#writing a monologue

[novlr]

How do I write a good monologue? Where a character has the upper hand over their rival, and they want them to KNOW IT

As a creative writer, mastering the art of writing a monologue can enrich your story and be a great tool for worldbuilding and revealing shocking truths. Characters may deliver monologues to express their inner thoughts, reveal their motivations, prove they have the upper hand, convey their emotions, or share their personal insights with the reader.

Understanding the reasons behind a character’s monologue can help you create one that is both compelling and resonant. Let’s explore the essential elements and techniques for how to write a monologue that truly connects with your audience.

Understand your character

Before writing a monologue, it’s essential to delve deep into the complexities of your character. Understand the motivations, fears, and desires that drive them both within the story, but also within the scene.

A well-crafted monologue should offer a window into the character’s inner world, revealing their personality and inner conflicts. By considering the character’s background, experiences, relationships, and the journey that led them to this point, you can discern how these elements have shaped their perspective and informed their voice. This depth of understanding ensures that the character’s monologue remains authentic, resonant, and true to their identity.

Establish theme and purpose

Every monologue should serve a purpose within your story. It’s crucial to know the thematic significance of the monologue and how it contributes to the overall narrative. Whether it serves as a moment of revelation, introspection, or a pivotal decision for the character, the monologue should align with the plot’s overarching themes.

A character’s emotional state when delivering their monologue is also a key element. Whether it’s passion, vulnerability, anger, or resilience, the language and tone should resonate with the character’s emotional journey, ensuring that it serves an integral part of their development and the story’s progression.

Craft compelling dialogue

When you write a monologue, pay close attention to the rhythm, pacing, and cadence of the dialogue. Consider the emotional state of the character delivering it, and let it influence the flow of their words.

Utilise vivid imagery, metaphor, and sensory details to create a striking and evocative monologue that engages your reader’s imagination. Experiment with the structure and length of the, allowing it to mirror the character’s state of mind. By carefully considering these elements, you can create dialogue that truly captivates and resonates.

Don’t infodump

Monologues can serve an important purpose in any story, and while a certain level of information reveal is necessary, it’s also important not to go overboard into infodump territory.

When you write a monologue, it’s essential to avoid excessive exposition of backstory or revealing plot details in a way that feels forced or unnatural. What this does is overwhelm your audience with large chunks of information, breaking the pacing and flow. Instead, try to integrate relevant details seamlessly into your character’s dialogue. Allow the information to unfold naturally, and make sure that you also reveal information at other key moments in the plot, rather than saving it all for a single monologue.

Embrace vulnerability and authenticity

A powerful monologue often stems from a place of vulnerability. Allowing your character to express raw and genuine emotions, even if they are conflicted or imperfect, can deeply resonate with the audience.

Try to avoid clichés and generic expressions; instead, infuse the monologue with your character’s unique voice and perspective. Authenticity and vulnerability not only add depth to the character’s words but also create a genuine connection with the reader, inviting them into the character’s inner world.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Historians Hate Him

(Bonus: Lost footage of WWX's death)

[First] Prev <–-> Next

[cakypa120]

Billy is kidnapped often. Nothing serious. The villain just wants to tell his monologue of hatred towards a certain hero. All the villains have noticed how the heroes listen to or discuss Billy Batson, the host of a small radio station. That's why the boy is kidnapped. At least once a week. The villains vividly describe their hatred, some even say a spoiler for future crimes. Billy then tells it vividly the next day and jokingly asks the villains to at least feed him, because of their kidnappings he cannot eat normally.

The villains listen to him!

Lex Luthor brought him a whole steak! The Riddler bought him fries, a burger, and a large Coke!

So Billy, being a good person who loves his job, thanks them for the lunch and repeats their monologue word for word, even overacting a little. (But the villains are delighted by this)

Meanwhile, the League is panicking because they are the reason Captain Marvel's son is constantly being kidnapped! Marvel always looks at them with a disappointed look the next day if Billy is kidnapped. But there is nothing they can do! But they tried! Honestly! Captain stop looking at them like that! They didn't know that talking about Billy would turn out like this!

Flash and Superman feel very guilty. After all, it is their villains who often kidnap the boy. Batman tries not to look disappointed at his villains when he finds out that one of them kidnapped Billy, again.

Billy, meanwhile, made a list of villains who treated him very well. In first place was Captain Cold, in second place was the Riddler and Lex Luthor, and in third place was Scarecrow, to the surprise of Batman and Billy himself.

Yes, Billy showed this list to the superheroes so that they would know who was treating him how. As a result, Flash spilled the beans to Snart, and as everyone knows, villains are the best gossips. The news about this list spread like wildfire.

