Voice and Characterization in Dialogue
Talk to Me: Writing Dialogue That Works
Voice and Characterization in Dialogue
Welcome back to Talk to Me: Writing Dialogue That Works.
I know! I know! I made a name for a series of related posts. This is very grownup of me.
Anyway, last time, we explored the purpose of dialogue—how it should always be doing more than just filling space on the page. Today, we’re focusing on how your characters sound—because if they all sound the same, your dialogue falls flat, no matter how clever it is.
Why Dialogue Matters
Dialogue is one of the best tools we have to reveal character—and I don’t just mean what they say, but how they say it.
Think about how your friends talk. Some ramble. Some text in all caps. Some start stories with “you’re not going to believe this.” And then you do totally believe it because it’s boring.
Anyway, that’s voice. In fiction, your characters should feel just as distinct as your real-life friends.
What Shapes a Character’s Voice?
Here are a few factors to consider:
Background: A rural mechanic will often speak differently than a big city attorney.
Age: A teenager might use slang or sarcasm. A child might speak in concrete, sensory terms. A Carrie Jones might, too, actually.
Education: Word choice, grammar, and sentence structure will often reflect this.
Personality: Are they anxious? Blunt? Manipulative? Shy? Do they think in straight lines or like a tree?
Emotional State: Someone in crisis doesn't usually speak in long, calm monologues.
Compare these two bits of dialogue:
"I dunno, man. Felt wrong, but I did it anyway. Guess I’m that guy now."
"I made the decision fully aware of the consequences. I stand by it."
Same moment. Totally different people.
Tag, You’re It (Or Not)
Dialogue tags are the tiny bits that tell you who said the dialogue.
Like here:
“I am afeared of the zombie hamsters,” Shaun said.
“Shaun said” is the dialogue tag.
You don’t always need to use “he said” or “she said” to show who’s talking—if you’ve nailed voice, readers will often just know.
That said, don’t be afraid of dialogue tags. They’re invisible when used well and so helpful. When the reader has to figure out who is talking, it hitches their brain and they start to not trust you, the writer, as much or your story.
You can also use dialogue beats. That’s action that goes with the dialogue. So here:
Shaun picked up the bottle of Raid. “I am afeared of the zombie hamsters.”
“Raid is for insects, though.” Carrie climbed up on the toilet seat, waiting. “Right? Hamsters are rodents.”
“Not these hamsters.” Shaun rattled the Raid bottle. “These hamsters are zombies.”
So instead of “he said” and all of that, we’re moving the bodies in the space while also showing who is talking via careful use of paragraphs.
Also, overusing quirky substitutes like “he chuckled” or “she intoned” can draw attention to the wrong things.
Shaun chuckled.. “I am afeared of the zombie hamsters.”
“Raid is for insects, though,” Carrie intoned. “Right? Hamsters are rodents.”
“Not these hamsters.” Shaun hissed. “These hamsters are zombies.”
Carrie gasped out, “Zom-bies.”
“Zombies,” Shaun restated.
“Zombies!” Carrie yelled.
Beware of Mimicry
Trying too hard to replicate accents, dialects, or slang can backfire and be kind of offense sometimes.
Readers will either get annoyed, confused, or feel insulted.
Instead of phonetic spellings or overloaded apostrophes, hint at voice through rhythm, word choice, and attitude.
Don’t write: “Ah’m gon’ git ya fer that, hamstah boy.”
Try: “You just bought yourself a heap of trouble, son.”
Quick Craft Exercise: The Voice Shift Test
Pick two characters you're working with. Write three short (4-6 line) exchanges between them in these scenarios:
They’re arguing.
They’re flirting.
One is lying; the other doesn’t know.
Keep the conflict or stakes consistent, but shift the emotional tone. Focus on:
Diction (Are the words formal or casual?)
Sentence length
Emotional undercurrents
Ask yourself after each: Could I tell who’s speaking without the tags?
Next Time…
We’ll dig into subtext—the art of writing what’s not being said.
Spoiler: It’s where the magic lives.
Let me know how the exercise goes, or drop a snippet in the comments. I’d love to see how your characters speak for themselves.
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Great post, Carrie. I would add one thing: don't include action in the dialog tag. For example: "Get those hamsters," she said, flipping her pancakes one at a time. This causes physical and logical problems because everything in the subordinate phrase as to happen in the same time frame as the action she described. There are probably exceptions, but there's usually a better way write it.