​for any writer. It allows readers to connect with characters and adds⁤ depth to the narrative. To create realistic dialogue, here are some valuable tips⁤ and techniques:

• Eavesdrop on conversations: Listening to real-life conversations can⁤ provide valuable insights into ‌how people⁣ speak and interact. Pay ‍attention to the flow, expressions, ⁢and natural pauses⁤ in dialogue. This will​ help‌ you capture the authenticity of conversation in your writing.
• Show, don’t tell: Instead of explicitly stating emotions or background information, let your characters’ dialogue reveal⁢ it naturally. Subtle phrases, pauses,⁤ and unspoken words can convey a wealth ‍of meaning and make your dialogue⁢ more lifelike.
• Add interruptions⁤ and hesitations: In ⁣real conversations, interruptions, hesitations, and even errors occur frequently. Incorporate these elements in your dialogue to make it feel genuine and dynamic. It will also add a layer of realism to your characters and their interactions.
• Vary speech patterns and vocabulary: Each ​character should have a distinct voice, with unique word choices, sentence structures, and vocabulary. Consider factors⁣ such as age, education level,⁤ and background‍ to give ​your characters realistic speech patterns. This diversity will enhance the credibility of your dialogue.
• Avoid excessive exposition: Dialogue should feel natural and not solely exist to⁢ relay information to the reader. Balancing exposition with the ebb and flow of ⁣conversation is crucial. Inserting exposition subtly and organically within the dialogue helps maintain authenticity and prevents it from feeling ‍forced.
• Revise and refine: Dialogue, like ‍any​ other aspect of writing, requires revision. Read your dialogue⁣ out ⁣loud, paying attention to its ⁣rhythm and believability. Eliminate unnecessary phrases,‌ adjust pacing, and refine the tone until ⁢it feels authentic and engaging.

Mastering the ‍art of creating realistic dialogue takes time and practice. By incorporating these tips and‍ techniques, you’ll⁤ be well on⁣ your way to crafting compelling conversations that resonate with your readers.

When engaging ⁣in conversations, understanding the subtext can ‌often lead to a richer and more meaningful interaction. Subtext refers to the underlying message or implied ​meaning that ‍is not explicitly stated in a conversation. By recognizing and exploring subtext, we can uncover hidden emotions, motivations,⁢ and intentions, ​allowing ‌for ‌a⁣ deeper⁢ understanding of each other.

One effective way to delve into subtext⁤ is through active listening. Pay close attention not only ​to the words being⁤ spoken but ‌also⁢ to‍ the tone, ⁤body language, and facial expressions of the person you’re conversing⁣ with. These non-verbal cues often convey emotions and thoughts that might ⁢contradict or enhance the explicit message. By interpreting these cues, you can gain insights into the subtext and respond more empathetically and appropriately.

Here‍ are some techniques to‍ help you explore subtext and add depth to your⁤ conversations:

• Reflective Listening: Encourage the speaker to elaborate by paraphrasing their words and reflecting their emotions. This shows that you are actively engaged and interested in understanding their underlying message.
• Ask Open-Ended Questions: Move beyond simple yes-or-no inquiries and encourage thoughtful responses. Open-ended questions invite the speaker to expand on their thoughts, allowing you⁤ to uncover⁢ deeper meanings.
• Observe Non-Verbal Cues: Focus ‌on body language, gestures, and facial expressions.‍ These indications ‌can reveal unspoken emotions,⁢ hesitations, or conflicting thoughts that shed light on the subtext.

By adopting these ‌strategies,​ you’ll create an environment that nurtures genuine connections and promotes more authentic communication. Exploring subtext adds layers of understanding to conversations, fostering empathy and cultivating stronger relationships.

Understanding Dialogue Tags and Punctuation

When‌ it comes⁣ to writing dialogue, mastering the usage of dialogue tags and punctuation is crucial​ for creating engaging​ and realistic conversations between your characters. Dialogue⁢ tags help attribute spoken words to specific characters,‍ providing clarity⁣ and allowing readers to​ follow the flow of the conversation. Additionally, proper punctuation ensures⁤ that the dialogue is correctly formatted and enhances the overall⁢ readability of‍ your writing.‍ Below, we’ll delve ⁣into some essential tips and guidelines to help you navigate the world⁤ of dialogue tags ⁤and punctuation seamlessly.

• Keep⁣ it simple: Use common tags like “said” or‍ “asked” instead of extravagant ⁣alternatives. This allows ⁢the dialogue to⁢ take center stage without distracting the reader.
• Be mindful of overuse: While dialogue tags⁤ are important ⁣for clarity, avoid using them​ excessively. Instead, opt for action beats or descriptive narrative to ⁢attribute dialogue when possible.
• Vary your tags: To avoid monotony, consider swapping out common tags with alternatives like “whispered,” “muttered,”⁤ or “exclaimed” to inject variation and add depth to your character’s voice.
• Quotation marks: Always enclose spoken words within double quotation marks (” “) to distinguish dialogue from narrative text.
• New‍ lines for new speakers: Start a new paragraph and indent whenever a different character speaks, aiding in clarity ⁣and ensuring⁣ smooth transitions between speakers.
• Commas and periods: Place commas and⁢ periods inside the quotation marks, even if they are not part ​of the spoken words, to maintain proper punctuation structure.
• Punctuation in action tags: Ensure the⁤ proper placement of punctuation when an action tag follows dialogue. ⁢If‍ the tag is connected to the spoken‌ words, use a comma. Otherwise, use a period or question mark,‌ and start the action tag with a lowercase letter, unless it’s a proper noun.

Exercises to ⁤Improve Dialogue Skills

Engaging in effective dialogue is essential for building strong relationships and improving communication. ⁢To help you become ⁢a conversation maestro, here are ⁢some engaging exercises that will polish your dialogue skills and make your interactions more meaningful:

• Reflective Listening: Practicing reflective ​listening helps ⁣you stay fully present in a conversation and shows respect for the speaker. Try paraphrasing what the other person has said,‌ ensuring you understand their perspective. ⁣This‌ exercise strengthens your ⁤ability to truly listen, fostering empathy and understanding.
• Role Reversal: This‍ exercise is fantastic ⁣for developing empathy and seeing conversations from different perspectives. Choose a controversial topic and assign the roles of two individuals ⁤with opposite viewpoints. Each person should hold a conversation defending the side they disagree with, allowing them to gain insight into the other person’s mindset.

Remember, dialogue ⁢skills are like any other skill – they require practice to improve. Embrace these exercises and use them regularly to unlock⁢ the power⁢ of effective communication. As you continue honing your skills, you’ll become a master of engaging conversations!

In conclusion, incorporating engaging conversations into your writing can take ‌your ⁤content to the next level. By utilizing this technique, you can captivate your readers, spark their interest, and establish a strong connection with them. Here are some key takeaways​ to enhance your writing:

• Expressive ⁤dialogue: ‌Injecting conversations into your writing allows your characters or subject⁤ to come alive. It adds depth and authenticity, helping your readers immerse themselves in your content.
• Show, don’t tell: Engaging conversations provide an excellent opportunity to ⁢show rather than tell your story. Through dialogue, you​ can reveal emotions, intentions, and conflicts in a powerful and relatable way.
• Interactive storytelling: Incorporating conversations can turn your writing into an interactive experience. Engage‍ your readers by allowing‌ them to participate in the narrative, by sharing their thoughts or ⁤responding to prompts within your content.

Remember, the key to successful engagement is to ensure your conversations flow naturally,⁤ avoiding forced or ‌contrived dialogue. It’s also important⁢ to strike a balance, incorporating conversations seamlessly‍ without overwhelming your writing. So, go ahead, experiment with engaging conversations, and watch your writing flourish!

Q: What are‌ dialogue writing exercises? A: Dialogue writing exercises‌ are activities or prompts designed to help writers practice and enhance their skills in ⁣the art of writing compelling conversations.

Q: ⁢Why are dialogue writing exercises important ‌for‍ writers? ⁢ A: Dialogue ⁤is a fundamental element in storytelling, and writers who can ​effectively ⁤produce realistic and engaging ⁤conversations can bring ⁤their characters to life and keep readers invested in their ​narratives. Dialogue exercises allow writers to develop‌ and ⁢refine their abilities in​ this crucial aspect of writing.

Q: What are some examples of dialogue writing exercises? A: Dialogue writing exercises can take various forms, such as writing a conversation between two fictional​ characters, ‌recreating a⁤ real-life‌ conversation with added elements, or even transcribing and​ analyzing dialogues from movies or books. These exercises encourage writers to experiment with different styles,⁢ tones, and character dynamics.

Q: How can dialogue writing⁣ exercises improve writing skills? A: By engaging in dialogue exercises, ⁣writers can practice crafting authentic dialogue that reflects each character’s⁣ unique voice and personality. These exercises also help enhance skills in pacing, subtext, and⁤ creating tension or conflict within conversations. Through repetition and experimentation, writers can become more adept at writing compelling and believable dialogue.

Q: How⁣ can writers make the most of dialogue writing exercises? A: To maximize the benefits of dialogue writing exercises, it’s essential to approach them with an open mind and willingness to experiment. Writers ⁤can pay ‌attention to the rhythms and flow of natural conversations, observe how real people speak, and incorporate these observations into their fictional dialogues. Feedback ‌from trusted peers or mentors can also provide valuable insights‍ for improvement.

Q: What are the potential challenges in dialogue writing exercises? A: ⁣One of the common challenges ⁣in dialogue writing exercises is ensuring that each character’s dialogue is distinct and consistent throughout the story. Writers must also avoid excessive use of dialogue tags and exposition to ​maintain a natural and engaging conversation. Balancing dialogue with action and description is another‍ aspect that writers may need to‍ focus on during these exercises.

Q: Can dialogue writing exercises ⁣be beneficial for writers ​of different genres? A:⁢ Absolutely! Whether ​you ⁣are writing a romance, a mystery, or even a sci-fi novel,⁤ compelling dialogue is⁣ essential. Engaging in dialogue ‌writing exercises allows writers to hone their skills regardless of the ​genre they ​specialize in, as it contributes to ‌creating relatable characters ‌and advancing the plot effectively through conversations.

Q: Are there any resources‍ available to​ assist writers with dialogue​ writing exercises? A: ⁤Yes, there ‌are numerous​ resources​ available to writers seeking ‍assistance with ​dialogue writing exercises. Writing workshops, online⁣ forums, books ‌on⁣ the craft of writing, and even⁢ dedicated writing software often provide guidance, prompts, and examples to help ‍writers master the art of compelling conversations.

Q: How often should writers engage‌ in dialogue‌ writing exercises? A: The frequency of dialogue writing exercises may vary for each writer, depending on their goals and availability. However, incorporating regular practice ​sessions into one’s ⁢writing routine is advisable. By dedicating specific time to work on dialogue, writers ‍can refine their skills, eventually ⁤making it a‌ natural ⁣and seamless part of their storytelling process.

Q: Any final tips for writers looking to improve their dialogue writing skills through exercises? A: Remember to⁢ observe real-life conversations and pay ​attention‌ to how⁣ people naturally speak. Practice⁤ writing dialogue that reveals⁣ character traits, advances the plot, and⁤ builds ‌conflict or tension. Be open to ⁢constructive feedback, and ⁤don’t⁢ be afraid to rewrite and⁣ revise your dialogue. With consistent practice and a⁢ willingness to learn, writers can ​master the art of compelling‌ conversations and enrich their storytelling abilities.

In conclusion, dialogue writing exercises are a valuable tool for improving your storytelling skills ⁤and ⁤creating engaging conversations. Practice, explore ‌different characters, and‌ master the art of⁣ compelling dialogue to bring your stories to life.

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101 Of The Most Clever Dialogue Writing Prompts

Sometimes the best way to get a story started is with a stirring piece of dialogue. I’m talking about the kind of conversation that draw us right in and make us wonder what’s going on .

Welcome to Authority Pub’s own collection of interesting dialogue ideas.

Think of them as the first line in a conversation you can take in whatever direction you like.

Think of the possibilities as you read through the 101 dialogue prompts below. Imagine what your readers might expect. Then surprise them.

