Hey so something I've always struggled with writing different speech patterns for each one of my characters and as someone who prides themselves on their dialogue this always been a flaw I've been desperate to fix! So what do you guys do to make sure each and every character sounds the same.
Screenwriting : How to write different speech patterns? by Demian Malcher
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I actually base my main characters on friends and family so personality and speech patterns are controlled that way and for some characters I ask them how they would respond or say something.
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I write dialogue based on character personalities. This helps me write dialogue so the characters don't all sound alike. If it's a funny character, he or she will talk funny and in less formal sentences. Example: "Man, I'm beat. I'm bout to bounce. I gotta get some z's." That means "I'm exhausted. I'm about to leave. I have to get some sleep."
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I pick real people that I can imitate well. I talk more about writing better dialogue here.
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Research.
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When writing, I love finding the voice and sound, speech and pattern that is unique to the character. Perhaps exploring more of the back story of the character will help you find their voices? Have you visited the Writer's Room here on Stage 32? SO much insight available!
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A character’s world, personality, money situation, backstory and attitude to life should be expressed in how they speak. Put yourself in “their head” how would they convey a sentence given their social standing, access to funds, intellect, backstory and personality in any given situation. Six characters would give dialogue in a totally different way.
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I try to find one thing about the person and use that. Actors will add some stuff. I always say to actors “it is easy to write, but might be hard to say. Let me know”.
But here are two examples.
“I said you can’t do that”.
“Don’t do that”
“Stop. Don’t you dare”
And the Chris Rock special “When your friends say - I wouldn’t do that shit if I was you - this is some of that shit”
Our speech is our personality. Or how people speak is different. Or a personality is reflected in how they speak”. Three sentence that say the same thing. But each one says something a little different about me.
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Sentence fragments and one-word responses are your friends for some characters. Others use full sentences. Some people are smart and sassy, others more demure.
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I approach dialogue like you're writing music. It's all about rhythm. Each line needs to compliment the other. Also, take into consideration the context of the scene. Depending on what is happening will impact how long the lines are, whether they are completed sentences, fragments or simply phrases.