Now the goal among the villains was to get at least into the top five of this list.

Let's just say that Billy started getting kidnapped much more often.

[joshuamrl]

I accept your absence, my love, but my soul cannot fathom a world without you. That is my confession.

[mischievous-thunder]

Also Logan to himself in another reality:

[lyxchen]

I'M SORRY did they give Maxine ocd?? (not angry, more like just really surprised) like the light switch and then the "Wrong. Everyone I love will die" and having to flip the light switch again, like that's intrusive thought + compulsion. Was this intentional? Are the writers aware that this is an ocd thing???

[one-time-i-dreamt]

I wrote a book set in the golden age of piracy that got turned into a movie. The opening scene was a very harrowing monologue about a woman lamenting the fact that she’d failed as a mother because her son had become one of the most bloodthirsty pirates out there.

[meshaamem-li]

isat post canon headcanon that after the party sees Siffrin has trouble getting used to not repeating the same lines over and over again and getting distressed every time a conversation takes a bad turn, they let him have "do overs", like, restarting the conversation to allow them to say what they meant to say instead of whatever awkward thing they just accidentally said. and after a while it just becomes habit that everyone kinda does.

at first it's a way to help siffrin get more confident with the concept of time going forward and stop them from thinking of restarting every time they messed something up, but later it evolves into a way to help both everyone calm down whenever a conversation turns into an argument or when someone says something that ends up hurting the other. like, it obviously doesn't erase what they said and and they still apologize afterwards, and not every conversation can be so easily redone, but it's a way to get a conversation to stop spiraling out of control and let everyone take a breath and say what they actually meant to say.

[stonetablet]

Some afternoons in bed

[ghqstwriter]

“You aren’t Superhero.”

The remark came from behind the hero, resonating within the shadows that the rookie was certain they’d checked just moments ago. The voice sounded amused, almost. Like it was ridiculous to think the person standing in front of them should have been the famous, almighty Superhero. As though the difference between the two was so staggering that it was practically humorous.

Hero turned around at the noise, a few moments slower than they probably should have, eyes widening at the realisation that they truly weren’t alone in the room. The figure before them was dressed in dark colours, not visibly armed but still radiating an aura of intimidation nonetheless. Most notably, however, the figure was entirely unmasked, staring directly at Hero with wide eyes and enjoyment tugging at their lips.

“I’m uh— sorry to say I don’t recognise you, either,” Hero commented, trying to play it cool as though there was ever an ounce of chill in their entire body. Their hands fidgeted slightly, fingers flexing nervously. Whoever this was, they weren’t in the files. That was strange, since the villain before them was completely unmasked, as though their identity meant nothing to them.

“I gathered. Don’t get out much, really. More on the introverted side, I’d say. Though, I can’t say the same about you: you’re the newbie I read about last week, something about a fire, hm?” The villain pointed a finger towards Hero, tilting their head to the side. Hero cursed internally, things weren’t looking good for them here.

This was their first major mission, a chance to get their name out of those boring papers that nobody reads and into the news stations that seemed to praise every other benevolent hero on the streets. Superhero had a habit of taking the rookies out for a fly everytime a mission was too dull for their tastes, and this time it appeared they wanted Hero to join them at their side.

“Listen— Superhero is on their way right now. So don’t try anything, ok? I mean, you were expecting them, right?”

“Aw, pity. Here I was, hoping we’d have a little more time to get acquainted. Hero, wasn’t it? Rhetorical question; I know I’m right.”

“Is that supposed to be a metaphor for— you know, torture and stuff?” Hero questioned meekly, to which the villain laughed. It wasn’t particularly menacing or cruel, not the type of cackle you’d see on a Sunday cartoon. It appeared as though everything about this was genuinely amusing to the villain. An amicable conversation with an old friend. Meanwhile, Hero had to tense all of their muscles in order to stop the trembling.

It wasn’t the sheer sense of power radiating from the villain, they weren’t terrified of evil. It was the uncertainty that shook them deeply. The agency’s success had always been defined not by the endless valour of their heroes, but by their extensive knowledge of the city’s threats. Hero had studied the files for hours on end, noting just how thorough everything was. A complete and comprehensive guide to Villainy, where even the most powerful, evasive villains were exhaustively documented. This one wasn’t.

“You’re just adorable, aren’t you? I think I’ve gotten quite lucky today. I mean, if any other hero had taken this route, I’d probably be stuck talking to some self-righteous idiot. Much less tolerable than you are.”