Funny Dialogue Prompts

Angst dialogue prompts, dialogue prompts for romance, sad dialogue prompts, use these dialogue prompts to create fascinating book characters., 101 dialogue writing prompts.

These dialogue starters will grab your readers’ attention and make them want to read the next line. From there, it’s up to you to get their jaws dropping and keep their eyes glued to the page.

“Put the gun down, dearest. I have news!”

“I have a lot going for me, but humility is not one of them.”

“Oh, dang! What have you done to yourself?”

“Don’t eat that! I made it ‘specially for our guest.” 

“Is that seriously your password?”

“I’m surprised you haven’t been arrested yet. Wait, no, I’m not.”

“You promised to call me if you didn’t know what to wear.”

“So, you broke my favorite mug… and you’re breaking up with me?”

“Mommy, I’m not s’posed to tell you this, but Aunt Brenda says the vaccine’ll prob’ly turn me into a vegetable.”

 “I’m afraid the king is indisposed. And the castle is out of sorts right now, what with the chef being executed last minute.”

 “Sir, the pony rides are for children only.”

 “Who on earth put this in my pocket? It doesn’t even work!”

 “Oh, good, you’re here! Hold this.”

 “You don’t know what this means to me. You’re my first willing human subject, and we… are going to make history!”

 “On a scale of one to ten, how do you feel about nachos right now?”

 “It’s not that I don’t appreciate your coming here. I just… didn’t think you’d come wearing… that. ”

 “Oh, wow, you weren’t kidding.”

 “Dude. We talked about this. Boundaries!”

 “Hieeee! I’m calling about your ad for a peppy office clerk?”

 “Now, don’t be mad, but…”

 “Well, thanks to you, that’s another Taco Bell that’s banned us for life.”

 “I didn’t change my name to sound more badass. I changed it because my parents named me Lulubellerina.”

 “So you know, I haven’t had my coffee yet. And your voice is putting me to sleep.”

 “Please tell me you didn’t eat that.”

 “So, wait… I died… and came back. And I still don’t have superpowers?”

“How could you do this to me? You knew!”

“You told me he was my dad.”

 “Trust me, you want to be in the friend zone.”

 “I know you don’t have any reason to trust me, but… you need to know something.”

 “For someone who doesn’t like to feel things, you sure feel a lot of it out loud.”

 “You’re allowed to need help sometimes. And I know I haven’t been what you needed. But I’m here, and I wanna help.”

 “I know you’re new here, but we do things a little differently at this school.”

 “Why do you want to help me? I just broke your brother’s nose.”

 “What have you done with my diary?”

 “You’re the worst. And you’re all I’ve got.”

 “I’m not moody, I’m thinking. Don’t interrupt.”

 “If I wanted to get better, I wouldn’t be dating you. ”

.ugb-746569f .ugb-blockquote__item{background-color:#785d91 !important;border-radius:50px !important}.ugb-746569f .ugb-blockquote__item:before{background-color:#785d91 !important}.ugb-746569f .ugb-blockquote__quote{fill:#0693e3 !important;width:70px !important;height:70px !important}.ugb-746569f .ugb-blockquote__text{color:#ffffff}.ugb-746569f .ugb-inner-block{text-align:center}  How can you stand this place? It’s biggest claim to fame is that a touring singer’s dog died in the motel pool.”

 “You think I don’t know you’re only here because he sent you?”

 “If you’re here to tell me what happened last night, someone beat you to it.”

 “No, I don’t hate you . We’re not there, yet.”

 “It’s not that I don’t like my life. It’s that I don’t have the energy to enjoy it.”

 “Hey. Look what came in the mail. Wanna tell me what’s going on with your grades?”

 “Did you find him?”

 “Talk to me, okay? I need to know what’s going on.”

 “Where did you get that book? Who gave it to you?”

 “I know it’s not perfect, but I did follow the recipe this time. And I added hot dogs for extra protein.”

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 “I blame you both for this. I was the only friend he had. If I’d been there — if I hadn’t been grounded — he’d still be alive.” 

 “You have no idea what I saw. And no. I’m not talking to the cops.”

 “I know it doesn’t make sense that I’d save the weapon he used. But I’d stolen that piece myself. He’d had no right to use it without asking.”

 “Is this how you flirt with everyone?”

 “Waiiiiit, did you… do something different with your hair?”

 “Sir, you are speaking to the manager. And I’m telling you you need to leave.”

 “So, you’re a gentleman. And you think that gives you an edge over our other applicants?”

 “I’ve read your blog, y’know. I loved your post on finding your soulmate. I think I’ve found mine.”

 “For someone who’s totally selling the dragon lady mystique, you’re surprisingly kid-friendly.”

 “You can’t handle my level of geekiness. If you want someone who can take her glasses off and look like a supermodel, then walk away.” 

 “I’m not good with sarcasm . If you don’t like me, just say it.”

 “Wow! You you look nothing like your profile picture.”

 “You gonna eat that?”

 “Excuse me, but… I think my late wife knew you.”

 “Whatever you do, don’t… move. That is the biggest … Almost got it.”

 “Lemme guess. No one really told you about the social requirements of being a writer .”

 “Apologies if I’m misreading things, but… do you want to get a drink or something?”

 “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you don’t exactly blend in.”

 “Now, before I say anything, promise me you’ll stay calm.”

 “Do you know what today is?”

 “I don’t need a gentleman right now.” 

 “We haven’t met, but I know I’ve seen you before. Is this seat taken?”

 “Her name’s Tess. Don’t ask her what she’s been through. But something tells me you two would get along.”

 “I’d like to report a theft… My purse. No, no it wasn’t expensive, but it had my whole life in it…. Yes, I’ll hold.”

 “Before you take that first drink, be honest with me. Is the guyliner too much?”

 “Just so you know, I don’t want you to try to look like the popular kids . Your style is way more colorful and interesting. Every day I can’t wait to see what you put together.”

 “We need to jump right now! Take my hand, quickly!”

 “It’s you! You’re the one who decked that guy trying to pull a woman’s hijab off her head. You ’re my date?”

“You are remarkably well-behaved tonight. What have you been up to?”

“The worst part is you didn’t even notice.”

“If I couldn’t trust my own parents to protect me, why would I trust anyone with my baby?”

“What kind of mother has thoughts like that? How could  I tell you?”

“I’m not mad that your mom called. Well, maybe a little. Mostly, I’m mad that mine didn’t.”

 “Going to bed early. I think I caught that virus you brought home from school last week. I made some of your Gramma’s special tea. You want some?”

 “I wish you’d come to the funeral. I needed you there.”

 “I know you’re all expecting a typical best man speech. But there’s something you all need to know about the guy who just married my sister.”

 “I was doing so well until you showed up. Things were good…”

 “We’d like to talk to both of you, if possible. Can someone else watch the kids?”

 “You knew. And you didn’t even warn her?”

 “At first, we all thought it was part of the act.”

.ugb-35fb7ae .ugb-blockquote__item{background-color:#f78da7 !important;border-radius:50px !important}.ugb-35fb7ae .ugb-blockquote__item:before{background-color:#f78da7 !important}.ugb-35fb7ae .ugb-blockquote__quote{fill:#7bdcb5 !important;width:70px !important;height:70px !important}.ugb-35fb7ae .ugb-blockquote__text{color:#ffffff}.ugb-35fb7ae .ugb-inner-block{text-align:center}  I’ve been thinking. When all this… is over, I want to be cremated. And I want you to spread my ashes at the base of a tree.”

 “That was her favorite.”

 “Honey, please tell me. Did he hit you?”

 “Sir, we’re doing all we can, but you can’t be here.”

 “People like you… you’re the reason my baby is dead.”

 “Honey, you were in a crash. What do you remember?”

 “Looks like I’ll live long enough to make you pay.”

 “Most people would have seen that coming. Why didn’t you?”

 “I don’t like that look. What happened?”

 “Everything in this house reminds me of her. I need to get out.”

 “You keep telling me to get a job. What you don’t get is I’ve been trying. I’ve been out there, applying to every job I can find. No one wants to hire me.”

 “You were there with him. Why won’t you tell me what happened?”

 “Hello, ma’am. We’re here about your son.”

“I’m gonna need you to quit school so you can help us save the store. I can’t afford to pay you yet, but if it goes under, so will we.”

Now that you have 101 dialogue prompts to spark your imagination, which ones make you want to stop everything else and start writing.

Take five minutes, at least, and just let the words flow as they come to you.

Remember to give your readers a twist to keep them interested in what’s going on. Give them enough that’s familiar, but lure them in with mystery .

Then give them a surprise they’ll remember.

If you pick a prompt for each day’s free-writing exercise, you’ll have over three months’ worth of dialogue practice.

You’ll become more skilled at writing dialogue. And your readers will love you for it.

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Lesson Plans

Lesson plans , writing, 6 dialogue writing activities for the secondary ela classroom.

Dialogue writing activities are always a mainstay in any of my narrative writing units. I love seeing the creative writing my students turn in, but I often see it lacks dialogue or uses it incorrectly. It’s a skill that needs to be refined, but is sometimes overlooked in the grand scheme of things. I like to set aside time for activities that help review the mechanics of proper dialogue writing, as well as unique dialogue writing activities that let students practice the skill themselves. Read on for creative dialogue writing activities for your secondary students.  

1. Create a Scene

There are a lot of fun ways you can have students create scenes to practice writing dialogue. You can start with some premade options that you assign or students randomly select. You can also create Roll-a-Scene scenarios for your students (here’s my bundle of Roll a Story activities for inspo). In these activities, students use a dice and roll to receive story elements. In their story creation, have them create dialogue. This will allow your students to review the basic rules of dialogue and also let students practice creatively.

2. Write the Photo

Print a variety of photos for students to create the dialogue. You can go about this in a variety of ways. Print several options and use them as station activities or have everyone can write from the same photo as a bellringer. Find photos that have great facial expressions to help lead students who may struggle with writing, and use more ambiguous photos for more creative options where students must make inferences. 

3. Use Mentor Texts

Pick from a lineup of strong mentor texts to use as examples. You can use from your current class readings, or select from top YA novels that your students already love. You can also have students select from their personal readings. Keep a variety of genres on hand so there’s always an example ready for students to use as a reference. You can use these for writing activities like having students continue a section, rewrite with different characters, update the language to something more contemporary or to fit in a new genre. If you need some ideas to add to your own classroom library, sign up for my email list to get a free list of 100 YA Novels to get you started.

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4. Correct the Sample

Take either some mentor text examples or write your own for students to correct. This makes a great bellringer activity for quick reviews to keep it fresh in your students’ minds. Seeing how common mistakes can be corrected can help students visualize what needs done when they attempt their own writing. Consider working on some correction samples before students begin their own creative assignments. NoRedInk is another great option to allow students to practice correcting dialogue. Create a class, assign their pre-made dialogue writing activities, and you’re ready to go. 

5. Turn Narrative into Dialogue

You can pull from mentor tasks again for this activity. Pull from your class reading, personal reading, popular novels, or just well-known scenes and have students write dialogue for sections of narrative. It can be an interesting take to see students write the same scene and compare their dialogue interpretations. 

6. Learn from the Masters

If you’re looking for some more ideas there are a few more activity ideas here from Edutopia. The suggestions in the article are spot on and have great suggestions for dialogue activities to use with students.

If you’re looking for a great resource that combines many of the above activities already done for you, click here to grab the mini-lesson I use with my own students. The resource includes both print-and-go and digital versions, so you can use it however you may be teaching. My students love the creative dialogue writing activities included.

If you’re looking at your students’ writing and thinking it could use some more dialogue, or you know working with dialogue is a bit rusty – consider working in some daily practice or mini-lessons and activities to help solidify the skill.  

Do you include dialogue writing activities in your own classroom? I’d love to hear about your favorites! Sound off in the comments below or follow me on IG or Facebook to join the discussion.

Happy teaching!

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Dialogue prompts to kickstart your creativity.

By Neil Chase

Dialogue prompts, and writing exercises in general, are an excellent way for writers to get their creative juices flowing. 

They provide a starting point and inspiration for writing conversational dialogue between two or more characters in your novel or short story. 

