Character Dialogue.

In lesson, we were given the following two characters:

Debbie Graves, 17, trendy, sarcastic.

Gladys, 52, bored, educated.

We were then asked to write different lines for the two characters.


These were Debbie's lines:

Debbie asks someone to leave a party.
'Oit! We know how much people love you being here, but I think you should leave before they start enjoying your company too much.'

Debbie tells someone that she's in love with them.
'I can't be completely sure, but... I think I like you. I mean, really like you. Possibly even love you.'

Debbie is bored watching a film.
'Jeez, who was the genius that wrote this film? Was it too hard for them to make it interesting, or do they not know the meaning of the word?'


These were Gladys' lines:

Gladys asks someone to leave a party.
'I think you've had one too many drinks, it's probably best for you to leave.'

Gladys tells someone that she's in love with them.
'I really do love you.'

Gladys is bored watching a film.
'Surely this isn't the sort of thing that's classified as 'entertainment' these days?'


We were then asked to do this again with two more characters, and three more lines.

Barney Hill, 5, cheerful, confused.

Jack Deth, 50, hard-boiled cop.

These were Barney's lines:

Barney thinks someone stole something.
'It was there this morning, why ain't it now? Someone must have taken it... Why would they do that?'

Barney is enjoying dinner an awful lot.
'This is really yummy, can we eat this tomorrow night too? And the night after? And the night after that?'

Barney doesn't understand.
'I don't get it, it don't make sense.'


These were Jack's lines:

Jack thinks someone stole something.
(Probably has someone pinned to a wall.)
'Oit you little shit, I know you took it, don't even bother trying to lie to me.'

Jack is enjoying dinner an awful lot.
'This is some great tasting food, we've gotta eat here more often.'

Jack doesn't understand.
'Hang on, hang on, repeat that. You're making no sense.'



Every character should have a unique voice. When re-writing a screenplay, go through and make sure that the character's background and personality is clear with every line of dialogue. Remember that no two characters speak alike!