“What are you—“ Hero started, though was cut off as soon as they noticed that the criminal was walking towards them. They paused in their stride when the two were only standing a couple inches apart. As much as Hero wanted to flee, to create some space between the pair, they gathered that ‘against a wall’ is the last place they’d want to be right now.

A C-Rank villain. They were supposed to be fighting a C-Rank. Mild fire powers, flamboyant, much more bark than bite, though still good for publicity (according to Superhero). Despite how weak Hero’s powers were compared to the other supers, even they could take down a C-Rank. This villain was no such thing. Hero felt their blood run colder by the minute as the criminal looked them up and down, investigating now that they were close enough to see every nook and cranny of their persona.

“I’ll be honest,” the villain grinned as they spoke, hands gripping their new friend’s shoulders. “I’ve never actually spoken with a hero before. Never been one to see the value in the showmanship part of villainy. No heroes to foil your schemes if they simply don’t know you exist. Alas, as rudimentary as I find the agency, they have something I need.”

“I’m not telling you anything, if that’s what you’re looking for,” Hero bit back, more than intimidated by just how close the villain was. Upon further inspection, Hero confirmed their worries: the criminal was unarmed. That was unnerving. What kind of villain goes to confront a hero without any tools?

"Sweetheart, I'm not here to interrogate you. I just want to make a deal, one that'll benefit the both of us." As they spoke, the villain's hands started to inch closer to the hero's neck, although their grip wasn't particularly tight. The type of hold that would have felt soft if not for the hands tracing the hero's collarbone leaving behind a lingering threat. The criminal ventured onwards.

"Your little agency has a lot of data, no? A complete documentation of all the criminals of the world. But, all that information is practically public. Accessible to any trainee, any visitor, any eager reporter wandering around the building. It would be a horrible decision for them to document some of the more gritty, immoral details, and thus the comprehensive guide becomes not-so-complete. Tell me, Hero, where is it that you get all the information for your missions?"

"So what some information is missing from the database. If it was important to a mission, they'd tell me."

"Sure they would."

"Where are you going with this?"

"I've read everything there is to read about you, Hero. And, if my intuition is correct – which it will be, you'll rise through the ranks quite quickly with that potential of yours. They'll start assigning you to much more deadly villains and, well, I'm sure you've realised by now that the dangerous ones are the ones off the books. No information for them, what a tragedy."

Villain's eyes glinted slightly, words carefully planned. They were cunning, Hero thought to themself. The dictionary definition of the mastermind archetype. Although, they seemed a lot more defined and well-trained than the typical evil genius.

"Is that your end of the deal, then? Giving me information in exchange for something else?" Hero questioned, desperately trying to follow along. If this villain thought they'd picked the wrong hero to confide in, they'd likely get rid of them and search for a much more competent one.

"I'm not asking for much. Just that you'll keep the door open for me when I come knocking. My contacts list is extensive, a web of the most skilled professionals and bastards out there. But, unfortunately, no heroes. I'm looking to remedy that. It's a simple enough request, isn't it? Just think of it as friendship blossoming between us, if that helps you sleep at night."

Hero gulped, legs feeling unsteady. As much as their moral compass wanted to scream and kick, they really didn’t have an option here. It wasn’t just the villain that was leagues stronger than Hero, it was everyone. Their powers were more of a nuisance than anything, and all of their skillset relied on their strategic planning. If they lacked information, they’d be hopeless in a fight.

Deep down, Hero wasn’t even certain that the threats were the main incentive here. Sure, death was still a terrifying concept to them, they were a rookie. They couldn’t deny that for a second. But, if they refused this offer, it wouldn’t just be them dying. If a dangerous criminal got loose, and nobody knew how to stop them, how many civilians would die? At just the concept of it, guilt rushed straight to their chest.

“And what kind of favours do you tend to ask your contacts for?” Hero asked, uncertain.

“Like I said, you won’t need to get your hands dirty, Hero. I’m not a violent person. Far less bloodthirsty than most of my associates. I’ll be asking no more of you than your coworkers would. Information, security, a place to go when clients get a little roudy. Of course, all these same privileges would belong to you, too.” The villain promised, never once breaking eye contact with the hero.

Confidently, the criminal reached out their hand, waiting for Hero to shake it. A promise, one Hero knew they could never go back on. One that could save lives, albeit at the profit of perhaps the most deadly enemy there could be.

I'm sure you've realised by now that the dangerous ones are the ones off the books.

Trembling only slightly, Hero’s hand met the villain’s in a firm handshake. The latter’s expression shifted to something much more prideful, indicative of a job well done. They’d managed to convince a hero to make a deal with the devil, after all, no blackmail required. Hero didn’t let their glee deter them. This was the right decision to make; they’d spend so many nights sleeplessly scanning through documents because they knew that information was their one shot at heroism. At the promise of more, or more accurately: the threat of missing some, the hero was certain that the good of this deal outweighed the bad.