In this article, we will discuss 45 dialogue writing prompts that you can use in your story; whether you’ve just started writing or don’t know how to start your final scene.

What Are Dialogue Prompts?  

Dialogue prompts are excellent for writers looking to improve their dialogue skills.

With dialogue prompts, writers are given a specific situation or scenario to write about, helping them to focus their dialogue and create more natural speech. 

Additionally, dialogue prompts can help writers to practice different dialogue styles and experiment with different voices for their characters.

They can consist of a single line, or contain the opening of a conversation, and each provides a strong idea that will spark inspiration.

Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, dialogue prompts are a great way to improve your dialogue writing! 

Tips For Using Dialogue Prompts  

Writing dialogue can be one of the most challenging aspects of creating a short story or novel. After all, how do you capture the way people actually speak? 

You can quickly improve your dialogue-writing skills with a few simple tips:

Pay Attention To The Way People Talk In Real Life

Notice the rhythm of their speech and how they use inflection to emphasise specific words. Then, when it’s time to write dialogue, try to capture that same natural rhythm. 

Keep Your Dialogue Brief And To The Point

People rarely speak in long, drawn-out speeches, so avoid writing dialogue that sounds unnatural. 

Make Sure Your Dialogue Matches Your Genre

If you’re writing a romance, for example, your dialogue should contain some love and passion.

On the other hand, if you’re writing a thriller, your dialogue should be full of tension and suspense.

Matching your dialogue to your story’s genre helps set the tone for your story and engages your readers.

Many writers find that trying dialogue exercises, such as using writing prompts, helps them write a new story.

Experiment with them – there’s no wrong way to use a prompt!

45 Dialogue Prompts To Jumpstart Your Writing  

• “I’m going to give you ten seconds to pick that shirt up off the floor.” 
• “How did you last only five days at that job?” 
• “I’ve had it with this guinea pig! Greg, get over here!” 
• “Things haven’t been right between us since Thailand. You can’t say you haven’t felt the same.” 
• “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: This isn’t what I signed up for!” 
• “You’re not listening to me. Did you ever really care?” 
• “It’s time you loosen up and have some fun for once! Let’s go roller skating!” 
• “I don’t know why you keep on denying that we need help with this project.” 
• “You are supposed to be my best friend, but you’re not holding up your end of the bargain.” 
• “You don’t think I know what you’re doing? I see you sneak out at night.” 
• “I’m tired of being the only one who takes this seriously. Is everything a joke?” 
• “You think I’m being unreasonable? You should listen to yourself some time!” 
• “What makes you think I don’t understand what’s happening here?” 
• “The dog or me. Your choice.” 
• “It’s time for a change – and it needs to start with our family.” 
• “I can’t believe we made it. What were we thinking?” 
• “It feels like I’ve been waiting my whole life for this moment.” 
• “I don’t think I can ever get enough of you, no matter how much time we spend together.” 
• “Don’t turn around – I’m warning you!” 
• “It’s too late for us now. We’re all going to die.” 
• “My world changed when you walked into it – and I’ll never be the same again.” 
• “Don’t move… I can feel your fear from here.” 
• “I can’t do that! It’d be like trying to say ‘supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’ three times fast!” 
• “I know what you did. And you won’t go unpunished.” 
• “I’m surrounded by the most ridiculous people in the world. What am I going to do with all of you?” 
• “The only way out is through me…” 
• “Didn’t I tell you not to touch that button? Now, look what you’ve done!” 
• “I bet you I can get to the top of this mountain before you can – what do ya say?” 
• “Let’s all take a break and come back to this later. Agreed?” 
• “This isn’t the world I remember. What happened here?” 
• “And this is where they found the body? That can’t be right!” 
• “We don’t have much time. We need to get out of here now!” 
• “We’ve been searching for this land for so long – but now that we’re here, what do we do next?” 
• “Do you think we’ll ever make it out of this forest alive?” 
• “The fate of our kingdom rests on that diamond. Where did you hide it?”
• “We’re in over our heads – but it’s okay, I have a plan!” 
• “I can’t believe we have to stay late! How are we supposed to get out of here?” 
• “Well, here’s the bad news. We need to find £1000, and fast. Any ideas?” 
• “Is anyone else as bored as I am?… Ooh, I know! Let’s get the Ouija board.” 
• “I’m so sick of being cooped up. Want to take a drive?” 
• “You won’t believe what happened to me today.” 
• “Did you hear that strange noise? We should check it out.” 
• “Let’s make a pact – no matter what happens, we’ll always be there for each other.” 
• “You will not believe the dream I had last night! You were in it, but it was terrifying.” 
• “Words cannot describe the beauty of this place. I’ve never seen anything like it!” 

Frequently Asked Questions  

What are the 5 elements of dialogue  .

Dialogue includes the following elements: the speaker (who is speaking?); tone & mood (how does the speaker sound when they’re speaking?); content (what is the dialogue about?); interaction: (how do other characters respond to the dialogue?); and setting (where does the dialogue take place, and what environment is it taking place in?)

How Do You Write Compelling Dialogue?  

You can write great dialogue by avoiding long speeches, using dialogue to reveal character and advance the story’s plot, and using it to create tension and conflict in your story . And by using these prompts, of course!

Using Dialogue Writing Prompts  

Creative dialogue writing prompts are a great way to jumpstart your story ideas and your writing .

They can help you get out of a rut and start writing, push through writer’s block, or provide a new challenge to keep your creative writing fresh. 

By mixing up your dialogue, you can also create more engaging and believable characters. So, why wait? Try some dialogue prompts and get writing! 

About the author

Neil Chase is a story and writing coach, award-winning screenwriter, actor, and author of the horror-western novel, Iron Dogs . Neil has won over 100 international awards for his writing and filmmaking, including the prestigious FilmMaker’s International Screenwriting Grand Prize Award & the ScreamFest Best Screenplay Award. His directorial-debut feature film, Spin The Wheel , is currently in post-production.   Neil believes that all writers have the potential to create great work. His passion is helping writers find their voice and develop their skills so that they can create stories that are both entertaining and meaningful. For more on Neil, check out his website and Instagram for tips and inspiration!  

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Writing Dialogue: A Storytelling Exercise

by Melissa Donovan | Apr 18, 2023 | Fiction Writing Exercises | 4 comments

A storytelling exercise in writing dialogue.

Today’s fiction writing exercise is excerpted from Story Drills: Fiction Writing Exercises , which includes lessons and exercises that help beginning to intermediate storytellers study and practice the craft of storytelling. This exercise, which is from a chapter on narrative, focuses on dialogue. Enjoy!

Dialogue is one of the most compelling elements of any narrative. It can be used to advance the plot, establish relationships between the characters, reveal key information about the characters, describe the setting, and set the theme.

“Hey, Joe.” “Hi, Sue.” “How are you?” “Not bad. How are you?” “Pretty good. Just waiting for summer so I can take my kids camping.” “I hear you. As soon as the sun comes out, I’m heading to the beach.” “Sounds awesome. Say, I wanted to talk to you about a murder case we worked on a few years ago.”

The characters speak over six lines of dialogue before they get to the good stuff. It feels like a long slog. But this is what a real conversation would look like, transcribed to the page. We writers use our storytelling magic to tighten it up into a more riveting conversation:

“Joe, I need to talk to you about the Watershed case.” Joe almost lurched out of his chair. He hadn’t heard Sue approaching his desk from behind.

Record a real conversation, and then transcribe one to three pages of it. Approach this exercise ethically—you are not advised to tape people without their knowledge or consent. As an alternative, simply listen carefully during a conversation—notice the ums and ahs , the small talk, the filler that we stuff into our real-life dialogue. You can also search online for conversations that have been recorded or transcribed.

Write a scene that is composed mostly (if not entirely) of dialogue between two or three characters. The conversation should reveal the following: what a character wants (goals), an inner struggle, a character’s strengths, a character’s weaknesses, and at least one clue about each character’s personality.

Why does real human conversation translate poorly to the page? How can dialogue be used to help readers gain deeper understanding of the characters? Why is dialogue one of the most important elements of storytelling?

This article has helped expanciate further since the intermediate writing class I attended sometime ago,and will go a long in the drive towards creative writing basics understanding for prospective writers, thanks melissa!

You’re welcome!

Hello Melissa,

Great article, thank you!

I have some thoughts on why human conversations translate so poorly into dialogue. When we speak to each other face to face there are certain pleasantries or other cultural “requirements”, if you will, that we engage in. Most of these are filtered out or at least passed over in our consciousness. Yes, we hear them and respond, but almost automatically. It is the meat – the heart – of what we came to talk about that gets and holds our attention. Those things are the real subject of our conversation. Thus, when we read dialogue in a story we also filter out most of the pleasantries and the cultural expectations. Only if these things go to further character development or help set the scene are we really interested in them. Perhaps that is why written dialogue needs to “cut to the chase” so to speak.

Dialogue helps us gain a deeper understanding of characters by letting us hear their voices. Idioms, expressions, pronunciations, emotional responses to situations, all of these can be heard in their voices which can tell us many things about the person speaking. We might hear them use idioms that help us figure out their background: Jake pushed the weathered straw hat back on his head, squinting into the sun, “We’ve had to ride herd on ’em pretty hard.” Jake’s got to be some sort of cowpoke, right? Seems that way from how he talks.

Dialogue is one of the most important elements in storytelling because it’s the characters directly telling us what we really want to know. Yes, the author can fill us in with information. But we want to know what Jake thinks, what he feels, what he has to say about those people he’s had to watch so closely. We can learn this information by just having the author relate it to us. But isn’t it better to get it directly from Jake?

Hi Michael. I agree with everything you’ve said about dialogue. Very astute observations!

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How to Write Dialogue Like a Pro

You're invited to join our 8-week online course on how to write dialogue. Let's say you ask four different people how to make a cheese sandwich...

Person One responds: "You just take a piece of cheese and put it between two slices of bread."

Person Two: "Seriously? You don't know how to make a cheese sandwich?"

Person Three: "Personally, I would recommend goat cheese or perhaps a ripe Camembert, on a fresh baguette or perhaps brioche, lightly toasted, with caramelized onions or perhaps candied figs."

Person Four: "Sorry, I don't do dairy."

Different people speak differently. The differences are not only in what they say, but in the way they say it.

That's one reason why dialogue—presenting your characters' speech in their exact words—is such a powerful tool for your fiction.

Dialogue helps you show what your characters are like instead of just describing them to your reader.

It also draws readers into a scene and makes your writing a lot more fun to read!

How to Write Dialogue - Skip to Topic -  Getting great at dialogue -  Conversation versus written dialogue -  Dialogue and summary - Dialogue format -  Tags -  Descriptive beats -  Adding layers -  Tips on how to write dialogue

Getting Great at Dialogue

To get great at writing dialogue, listen to how different kinds of people talk. Pay attention to...

• What they say (of course).
• What they DON'T say. Are they beating around the bush? Are they intentionally avoiding something?
• The kinds of words they use. Do they use simple or sophisticated vocabulary? Do they use slang? Jargon? Profanity? Do they have a favorite word or expression?
• Their tone. Polite? Rude? Bossy? Self-effacing? Flirtatious? Blunt? Chatty?
• The rhythms of their speech. Do they use short choppy sentences, or long ones that wind on and on?
• What does the way these people speak express about who they are?

You can borrow their voices for your characters.

If you're struggling with dialogue, here's a shortcut. Just think of someone who speaks the way your character might. Then, whenever your character is speaking, try to hear that person's voice in your head.

When you're writing or revising dialogue, you might also find it helpful to say the lines out loud or even act them out.

During your first draft, you'll listen to your characters speaking in your imagination and write down what they say.

Later, during the revision, you'll probably end up trimming some of those conversations down...

Conversation Versus Written Dialogue

Dialogue on the page is not the same as the way people really talk.

You want to give the flavor of reality, but you're not imitating it exactly.

In real-life conversations, there's a lot of fluff and filler and repetition. If you included all that in a story, it would get boring fast.

You want to include just enough of that to make the conversation feel real. And cut the rest.

Let's say two people, Joan and Edgar, meet in a restaurant. The real conversation might begin like this...

ORIGINAL VERSION: "Hi," Joan said. "Hi." "Sorry I'm late." "Don't worry, I just got here too," Edgar said. "I couldn't find parking." "I couldn't either. I finally wound up parking behind that church." "Which church?" "The one on—what's that street called?" "Barry Street?" "No, further down." "I don't know..." "The one with that store—what's that store called?" "I don't know." "Like, the store that sells everything. You know?" "I'm not sure..." The waitress came over to their table. "Hi, I'm Kelsey! I'm going to be your server! How are we doing today?" "Fine, thanks," Joan said. "Not bad," Edgar said. "Can I get you folks something to drink?" the waitress asked. "I could really use a glass of wine," Joan said. "But I probably shouldn't." The waitress waited. "I'll have a diet Coke," Edgar said. "Great!" said the waitress. "And what can I get for you?" she asked, turning back to Joan. "I'd kill for a glass of wine." "We have a nice house red," the waitress offered. "But I shouldn't drink. I have to go back to work," Joan explained. The waitress waited. "Can I see a wine list?" Joan asked. "It's right here," Edgar said, handing it to her. "Okay, I'll be right back," the waitress said. "In the meantime, I'll bring some ice water for you." "And a diet Coke," Edgar reminded her. "Absolutely," the waitress said, walking off. "So," Joan said when she was gone, "I heard the police are looking at Duffy now." "Where'd you hear that?" Edgar asked. "McConnell. He says Duffy's their top suspect." "That's good," Edgar said. "Yeah." "Tell me everything." "Wait, I'm just going to look at the wine list real quick. I know I shouldn't be drinking wine, but..."

If you wanted to use this conversation in a story, you might write it like this...

REVISED VERSION: "Sorry I'm late," Joan said. "That's all right," Edgar said. The waitress came over, and Joan ordered a glass of wine. "So," she said when the waitress left again, "I heard the police suspect Duffy now." "Where'd you hear that?" Edgar asked. "McConnell. He says Duffy's their number one suspect." "That's good," Edgar said. "Yeah." "Tell me everything."

If you want to show more about what Joan is like, you might keep some of her dithering over the wine, but cut the small talk at the very beginning. But you won't transcribe every word that Joan and Edgar utter during their lunch together.

Every piece of dialogue should be serving a purpose in your story. Often, it will be accomplishing more than one task at a time (e.g., showing something about the character at the same time that it's moving the plot forward).

Keep in mind the purpose of the dialogue when you decide which parts to cut and which parts to leave in.

Dialogue and Summary

Here's an example of summary dialogue:

Myrna complained about the hotel her son had chosen.

Here's an example of direct dialogue:

"The hotel's a real dump," Myrna said. "The room's tiny, and there's hardly any closet space. And the soap dish in the shower? It has a hole in it, so the soap falls right through! Who designed that soap dish, and what in the world were they thinking? And there's no place to put your towels..."

In summary dialogue, the author TELLS the reader what Myrna said. In direct dialogue, the author SHOWS Myrna saying it by quoting her exact words.

Some advantages of direct dialogue:

• It's more specific (we find out exactly what Myrna didn't like about the hotel—and can form our own opinion about how serious her complaints are).
• It conveys character (we learn something about Myrna from the way she describes the hotel).
• It's more vivid (the reader feels like they're hearing the conversation firsthand).

A big advantage of summary...

• It's brief.

Imagine that Myrna continues complaining for several hours. The reader isn't going to want to hear all that.

So you can summarize:

Myrna spent the whole morning complaining about the hotel.

Or, you can mix dialogue with summary:

"I hardly slept last night," Myrna said. "That hotel room was so noisy. And the pillows were too fat." She continued complaining about the hotel all through breakfast and the long drive to David's house.

Mixing dialogue with summary allows you to give the flavor of the dialogue without taking up more space than you want to.

You decide how much direct dialogue to include, depending on your goals for the scene.

How to Write Dialogue: Format

Standard dialogue format varies a bit from country to country .

You can look at some published novels from your own country to see how the dialogue's formatted.

In the U.S., dialogue generally looks like this...

"I love you so much," Yolanda said. "Then why did you try to poison me?" Julian asked her.

Note that the punctuation of the speakers' words is inside the punctuation marks. And in Yolanda's sentence, the period (full stop) is changed into a comma.

RIGHT: "I love you so much," Yolanda said. WRONG: "I love you so much." Yolanda said.

When writing dialogue, it's common practice to start a new paragraph each time the speaker changes. This makes it easier for the reader to keep track of who says what.

How to Write Dialogue: Tags

You use dialogue tags to let the reader know who's speaking. Here are some examples of dialogue tags:

• Edgar asked
• the waitress told them

You don't necessarily have to use a dialogue tag in every line of dialogue. Sometimes it's perfectly clear without them who the speaker is. For example, take the following conversation between two characters.

"Will you marry me?" Yolanda asked. "Absolutely not," said Julian. "Why not? Why won't you marry me?" "Because you tried to poison me, Yolanda." "That was an accident!" Yolanda said. "How do you accidentally slip arsenic into somebody's drink?"

In this example, it's clear that Yolanda's the one who asks "Why won't you marry me?" so it's not necessary to use a dialogue tag there.

You're likely to need dialogue tags...

• at the beginning of a conversation, to establish who the participants are.
•  if there are more than two speakers.
• when you haven't used dialogue tags in a while (to remind readers who's saying what)

There are several uses for dialogue tags. The obvious one, the main use, is to prevent confusion about the speaker's identity. A second use is to create a little break or pause in the conversation. Compare two versions of another exchange between Yolanda and Julian.

VERSION 1: "Why did you try to poison me?" Julian asked. "Because I was jealous," Yolanda said.

VERSION 2: "Why did you try to poison me?" Julian asked. "Because," Yolanda said, "I was jealous."

Do you hear the difference? In the second version, the dialogue tag creates a little pause after the word "Because." Yolanda might be thinking about her answer, or she might be pausing for emphasis. But the placement of the dialogue tag subtly changes the rhythm of Yolanda's line.

The standard dialogue tags "said," "told," and "asked" are almost invisible to readers. In general, readers won't even notice they're there. They'll focus instead on the characters' words.

On the other hand, flashier dialogue tags like "wheedled", "sneered", "commanded," "whined," etc., can get distracting if they're overused...

"Please, please marry me," Yolanda wheedled. "You've got to be kidding," Julian sneered. "No one ever wants to marry me," Yolanda whined.

Generally, readers should be able to tell from the character's words if the character is wheedling or sneering.

It's okay to throw in a colorful dialogue tag here once in a while if it adds to the reader's experience. But don't go overboard with them.

And don't worry that you're "repeating yourself" because you're using the words "said" and "told" a lot in your dialogue tags. If the dialogue's interesting enough, the reader won't even notice those words.

How to Write Dialogue: Descriptive Beats

A descriptive beat is a small piece of action or description inserted into the dialogue. Here's an example of dialogue containing descriptive beats...

"I don't want it," Eva said, pushing the file back across the table. James raised his eyebrows. "Do you know what I went through to get that for you?" he said.

In this example, the descriptive beats are:

• pushing the file across the table
• He raised his eyebrows.

Here are some ways to use descriptive beats in your dialogue.

1) To create a pause.

We talked about using a dialogue tag to change the rhythm of a line of dialogue.

A descriptive beat is another way to insert a pause—and the longer the line of description, the longer the pause.

VERSION 1 "I don't want it," Eva said, pushing the file back across the table. James raised his eyebrows. "Do you know what I went through to get that for you?" he said.

VERSION 2 "I don't want it," Eva said. "Do you know what I went through to get that for you?" James said.

Do you feel the difference in the rhythm? In the version with descriptive beats, there's a pause between Eva's statement and James's answer. In the version without them, James seems to respond immediately.

If there's a long pause in the middle of a conversation, you can tell the reader that; e.g., "Neither of them spoke for several minutes." But if you want to make the reader *feel* the pause, the silence stretching on, you can spend a bit of time describing what else is going on with your main character and their surroundings: Eva's pounding headache, a fly buzzing around the table and briefly landing on Eva's sleeve, a car horn honking outside...

2) You can use descriptive beats instead of dialogue tags. Instead of 'Eva said' or 'James said', you can show who's talking with the descriptive beats. For example, here's Eva and James's conversation with only the descriptive beats to identify the speakers:

"I don't want it." Eva pushed the file back across the table. James raised his eyebrows. "Do you know what I went through to get that for you?"

3) You can use descriptive beats to help readers visualize the scene.

Particularly in long passages of dialogue, you want to avoid "Talking Head Syndrome", where the voices seem to be floating in space. Descriptive beats allow you to provide some visual details to keep readers grounded.

4) You can use descriptive beats to add emotional layers to the dialogue.

Your characters' body language hint at what the characters are feeling—which might not always match up with their words!

• "I love you too," she said, her face radiant.
• "I love you too," she said, but avoided his eyes.
• "I love you too," she said between clenched teeth.

How to Write Dialogue with Layers

In some cases, it makes sense to keep the dialogue very straightforward and to-the-point. But in other cases, this can feel a bit flat.

If your detective asks the suspect where she was during the time of the murder, the suspect might simply answer the question. "Eight o'clock this morning? I was at home." A simple exchange of information.

But dialogue is often more interesting if there's something else going on at the same time.

Going back to the example of the detective interviewing the suspect, here are some ways you might liven up their exchange:

• The suspect might be distracted by something else. Maybe her toddler is throwing a tantrum during the conversation.
• The suspect might attempt to flirt with the detective, or to intimidate him. Maybe she has a grudge against policemen and becomes very hostile.
• The suspect might be hiding something (relevant or irrelevant to the conversation).
• The suspect might have her own agenda. Maybe she's just interested in showing off how rich and important she is.
• The suspect might be trying to steer the conversation in another direction. Maybe she's a political activist, and she's trying to convince the detective to vote for her candidate.
• The suspect might be doing something else at the same time. Maybe she's making an ice sculpture for a wedding while they talk.

By adding another layer to the conversation, you can develop character or setting at the same time, and you can add dimension to the scene.

Tips on How to Write Dialogue

To recap some of what we've discussed, here are seven tips on how to write dialogue like a pro.

1) Give each of your characters a different voice. Try to hear their voices in your head as you're writing what they say. Your characters' unique ways of talking will depend on personality, age, cultural and educational background, as well as their relationships with the people they're talking to.

2) Know when to summarize . If a character talks for an hour about his golf technique, you can't include the whole speech in your story. Instead, you can summarize: "John went on for an hour about his golf technique."

3) Mix dialogue and summary. You can mix a few lines of dialogue into a dialogue summary to give readers the flavor of your character's voice. "'Been working on my swing,' John said, launching into an hour-long discourse on his golf technique."

4) Use indirection. Often, people don't express what's on their mind directly. Instead, they hint at it in other ways. If John is attracted to Marsha, he might not come out and say to her, "I'm attracted to you." Instead, he might become boastful around her, or steer the conversation around to whether she's married. The best dialogue often has two levels, what characters are saying on the surface, and what they really mean.

5) Use silences. Pauses in a conversation can be as expressive as what is said out loud. During a pause, you can describe the characters' body language, what they're doing (e.g., taking a sip of coffee), or what's happening around them.

6) Trim the fat. Real-life conversation contains a lot of filler, false starts, repetition, polite blah-blah-blah. If you include all of this in your written dialogue, it can get boring. Instead, you can include just enough to give the flavor of real life, then cut the rest.

7) Don't pile on distracting dialogue tags. Fancy dialogue tags such as "he whined," "she commanded," or "he queried" draw attention to themselves. The old standbys, "said," "told," and "asked" are less noticeable, letting readers focus on your characters' words.

How to Write Dialogue - Next Steps

• Be sure to join our free email group for more writing advice and ideas.
• You're also invited to join our online course on how to write dialogue.
• Learn how to outline a novel .
• Learn how to write a story or a novel .
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• Scriptwriting

82 Creative Writing Prompts and Writing Exercises for Screenwriters

C reative writing prompts are powerful tools that aid you to become a consistent writer. It’s easy to get inspired once, maybe twice about a project or story that means something to you. But if and when that light dims, or you finally finish that project, what’s next? Writer’s block isn’t much of an avenue. Excuses are for amateurs because professional writers write. Writing prompts and writing exercises, give you the momentum to keep going when the mind slows down, or if you’re anything like me, when doubt sets in.

Creative Writing Prompts

Character prompts work for every genre.

I’m going to start with some creative writing prompts that are universal across all writing mediums and all genres. These will be character driven exercises. 

Why start with character? 

Genre isn’t the seed of a good story, nor are high concepts. 

High concept stories can be insightful, mind-bending, and just straight up entertaining, but they are not what makes a compelling narrative. 

If you’re not sure who your characters are, or what it is they want, your story may fall apart some time in Act 2, halfway through the novel, or during the first 5 pages of your short.  The point is, you may lose the point if your characters are unclear, because in any great story, character suggests plot.  

Have you ever tried to write a screenplay, only to find your having a hard time “fitting in” certain details you wanted to have or saying to yourself that you just haven’t “figured it out” yet. When character intention is clear, the story unfolds. 

And these upcoming character prompts can be applied to any genre you feel most comfortable writing, which is the best part about them. 

But don’t worry, in later sections, I’ll make sure to separate fantasy writing prompts from horror or romance writing prompts for those that just need an extra boost for the genre specific piece they’re writing. 

Character Driven Exercises and Prompts 

Character writing exercises.

For all of these, try not to think too much. You can edit later. These responses should be purely intuitive. Give perfectionism a rest, and allow yourself to enter the world of your story, even if you’re not sure exactly what is looks like. 

So let’s start with some direct questions to ask your character. Try these with every character, antagonists too. But let’s start answering as your protagonist: 

• What food would you take to a deserted island, and why?
• Your house is burning. What three things do you save? Why?
• If you could have had a different job, what would you have picked? Why?
• What are you scared of losing?
• First vivid memory of childhood?
• When was the first time you were embarrassed? What happened?
• Is there something you’re hiding from the world? What is it?
• What do you like about yourself? What do you hate about yourself?
• What do you want out of life?

Creating something from nothing isn’t easy. But there’s help!  

Embrace your new world, and finish the next set of sentences as your protagonist: 

• My last thought before I fall asleep is…
• I believe the reason I was put on this planet is to…
• What breaks my heart is…
• What makes me happy is…
• Worst thing anyone has ever said to me was…
• Nicest thing someone has ever said to me was…
• Most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me, or I, them was…
• My attitude toward god is…
• The person who understands me no matter what is…
• My greatest achievement has been...

Knowing the flavor jam your character prefers, what kinds of flowers they like, or who their favorite band is, may or may not yield any helpful information. But fine, I get it.  

Here are some prompts to get the useless information people love to write about. Maybe they actually are relevant and will help your story:

• Zip up or pull over hoodies
• Flannels or silk pajamas...birthday suit?
• Chocolate cake, ice cream, or salty chips
• Hair color, eye color, your other physical attributes?
• What book are you reading?

Now for you as the writer. Answer as yourself: 

• Why this story? What is it about this story that makes you want to write it?
• Are you scared to write about something? Why?
• What do you want to express through your story?
• Why should this be a screenplay and not a novel, short story, or take some other form?
• Did you pick the right protagonist to properly express what it is what you want to show?
• Mess around with loglines to distill what your character really wants. Learn to write loglines if you’re unfamiliar.
• What do you think your characters might need?

**Take your characters to a party**

This is one of my favorite exercises because it can lead anywhere. Now that you have some more info about who these people are, throw them in the same room. See what happens. 

Who gets along? Who doesn’t? 

There can be dialogue, but there doesn’t have to be. 

What kind of party is it? Why are they there? 

Try these out with no intentions that it will lead to a finished product. Just have fun with it to see what else you can discover.

Related Posts

• The Essentials to Writing a Great Screenplay →
• 12 Secrets to Great Exposition in Screenwriting →
• Free Form: StudioBinder's Free Word Processor →

Dialogue Writing Prompts

Try just dialogue prompts .

Dialogue exercises are great because they help you understand your characters more. But they also provide a kind of creative spark for story ideas. Now while you’re actually writing them, it’s not good to let your story idea control the conversation. In fact, I wouldn’t think about story at all while you’re writing them. But later, when you go back to take a look at them, you might find some hidden gems that spark more ideas.

Here are a list of dialogue prompts. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know who the characters are yet, or which character a certain line would be good for. Try not to think about how this could fit into your already existing story, or what scene this should belong in, just write:

• “Why didn’t you answer before? I called you three times. Now you’re pretending like nothing happened.”
• “I just have a lot of friends so…”
• “You hate coffee?”
• “It just doesn’t seem normal.”
• “I’ve developed a kind of aversion to it. I don’t know, it made sense at the time.”
• “Have you ever seen it in person?”
• “It’s not that I love her…”
• “How much do you need?”
• “I don’t know! Don’t yell at me. I just found it on the street.”
• “How do I know if you’re lying?”
• “It would be easier if you’d just apologize.”
• “It’s not much of a cause, really. Just a bunch of grown children who weren’t accepted anywhere else.”
• “Why won’t this thing work?”
• “I’m trying, I’m really actually trying.”
• “It’s been weird without him.”
• “It’s not that I’m against it…”
• “I hear something, can you come over?”
• “I guess it’s...art?
• “Where did you go for 3 hours?”
• “What’s wrong with your face?”

You can use these at the party, brainstorming a fantasy novel, rom-com script, or even just to work out that writing muscle. 

Though actions sometimes speak a little louder than words...

**Now try writing a scene with NO dialogue. Only action.**

This is helpful if you already know a bit about your characters.

What do they want, what’s stopping them from getting it? 

Writing Exercises 

Fantasy writing prompts.

Fantasy prompts are weird. Not because they’re other worldly and actually strange, but because these prompts are usually plot ideas, which shifts us away from character a bit. But of course these can be equally as interesting. 

So feel free to write your heart out and go off into some weird dimension with space warlocks, or flying dogs, but just remember to come back to character eventually. In fact, everything above, could of course be used in a fantasy script, novel, or short story. But again, plot ideas and premises, can really get the mind moving. 

Let’s jump in:

• In this town, if enough people start to believe something, it quickly becomes true. Except to you. 
• An animal has turned into a person. 
• An archaeologist is led to a dig in a major city. And what she finds changes the course of her life. 
• An archaeologist finds a fossil of something that couldn’t have ever existed.
• A land has been praised with only sunlight. Nighttime no longer exists.
• It’s the 1980s. You’re driving from St. Louis to California. You pull off the road to purchase a map. But the map you bought is a bit misleading. You end up in a city that doesn’t exist. 
• You sit down at a coffee shop at the window. Across the street you see a claymation couple walking down the street. No one else seems to notice, except for one man waiting for the bus. You both make eye contact. 
• You wake up in a world where you can purchase emotions. 
• You’re a child with no fear. You meet a dragon in the woods.
•  Every single leader, politician, or otherwise “high-up” government official dies.

More Creative Writing Exercises

Romance writing prompts.

Of course, the character writing prompts and dialogue prompts can work especially well for romance stories. But I want to give a few more options for what to consider when writing a love story. 

And these prompts in of themselves, have been used forever. But the way to avoid cliches is in your specificity of character and uniqueness in story. The more specific you get, the more unique, and yet, universal your story will be. 

• A couple is vying for the same job opening. 
• Two people in an arranged marriage eventually fall in love. 
• A student graduates and he and his former teacher run into each other at a bar. It goes a little too well. 
• A doctor is falling in love with her recent fling. They decide to get serious and shortly after he is accused of murder. 
• A tourist travels to another country and falls in love with a local.
• A toxic relationship kills a romance and pushes the protagonist away. The main character leaves and gets involved with someone new. But now she can’t stop treating them as her ex treated her. 
• Two friends who know everything about each other start dating. Was this a bad idea?
• Two people in love can never make it work. 
• Opposing politicians hide their romance. 
•  A psychic and a scientist meet on a blind date.

Prompts to Die For

Horror writing prompts.

Okay, now for the creepy stuff. 

• You wake up in a world where you’re a serial killer
• Freelancers accept job offers online. They begin to disappear. One woman survives, but ends up somewhere she can’t seem to come back from. 
• A grown man discovers he wasn’t adopted, he was kidnapped. He goes abroad to find his real family but his trip turns into a horror show.
• Mass shooters take over a city. 
• A doll equipped with artificial intelligence takes over one family’s home.
• A group of senior citizens at a nursing home get bored and try to  connect to their loved ones through a Ouiji board. Unfortunately, they connect to something else. 
• A group of friends go to an Escape Room party but only a few make it out. 
• A restaurateur slowly poisons his customers over several years, maintaining a seemingly normal life. 
• A medium begins to get attacked by those she’s connecting to. Can she escape?
• A couple begins to have the same nightmares that escalate quickly.

Can you blend any of these with the fantasy prompts?

Be as creative with the prompts as you are in your writing.

Give yourself all the freedom you want, because once you start writing, you’ll have to make decisions. 

“The real importance of reading is that it creates an ease and intimacy with the process of writing… Constant reading will pull you into a place where you can write eagerly and without self-consciousness. It also offers you a constantly growing knowledge of what has been done and what hasn’t, what is trite and what is fresh, what works and what just lies there dying (or dead) on the page. The more you read, the less apt you are to make a fool of yourself with your pen or word processor.” — Stephen King

Daily Writing Practice

Wrapping up.

A good prompt can be anything. A line of dialogue, a character’s strongest desire, an object, a new kind of world, a seemingly stupid question. It doesn’t matter. Something will bode well with your imagination and it’ll just click. And depending on your story, characters, or even time in your life, different exercises may feel more natural. 

Allow yourself the time and space for this brainstorm work.  

Inspiration can come from anywhere, and it often comes fast. So even if you aren’t stuck on the treacherous writer’s block, train yourself to catch it when it comes, so stagnancy and complacency don’t become habitual. You may reap some pretty incredible short-term rewards, but you’ll also be laying a foundation for a potentially, fruitful and consistent career. 

Brainstorm Short Film Ideas

So after you’ve worked with some of the above prompts, you may have that hunger. It’s time to start writing! What will you write? Maybe you already know. But considering writing a short film might be a good next step.  Short films are great mediums because the turnaround time is much shorter than a feature. And finishing projects, especially early on, creates momentum. So let’s brainstorm some short film ideas!

Up Next: Get Short Film Ideas! →

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✍️ 100+ Creative Writing Exercises for Fiction Authors

This curated directory of creative writing exercises was conceived thanks to a collaboration between the top writing blogs of 2024. Use the filters to find and practice specific techniques — and show that blank page who’s boss!

We found 119 exercises that match your search 🔦

The Hammer and the Hatchet

A stranger walks into the general store and buys a hammer, a hatchet, some rope, and an apple. What does he do with them?

Writer's Block

Picket fence.

Describe your house - or the dream house you hope to get some day.

Telephone Directory

It is commonly known that a telephone directory might be the most boring text in the entire world. Here is your challenge: write a page of a telephone directory and figure out SOME way to make it interesting.

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Pick a fiction book from your shelf. Go to page eight and find the eighth sentence on the page. Start with that sentence and write an eight-line poem that connects in some way to your work-in-progress. For instance, write from the POV of a character, or set the poem in a story setting. Don't worry about poetry forms. Just write eight lines of any length that flow and explore some aspect of character, setting, or theme.

• Why are you grumpy? I have a hangover.
• Why do you have a hangover? My friend was in a bad accident and I thought he might die?
• Why did you think he might die? His girlfriend lied to me about how serious the accident was.
• Why did she lie about that? She's jealous of our relationship.
• Why? I think she's insecure and has trust issues.

Character Development

The ellen degeneres show.

A talk show is scripted to promote the guest and discuss topics with which the guest is comfortable. Imagine your protagonist on the Ellen Degeneres Show (or The Late Show With Stephen Colbert - whichever show you're familiar with). What questions would be asked of your protagonist? What funny anecdotes would your protagonist share? Write down the reactions of both your protagonist and the host.

• You could say it began with a phone call."
• Michael had watched them both for weeks."
• She remembered the way it was the first time she saw the prison."
• Midsummer, no time to be in New Orleans."
• With the dawn came the light."

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50 Fantastic Creative Writing Exercises

Good question.

Creative writing exercises are designed to teach a technique. They are highly specific, more specific than creative writing prompts, and much more specific than story generators.

Creative writing exercises for adults are not designed to lead the writer into crafting a full story, but are only designed to help them improve as a writer in a narrow, specific category of writing skills.

I’ve broken the exercises below into categories so you can choose what category of skill you’d like to practice. Can you guess which category in this list has the most prompts?

If you guessed characters, then you’re right. I think characters are the heart blood of every story, and that a majority of any writing prompts or writing exercises should focus on them.

But I also think any of these will help you create a narrative, and a plot, and help you generate all kinds of dialogue, whether for short stories or for novels. These writing exercises are pretty much guaranteed to improve your writing and eliminate writer’s block. 

Also, if you’re a fledgling writer who needs help writing their novel, check out my comprehensive guide to novel writing.

Enjoy the five categories of writing exercises below, and happy writing!

1. Think of the most deafening sound you can imagine. Describe it in great detail, and have your character hear it for the first time at the start of a story.

2. Have a man cooking for a woman on a third date, and have her describe the aromas in such loving and extended detail that she realizes that she’s in love with him.

3. Pick a line from one of your favorite songs, and identify the main emotion. Now write a character who is feeling that emotion and hears the song. Try to describe the type of music in such a beautiful way that you will make the reader yearn to hear the song as well.

4. Have a character dine at a blind restaurant, a restaurant in pitch blackness where all the servers are blind, and describe for a full paragraph how the tablecloth, their clothing, and the hand of their dining partner feels different in the darkness.

5. Select a dish representative of a national cuisine, and have a character describe it in such detail that the reader salivates and the personality of the character is revealed.

7. Describe two characters having a wordless conversation, communicating only through gestures. Try to see how long you can keep the conversation going without any words spoken, but end it with one of them saying a single word, and the other one repeating the same word.

8. In a public place from the last vacation you took, have two characters arguing, but make it clear by the end of the argument that they’re not arguing about what they’re really upset about.

9. Write a scene composed mostly of dialogue with a child talking to a stranger. Your mission is to show the child as heartbreakingly cute. At the same time, avoid sentimentality. 

10. Have two character have a conversation with only a single word, creating emphasis and context so that the word communicates different things each time it is spoken. The prime example of this is in the television show “The Wire,” where Jimmy and Bunk investigate a crime scene repeating only a single expletive.

11. Pick an object that is ugly, and create a character who finds it very beautiful. Have the character describe the object in a way that convinces the reader of its beauty. Now write a second version where you convince the reader (through describing the object alone) that the character is mentally unstable.

12. Write down five emotions on slips of paper and slip them into a hat. Now go outside and find a tree. Draw one emotion from the hat, and try to describe that tree from the perspective of a character feeling that emotion. (Don’t mention the emotion in your writing — try to describe the tree so the reader could guess the emotion).

13. Describe a character’s bedroom in such a way that it tells us about a person’s greatest fears and hopes.

14. Root through your desk drawer until you find a strange object, an object that would probably not be in other people’s drawers. Have a character who is devastated to find this object, and tell the story of why this object devastates them.

15. Go to an art-based Pinterest page and find your favorite piece of art. Now imagine a living room inspired by that flavor of artwork, and show the room after a husband and wife have had the worst fight of their marriage.

16. Pick a simple object like a vase, a broom, or a light bulb, and write a scene that makes the reader cry when they see the object.

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17. Make a list of the top five fears in your life. Write a character who is forced to confront one of those fears.

18. Write an entire page describing the exact emotions when you learned of a happy or calamitous event in your life. Now try to condense that page into a single searing sentence.

19. Think about a time in your life when you felt shame. Now write a character in a similar situation, trying to make it even more shameful.

20. Write a paragraph with a character struggle with two conflicting emotions simultaneously. For example, a character who learns of his father’s death and feels both satisfaction and pain.

21. Write a paragraph where a character starts in one emotional register, and through a process of thought, completely evolves into a different emotion.

Characters:

22. Create a minor character based upon someone you dislike. Now have your main character encounter them and feel sympathy and empathy for them despite their faults.

23. Have a kooky character tell a story inside a pre-established form: an instruction manual, traffic update, email exchange, weather report, text message.

24. Write about a character who does something they swore they would never do.

25. Have a character who has memorized something (the names of positions in the Kama Sutra, the entire book of Revelations) recite it while doing something completely at odds with what they’re reciting. For instance, bench pressing while reciting the emperors in a Chinese dynasty.

26. Write a paragraph where a character does a simple action, like turning on a light switch, and make the reader marvel at how strange and odd it truly is.

27. Have a couple fight while playing a board game. Have the fight be about something related to the board game: fighting about money, have them play monopoly. Fighting about politics, let them play chess.

28. Write about two characters angry at each other, but have both of them pretend the problems don’t exist. Instead, have them fight passive-aggressively, through small, snide comments.

29. Describe a character walking across an expanse field or lot and describe how he walks. The reader should perfectly understand his personality simply by the way you describe his walk.

30. Write a first-person POV of a character under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and try to make the prose as woozy and tipsy as the character.

31. Describe the first time that a character realizes he is not as smart as he thought.

32. Describe an hour in the life of a character who has recently lost their ability to do what they love most (a pianist who has severe arthritis; a runner who became a quadriplegic).

33. Write an argument where a husband or wife complains of a physical ailment, but their spouse refuses to believe it’s real.

34. Write a scene where a stranger stops your main character, saying that they know them, and insisting your main character is someone they are not. Describe exactly how this case of mistaken identity makes your character feel.

35. Describe a small personality trait about a person you love, and make the reader love them, too.

36. Write a personality-revealing scene with a character inside a public restroom. Do they press a thumb against the mirror to leave a subtle mark? Do they write a plea for help on the inside of the stall door? Do they brag about the size of what they’ve just dumped off?

37. Give your character an extremely unusual response to a national tragedy like a terrorist attack or natural disaster. Maybe have them be aware their response is unusual, and try to cloak it from others, or have them be completely unaware and display it without any self-consciousness.

38. Have one of your main characters come up with an idea for a comic book, and tell a close friend about the idea. What about this idea would surprise the friend, upsetting what he thought he knew about your main character? Also, what would the main character learn about himself from the comic book idea?

39. Think of an illness someone you love has suffered from. How does your character respond when someone close to them has this illness?

40. Have your main character invent an extremely offensive idea for a book, and show their personality faults through discussing it with others.

41. Have your character write down a list considering how to respond to their stalker.

42. Write a scene where a man hits on a woman, and although the woman acts repulsed and begs her friends to get him away from her, it becomes apparent that she likes the attention.

43. Write about a 20-something confronting his parents over their disapproval of his lifestyle.

44. Have your character write a funny to-do list about the steps to get a boyfriend or girlfriend.

45. Have a risk-adverse character stuck in a hostage situation with a risk-happy character.

46. For the next week, watch strangers carefully and take notes in your phone about any peculiar gestures or body language. Combine the three most interesting ones to describe a character as she goes grocery shopping.

47. Buy a package of the pills that expand into foam animals, and put a random one in a glass of warm water. Whatever it turns out to be, have that animal surprise your main character in a scene.

48. Have your character faced with a decision witness a rare, awe-inspiring event, and describe how it helps them make their decision.

49. Imagine if your character met for the first time his or her long-lost identical twin. What personality traits would they share and which ones would have changed because of their unique experiences? 

50. If a character got burned by a hot pan, what type of strange reaction would they have that would reveal what they value most?

Once you’ve taken a stab at some of these exercises, I’d recommend you use them in your actual writing.

And for instruction on that, you need a guide to writing your novel . 

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34 comments

John Fox, you have some excellent resources, and I thank you. I read your comments, then scrolled down to glance at the list of 50 exercises. The FIRST one, “loud noise’ is already in my head. My Hero is going to be side swiped in my Cozy. I was side swiped on a state highway here in Virginia a couple of weeks ago and, although the damage was minor, the sound of that big SUV “glancing” off my little car was SCARY!!! I once heard a fast-moving car REAR-END is stand-still car; that sound was something I’ll never forget. So, your exercise is very timely. THANK YOU!!!

This is a great list! Thanks!

You know what would be motivating? If we could turn these in to someone and get like a grade lol

I can really see the benefit of doing these writing exercises. (Versus using prompts) The purpose is so much clearer. Some I can imagine my response fairly easily. (Though the task of not jumping on the obvious might make it harder than I imagine at this point) Some however I would struggle with ( number 42 for example), where I have zero sympathy for the main character’s plight. Hhhmmmm. But maybe they are the very ones I should be tackling – to see if I can develop them in a way that explains their behaviour and so creates sympathy. Thank you. Much food for thought.

I’ve been thinking a lot about “how to master writing,” and this is the first time that I found an article that makes it clear the difference between prompts and exercises. I fully agree with you. These are bound to make you a better writer if you focus on doing a variation of them daily.

An excellent list – thank you very much. I run a small writing group and we’ll be trying some.

Yes, thank you. I too run a small writing group and you got me out of a slump for tomorrow’s group!

yes,thank you . It’s good for improve your writing skills.

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What a lovely list! I am working on the final draft of my very first novel, and am constantly working at improving the final product. Your exercises are just what I need to kickstart my writing day. Thank you so very much.

Thank you very much When I turned50 I received my diploma from Children’s Institute in West Redding Ct I got my inspiration from being near water however now that I am in Oregon I have had a writing block thanks to your list my creative juices are flowing

I suppose I better have good punctuation, seeing this is about Writing. Thank you for this great list. I am the Chair of our small Writing group in Otorohanga and we start again last week of Feb. I have sent out a homework email, to write a A4 page of something exciting that has happened over the holiday break and they must read it out to the group with passion and excitement in their voices. That will get them out of their comfort zone!

A formidable yet inspiring list. Thank you very much for this. This is really very helpful. I am from India, and very new to writing and have started my first project, which I want to make it into a Novel. This has been very helpful and is very challenging too. Prompts look sissy when compared to this, frankly speaking. Thank you very much again.

Where can I get the answers for these?

There aren’t “answers.” You create responses to these exercises.

Thank you so much for the detailed suggestions focusing on HOW to put the WHAT into practice; really helpful & inspiring.

Just started rough drafting a story I’ve always wanted to write. Do you have any advice for someone writing their first real story? I’m having trouble starting it; I just want it to be perfect.

I consider this very helpful. Just started my journey as a creative writer, and will be coming back to this page to aid my daily writing goal.

I have always loved writing exercises and these are perfect practice for my competition. I have tried lots of different things that other websites have told me to try, but this by far is the most descriptive and helpful site that i have seen so far.

This is really a creative blog. An expert writer is an amateur who didn’t stop. I trust myself that a decent writer doesn’t actually should be advised anything but to keep at it. Keep it up!

I’ve always enjoyed writing from a little girl. Since I’ve been taking it a bit more seriously as does everybody else it seems; I’ve lost the fun and sponteneity. Until now…..this is a marvelous blog to get back the basic joy and freedom in writing. Or should that be of?:) These exercises are perfect to get the creative juices flowing again…..thank you:)

These are interesting exercises for writing.

These are fantastic! I started reading a really awesome book on creative writing but it just didn’t get any good or easy to follow exercises. So I found your site and having been having a lot of fun with these. Exactly what I was looking for, thank you!

creative and inspiring, thank you

I always wanted to have an exercise where a friend and I each wrote a random sentence and sent it to each other to write a short story from that beginning sentence, then exchange the stories for reading and/or critique. Maybe both writers start with the same sentence and see how different the stories turn out.

Thanks for these exercises. Some are really challenging. To truly tackle them I’m having to spend as long beforehand thinking “how the HECK am I going to do this?” as I do with ink on paper. Would be a great resource if other authors submitted their replies and thoughts about how they went about each exercise.

Start the conversation: submit one of yours.

I think I can use these to inspire my students.

Hi there. Thank you for posting this list- it’s great! Can I ask you to consider removing number 42 or perhaps changing it somewhat? I teach sex ed and every year am shocked by how many young people don’t understand issues around consent. Stories about woman who ‘say no but really mean yes’ are deeply unhelpful. Really appreciate your post but felt I had to ask. Thanks.

What’s wrong with the number 42?

It promulgates the belief that when a woman says no, she doesn’t mean it, potentially resulting in sexual assault.

I just make this list a part of my teaching in Creative Writing Classes. Very good list of ideas!

Thank you so much for posting this! I have used it to create a creative playwriting activity for my high school creative writing class–so much good stuff here for me to pick through and select for my kiddos that will allow them to shine and improve their knowledge of writing as a craft!

These exercises are amazing! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂

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Teaching students how to incorporate dialogue into their narrative writing is not an easy task.  There’s a lot that goes into the art of writing dialogue, and conveying all of the intricate details can get overwhelming fairly quickly.  According to the Common Core State Standards, students in third grade and above are expected to be able to accurately use dialogue in their narrative writing.  Since dialogue and narrative writing go hand-in-hand, it only makes sense to supplement narrative instruction with a lesson on how to effectively write dialogue.  The cooperative lesson plan described below is extremely versatile, and it gets the job done. By the end of the lesson, you will know which students need additional help with writing dialogue and which students have mastered the skill.

Pre-Lesson Inventory

Prior to starting the dialogue lesson, it is helpful to take a quick inventory of what your students already know.  Do they know what the term dialogue means? Do they know why dialogue is used? Taking part in a short oral discussion will allow you to gauge what you need to cover before diving into the dialogue lesson.  If necessary, define the term dialogue, think of synonyms, and place the term in context by using it in a sentence. After clearly defining the term, discuss with students the importance and use of dialogue. Talk about how dialogue brings the narrative to life and adds depth and complexity to the characters. When students have a clear understanding of the meaning and use of dialogue, move on to the anticipatory activity. 

Anticipatory Activity

The dialogue writing lesson begins with an activity that gives students immediate insight into the purpose and use of dialogue. Find two short pieces of text, one that does not include dialogue and one that does.  You can use a passage from a student novel or children’s book. Simply remove or add dialogue to meet your needs. Start with the text that does not include dialogue. Read it together as a class. Next, read the text that includes dialogue.  Orally compare the paragraphs by posing the following questions to students:

• What is different about the texts?
• Which text was more interesting to read? Why?

Dialogue Notes

When students have a reasonable grasp of why dialogue is used, it’s time to tackle the how .  Jumping right into notes on dialogue punctuation and format will provide students with a strong point of reference when needed later in the lesson.  The following four dialogue rules are adequate for most grade levels. 

• Use quotation marks before and after the speaker’s exact words. 

             Bianca admitted, “I stole the last piece of candy.”

• Use a comma to separate the speaker from the quote.

            Yolanda stated, “I love my new puppy.”

• When dialogue ends with a period, question mark, or exclamation point, put the punctuation inside the quotation marks.

          “Can we have spaghetti for dinner?” Jason asked. 

• Start a new paragraph when switching speakers.

Click the button below to download the  FREE Dialogue Rules Anchor Chart.

Click here to download the FREE dialogue rules anchor chart! 

Mentor Text

According to Lynn Dorfman, co-director of the Pennsylvania Writing and Literature Project, mentor texts are pieces of literature that you can return to and reread for many different purposes.  They are texts to be studied and imitated.   In terms of dialogue, I Need My Monster and Hey, That’s My Monster! by Amanda Noll work extremely well as mentor texts.  Students love the storyline, and all the rules of dialogue are clearly portrayed.  Noll replaces “said” with a variety of different words including rasped, coaxed, and sniffed, encouraging students to get creative with word choice. Reading the story twice, once before guided instruction and then again before the independent assessment will provide students with a clear and concrete example of dialogue format and punctuation.

Guided Instruction

After reviewing dialogue examples in the mentor text, guide students through the dialogue writing process using example sentences.  Put practice sentences on the board or create your own worksheets for students to add punctuation. After students have added dialogue punctuation to the practice sentences, review as a class for accuracy.  Two example sentences are provided below. 

Incorrect Sentence : Get out of my room screamed Jenny

Corrected Sentence : “Get out of my room!” screamed Jenny.  

Incorrect Sentence : The teacher announced The quiz will be tomorrow

Corrected Sentence : The teacher announced, “The quiz will be tomorrow.”

Synonyms for Said

Before moving on to the group activity, guide the class in a brainstorming activity producing synonyms for the word said.  If time allows, students can search through books to find words authors use in place of said.   

Cooperative Writing Practice

After brainstorming replacements for the word said, place students in groups to complete the cooperative portion of the dialogue writing lesson.  First, pass out a paragraph of text that does not include dialogue to each group. Again, you can use passages from a student novel or children’s book. Simply remove the dialogue before giving the passage to students. Next, students work together, adding dialogue to the text.  In order to be successful, students should pull from what they have learned thus far in the lesson. To do so, they will need access to their dialogue notes, practice sentences, and the synonyms for said list. Assess students as they are rewriting the paragraphs to ensure understanding and accuracy.  The goal is for students to be able to independently add dialogue to their narrative writing.

Independent Assessment

At this point in the lesson, students should be prepared to complete an independent dialogue writing assessment.  Provide each student with a paragraph that does not include dialogue. Instruct students to revise the paragraph to include the correct use of dialogue.  If you’re using a dialogue writing rubric, review the grading criteria before starting the assessment. Example grading criteria for dialogue writing are listed below. 

• Quotation marks are used before and after the speaker’s exact words.
• When necessary, a comma is used to separate the speaker from the quote.
• Punctuation is placed inside quotation marks. 
• A new paragraph is started when a new person is speaking. 

Download the comprehensive Dialogue Writing Lesson from Literacy in Focus on TpT.   Everything you need for dialogue writing success is included!

“Perfect introduction to our narrative writing unit! Thank you!” -Julie C.

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• Writing Activities

105 Creative Writing Exercises To Get You Writing Again

You know that feeling when you just don’t feel like writing? Sometimes you can’t even get a word down on paper. It’s the most frustrating thing ever to a writer, especially when you’re working towards a deadline. The good news is that we have a list of 105 creative writing exercises to help you get motivated and start writing again!

What are creative writing exercises?

Creative writing exercises are short writing activities (normally around 10 minutes) designed to get you writing. The goal of these exercises is to give you the motivation to put words onto a blank paper. These words don’t need to be logical or meaningful, neither do they need to be grammatically correct or spelt correctly. The whole idea is to just get you writing something, anything. The end result of these quick creative writing exercises is normally a series of notes, bullet points or ramblings that you can, later on, use as inspiration for a bigger piece of writing such as a story or a poem. 

Good creative writing exercises are short, quick and easy to complete. You shouldn’t need to think too much about your style of writing or how imaginative your notes are. Just write anything that comes to mind, and you’ll be on the road to improving your creative writing skills and beating writer’s block . 

Use the generator below to get a random creative writing exercise idea:

List of 105+ Creative Writing Exercises

Here are over 105 creative writing exercises to give your brain a workout and help those creative juices flow again:

• Set a timer for 60 seconds. Now write down as many words or phrases that come to mind at that moment.
• Pick any colour you like. Now start your sentence with this colour. For example, Orange, the colour of my favourite top. 
• Open a book or dictionary on a random page. Pick a random word. You can close your eyes and slowly move your finger across the page. Now, write a paragraph with this random word in it. You can even use an online dictionary to get random words:

• Create your own alphabet picture book or list. It can be A to Z of animals, food, monsters or anything else you like!
• Using only the sense of smell, describe where you are right now.
• Take a snack break. While eating your snack write down the exact taste of that food. The goal of this creative writing exercise is to make your readers savour this food as well.
• Pick a random object in your room and write a short paragraph from its point of view. For example, how does your pencil feel? What if your lamp had feelings?
• Describe your dream house. Where would you live one day? Is it huge or tiny? 
• Pick two different TV shows, movies or books that you like. Now swap the main character. What if Supergirl was in Twilight? What if SpongeBob SquarePants was in The Flash? Write a short scene using this character swap as inspiration.
• What’s your favourite video game? Write at least 10 tips for playing this game.
• Pick your favourite hobby or sport. Now pretend an alien has just landed on Earth and you need to teach it this hobby or sport. Write at least ten tips on how you would teach this alien.
• Use a random image generator and write a paragraph about the first picture you see.

• Write a letter to your favourite celebrity or character. What inspires you most about them? Can you think of a memorable moment where this person’s life affected yours? We have this helpful guide on writing a letter to your best friend for extra inspiration.
• Write down at least 10 benefits of writing. This can help motivate you and beat writer’s block.
• Complete this sentence in 10 different ways: Patrick waited for the school bus and…
• Pick up a random book from your bookshelf and go to page 9. Find the ninth sentence on that page. Use this sentence as a story starter.
• Create a character profile based on all the traits that you hate. It might help to list down all the traits first and then work on describing the character.
• What is the scariest or most dangerous situation you have ever been in? Why was this situation scary? How did you cope at that moment?
• Pretend that you’re a chat show host and you’re interviewing your favourite celebrity. Write down the script for this conversation.
• Using extreme detail, write down what you have been doing for the past one hour today. Think about your thoughts, feelings and actions during this time.
• Make a list of potential character names for your next story. You can use a fantasy name generator to help you.
• Describe a futuristic setting. What do you think the world would look like in 100 years time?
• Think about a recent argument you had with someone. Would you change anything about it? How would you resolve an argument in the future?
• Describe a fantasy world. What kind of creatures live in this world? What is the climate like? What everyday challenges would a typical citizen of this world face? You can use this fantasy world name generator for inspiration.
• At the flip of a switch, you turn into a dragon. What kind of dragon would you be? Describe your appearance, special abilities, likes and dislikes. You can use a dragon name generator to give yourself a cool dragon name.
• Pick your favourite book or a famous story. Now change the point of view. For example, you could rewrite the fairytale , Cinderella. This time around, Prince Charming could be the main character. What do you think Prince Charming was doing, while Cinderella was cleaning the floors and getting ready for the ball?
• Pick a random writing prompt and use it to write a short story. Check out this collection of over 300 writing prompts for kids to inspire you. 
• Write a shopping list for a famous character in history. Imagine if you were Albert Einstein’s assistant, what kind of things would he shop for on a weekly basis?
• Create a fake advertisement poster for a random object that is near you right now. Your goal is to convince the reader to buy this object from you.
• What is the worst (or most annoying) sound that you can imagine? Describe this sound in great detail, so your reader can understand the pain you feel when hearing this sound.
• What is your favourite song at the moment? Pick one line from this song and describe a moment in your life that relates to this line.
•  You’re hosting an imaginary dinner party at your house. Create a list of people you would invite, and some party invites. Think about the theme of the dinner party, the food you will serve and entertainment for the evening. 
• You are waiting to see your dentist in the waiting room. Write down every thought you are having at this moment in time. 
• Make a list of your greatest fears. Try to think of at least three fears. Now write a short story about a character who is forced to confront one of these fears. 
• Create a ‘Wanted’ poster for a famous villain of your choice. Think about the crimes they have committed, and the reward you will give for having them caught. 
• Imagine you are a journalist for the ‘Imagine Forest Times’ newspaper. Your task is to get an exclusive interview with the most famous villain of all time. Pick a villain of your choice and interview them for your newspaper article. What questions would you ask them, and what would their responses be?
•  In a school playground, you see the school bully hurting a new kid. Write three short stories, one from each perspective in this scenario (The bully, the witness and the kid getting bullied).
• You just won $10 million dollars. What would you spend this money on?
• Pick a random animal, and research at least five interesting facts about this animal. Write a short story centred around one of these interesting facts. 
• Pick a global issue that you are passionate about. This could be climate change, black lives matters, women’s rights etc. Now create a campaign poster for this global issue. 
• Write an acrostic poem about an object near you right now (or even your own name). You could use a poetry idea generator to inspire you.
• Imagine you are the head chef of a 5-star restaurant. Recently the business has slowed down. Your task is to come up with a brand-new menu to excite customers. Watch this video prompt on YouTube to inspire you.
• What is your favourite food of all time? Imagine if this piece of food was alive, what would it say to you?
• If life was one big musical, what would you be singing about right now? Write the lyrics of your song. 
• Create and describe the most ultimate villain of all time. What would their traits be? What would their past look like? Will they have any positive traits?
• Complete this sentence in at least 10 different ways: Every time I look out of the window, I…
• You have just made it into the local newspaper, but what for? Write down at least five potential newspaper headlines . Here’s an example, Local Boy Survives a Deadly Illness.
• If you were a witch or a wizard, what would your specialist area be and why? You might want to use a Harry Potter name generator or a witch name generator for inspiration.
• What is your favourite thing to do on a Saturday night? Write a short story centred around this activity. 
• Your main character has just received the following items: A highlighter, a red cap, a teddy bear and a fork. What would your character do with these items? Can you write a story using these items? 
• Create a timeline of your own life, from birth to this current moment. Think about the key events in your life, such as birthdays, graduations, weddings and so on. After you have done this, you can pick one key event from your life to write a story about. 
• Think of a famous book or movie you like. Rewrite a scene from this book or movie, where the main character is an outsider. They watch the key events play out, but have no role in the story. What would their actions be? How would they react?
• Three very different characters have just won the lottery. Write a script for each character, as they reveal the big news to their best friend.  
• Write a day in the life story of three different characters. How does each character start their day? What do they do throughout the day? And how does their day end?
•  Write about the worst experience in your life so far. Think about a time when you were most upset or angry and describe it. 
• Imagine you’ve found a time machine in your house. What year would you travel to and why?
• Describe your own superhero. Think about their appearance, special abilities and their superhero name. Will they have a secret identity? Who is their number one enemy?
• What is your favourite country in the world? Research five fun facts about this country and use one to write a short story. 
• Set yourself at least three writing goals. This could be a good way to motivate yourself to write every day. For example, one goal might be to write at least 150 words a day. 
• Create a character description based on the one fact, three fiction rule. Think about one fact or truth about yourself. And then add in three fictional or fantasy elements. For example, your character could be the same age as you in real life, this is your one fact. And the three fictional elements could be they have the ability to fly, talk in over 100 different languages and have green skin. 
• Describe the perfect person. What traits would they have? Think about their appearance, their interests and their dislikes. 
• Keep a daily journal or diary. This is a great way to keep writing every day. There are lots of things you can write about in your journal, such as you can write about the ‘highs’ and ‘lows’ of your day. Think about anything that inspired you or anything that upset you, or just write anything that comes to mind at the moment. 
• Write a book review or a movie review. If you’re lost for inspiration, just watch a random movie or read any book that you can find. Then write a critical review on it. Think about the best parts of the book/movie and the worst parts. How would you improve the book or movie?
• Write down a conversation between yourself. You can imagine talking to your younger self or future self (i.e. in 10 years’ time). What would you tell them? Are there any lessons you learned or warnings you need to give? Maybe you could talk about what your life is like now and compare it to their life?
• Try writing some quick flash fiction stories . Flash fiction is normally around 500 words long, so try to stay within this limit.
• Write a six-word story about something that happened to you today or yesterday. A six-word story is basically an entire story told in just six words. Take for example: “Another football game ruined by me.” or “A dog’s painting sold for millions.” – Six-word stories are similar to writing newspaper headlines. The goal is to summarise your story in just six words. 
• The most common monsters or creatures used in stories include vampires, werewolves , dragons, the bigfoot, sirens and the loch-ness monster. In a battle of intelligence, who do you think will win and why?
• Think about an important event in your life that has happened so far, such as a birthday or the birth of a new sibling. Now using the 5 W’s and 1 H technique describe this event in great detail. The 5 W’s include: What, Who, Where, Why, When and the 1 H is: How. Ask yourself questions about the event, such as what exactly happened on that day? Who was there? Why was this event important? When and where did it happen? And finally, how did it make you feel?
• Pretend to be someone else. Think about someone important in your life. Now put yourself into their shoes, and write a day in the life story about being them. What do you think they do on a daily basis? What situations would they encounter? How would they feel?
• Complete this sentence in at least 10 different ways: I remember…
• Write about your dream holiday. Where would you go? Who would you go with? And what kind of activities would you do?
• Which one item in your house do you use the most? Is it the television, computer, mobile phone, the sofa or the microwave? Now write a story of how this item was invented. You might want to do some research online and use these ideas to build up your story. 
• In exactly 100 words, describe your bedroom. Try not to go over or under this word limit.
• Make a top ten list of your favourite animals. Based on this list create your own animal fact file, where you provide fun facts about each animal in your list.
• What is your favourite scene from a book or a movie? Write down this scene. Now rewrite the scene in a different genre, such as horror, comedy, drama etc.
•  Change the main character of a story you recently read into a villain. For example, you could take a popular fairytale such as Jack and the Beanstalk, but this time re-write the story to make Jack the villain of the tale.
• Complete the following sentence in at least 10 different ways: Do you ever wonder…
• What does your name mean? Research the meaning of your own name, or a name that interests you. Then use this as inspiration for your next story. For example, the name ‘Marty’ means “Servant Of Mars, God Of War”. This could make a good concept for a sci-fi story.
• Make a list of three different types of heroes (or main characters) for potential future stories.
• If someone gave you $10 dollars, what would you spend it on and why?
• Describe the world’s most boring character in at least 100 words. 
• What is the biggest problem in the world today, and how can you help fix this issue?
• Create your own travel brochure for your hometown. Think about why tourists might want to visit your hometown. What is your town’s history? What kind of activities can you do? You could even research some interesting facts. 
• Make a list of all your favourite moments or memories in your life. Now pick one to write a short story about.
• Describe the scariest and ugliest monster you can imagine. You could even draw a picture of this monster with your description.
• Write seven haikus, one for each colour of the rainbow. That’s red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. 
• Imagine you are at the supermarket. Write down at least three funny scenarios that could happen to you at the supermarket. Use one for your next short story. 
• Imagine your main character is at home staring at a photograph. Write the saddest scene possible. Your goal is to make your reader cry when reading this scene. 
• What is happiness? In at least 150 words describe the feeling of happiness. You could use examples from your own life of when you felt happy.
• Think of a recent nightmare you had and write down everything you can remember. Use this nightmare as inspiration for your next story.
• Keep a dream journal. Every time you wake up in the middle of the night or early in the morning you can quickly jot down things that you remember from your dreams. These notes can then be used as inspiration for a short story. 
• Your main character is having a really bad day. Describe this bad day and the series of events they experience. What’s the worst thing that could happen to your character?
• You find a box on your doorstep. You open this box and see the most amazing thing ever. Describe this amazing thing to your readers.
• Make a list of at least five possible settings or locations for future stories. Remember to describe each setting in detail.
• Think of something new you recently learned. Write this down. Now write a short story where your main character also learns the same thing.
• Describe the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen in your whole life. Your goal is to amaze your readers with its beauty. 
• Make a list of things that make you happy or cheer you up. Try to think of at least five ideas. Now imagine living in a world where all these things were banned or against the law. Use this as inspiration for your next story.
• Would you rather be rich and alone or poor and very popular? Write a story based on the lives of these two characters. 
• Imagine your main character is a Librarian. Write down at least three dark secrets they might have. Remember, the best secrets are always unexpected.
• There’s a history behind everything. Describe the history of your house. How and when was your house built? Think about the land it was built on and the people that may have lived here long before you.
• Imagine that you are the king or queen of a beautiful kingdom. Describe your kingdom in great detail. What kind of rules would you have? Would you be a kind ruler or an evil ruler of the kingdom?
• Make a wish list of at least three objects you wish you owned right now. Now use these three items in your next story. At least one of them must be the main prop in the story.
• Using nothing but the sense of taste, describe a nice Sunday afternoon at your house. Remember you can’t use your other senses (i.e see, hear, smell or touch) in this description. 
• What’s the worst pain you felt in your life? Describe this pain in great detail, so your readers can also feel it.
• If you were lost on a deserted island in the middle of nowhere, what three must-have things would you pack and why?
• Particpate in online writing challenges or contests. Here at Imagine Forest, we offer daily writing challenges with a new prompt added every day to inspire you. Check out our challenges section in the menu.

Do you have any more fun creative writing exercises to share? Let us know in the comments below!

Marty the wizard is the master of Imagine Forest. When he's not reading a ton of books or writing some of his own tales, he loves to be surrounded by the magical creatures that live in Imagine Forest. While living in his tree house he has devoted his time to helping children around the world with their writing skills and creativity.

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15 Ways to Level Up Your Dialogue Game: Creative Dialogue Activity Ideas

April 19, 2023 //  by  Keren Dinkin

Incorporating dialogue activities can be one of the best ways to help improve your students’ communication skills. These activities will not only enhance their creative writing skills but also offer fun ways to bolster classroom confidence! Use our collection of 15 unique activities to take your student’s communication skills to the next level!

1. Role Play

Role play is a fun and efficient way to practice real-life scenarios and improve communication skills. Make sure to establish clear ground rules and time limits. Students can even choose to enact these scenarios like a play!

Learn more: Game for ESL

2. Question-And-Answer Task

Explore different types of questions and prompt your learners to spend time answering them. This activity is similar to Jeopardy but minus the cash prizes. Establish rules beforehand, or you may end up with more chaos than answers!

Learn more: Elementary Nest

3. Debate Club

Why not start a debate club? It’s a fun and engaging way to improve your students’ communication skills; allowing them to express their thoughts and ideas while learning how to respectfully listen and respond to others.

Learn more: ESU.ORG

4. Improv Night

Host an improv session in your classroom and let your students unleash their creativity! This spontaneous and entertaining dialogue activity requires no scripts and is a great way to encourage dynamic dialogues.

Learn more: Owlcation

5. Quotation Hunt

Search for inspiring quotes and use them as prompts for dialogue writing practice. Remind students to use quotation marks to distinguish them from the rest of the statements in their write-ups.

Learn more: Mensa for Kids

6. Teach Dialogue to Young Writers

Discuss Jon Klassen’s book I Want My Hat Back to explore the importance of dialogue in a story. Then, have students put on their writer’s hats and come up with their own unique dialogues!

Learn more: Walking By The Way

7. Guess Who

“Guess Who” is a fun dialogue activity during which your learners can create conversations with different characters by guessing their identities. They should focus on using their answer sets to expand their vocabulary and improve communication skills.

Learn more: Fit Mag

8. Trivia Challenge

Get your students’ brains buzzing with a Trivia Challenge! This classic dialogue activity helps sharpen their communication and critical thinking skills by challenging students to answer tricky questions in order to earn points.

Learn more: Parade

9. Interview Practice

Have your students role-play a professional interview so that they can understand how to communicate effectively during their future job search. Through engaging in this type of activity, they’ll learn the power of body language and the art of answering tough questions.

Learn more: The Balance

10. Bell Ringer Activity

Engage your students with quick and fun questions to get their brains buzzing. They can create a flowchart that depicts different dialogues or create imaginary dialogues using historical figures!

Learn more: Ditch That Textbook

11. Dialogue Journals

Students can write back and forth to each other in a journal; responding to each other’s questions or sharing their own thoughts. 

Learn more: Teacher Vision

12. Picture Prompts for Writing

Visual cues are a fun way to inspire student conversation-  especially when discussing topics that might be hard to put into words! Have your students analyze and interpret images; making connections between visual and verbal worlds.

Learn more: Write Out Loud

13. Collaborative Comic Creation

This activity promotes creativity, collaboration, and the development of dialogue writing skills. Have your learners work in pairs or small groups to create a comic strip. Each member of the group will take turns adding a panel to the story; using dialogue to move the narrative forward. 

Learn more: Edutopia

14. Alternative Endings

Have your littles read a short story or watch a video clip and discuss what they think the ending should be. They can then work in pairs or small groups to create their own alternative endings;  using dialogue to explain the story’s conclusion.

Learn more: Teacher Starter

15 . Jigsaw Discussions

Divide students into small groups and assign each of them a different topic or theme. Each group member must then conduct research and become an expert in their assigned topic before joining new groups and engaging in conversation to gain new insights and perspectives.

Learn more: Instructional Moves