A commotion began to kick up outside, though the villain didn’t seem to react. Superhero was here, alongside that C-Rank who seemed much more insignificant now. Nowhere near as interesting. The villain gave one final smile before turning on their heels and headed straight to the door. Before they left, they swivelled their head back to look at Hero, who stood idly in the centre of the room.

“I’ll be in touch soon to set up the all the arrangements. Nothing too complicated, don’t worry. Oh, and of course, try not to tell your supervisors about our little chat.” Hero could only nod silently in response, a thousand sensations storming their mind at once. Their fists continued their incessant routine of tightening and relaxing as their nerves grew.

Heavy footsteps pounded from the top floor of the building. Superhero on the lookout for their newest trainee, oblivious to the scene that unfolded moments before their arrival. The criminal laughed softly, the type of laugh that sounded more like an exhale than anything. Then, moments before Superhero walked through the doorway, they left after making one final comment.

“Pleasure doing business with you, Hero.”

[dabislittlemouse]

“Dabi?”

Yes?

“Are you here?”

I’ve always been here love.

“Even when I don’t see you?”

Even when you don’t see me.

“Sometimes it doesn’t feel like it…”

I know princess. But you need to remember what I always used to tell you.

“What?”

That no matter what happens to me, even if death separates me from you, or even if the whole goddamn world ends and burns down to the ground…my soul will always be with yours.

“I know. And it’s so hard… I always try to hold on to your words but I just- I wish I was with you right now.. so bad..”

We will be together soon. I promise

“I wish you never died”

As long as that pretty heart of yours keeps beating for me, I will never die.

[joshuamrl]

I am afraid of being alone—and afraid it might be the only way I know how to be.

[offonaherosjourney]

If Alethkar wasn't always at war with someone, Adolin Kholin would have already discovered and gotten into drag. Sure, his wife would have to write most of his jokes and quips for him, but his fashion and dance routines would be unmatched. Her drag name would be Dolly Khocklin

[wizerdbattle]

Had a brilliant dream where Squall hosted a horrible dinner party in some sort of Gossamer in-between-space for Morrigan, to which she invited Jack and Hawthorne to keep her company. Jack and Hawthorne were trying to find ways to kill him through the Gossamer while he served up a bunch of elaborate woven dishes to try and impress all of them. So uh. I guess I have Nevermoor dreams now?

[thoughtfulfelony]

ok I'm just gonna elaborate on my opinion that the remake of "Cloudy…with a chance of murder" is The Most Evil And Fucked Up Thing Psych Creators Could Ever Do Because Of The Bike Scene Removal y'all remember the "I've been thinking about getting a car" speech right. But let's take a step back and talk about the bike.

The bike symbolizes Shawn's freedom, independence, and in the "Cloudy…" it is implicitly taken by his own father ( which I'm letting go. for now), and in the end a bunch of people prepared to get it back for Shawn, but who gets there first? Lassiter. And it would be SO easy to play it off by having Lassie say something like "I got you your bike back so you could drive the fuck away from my police station", or "you helped me out before so I feel obligated to repay you, now we're even", but no. Lassie's reaction is genuine embarrassment when people found out he got the bike, because it was purely a nice gesture. A nice gesture for Shawn, whom he "hates". So what I'm saying is. metaphorically. Lassiter gives Shawn back all the independence and freedom, because despite all Shawn's antics, he sees him and accepts him for who he is, with all his bullshit, doesn't fall for his lies and literally embraces the deception and rolls with it for eight more seasons, with occasional Gotta Call Him On His Bullshit To Keep Him In Shape. This scene encapsulates the progress of the dynamic between Lassie and Shawn and it's the foundation for their future relationship, where they know they can trust and rely on each other, despite everything. So again, removing it in the remake was a literal crime against humanity and me specifically because it basically erases part of Lassie's character

[mizaruwu]

Yo do you subscribe to the theory that Hyrule Warriors merged the three timelines back together? Cause I've been brainrotting over your necromancer au again and imagining Legend asking for help from Wars by writing a letter and hiding it somewhere where he hopes that it will be preserved until Wars' era.

Maybe Wars feels a little lonely after LU too, so he goes on a journey to discover artifacts left by the heroes before him and stumbles across this letter which simply says "Captain, I hope you find this and can find a way to help us. Rulie is not handling our separation well. Please come help him if you are able. -The Vet"

Wars immediately runs to Lana and after some convincing she agrees to send him through time to the point when the letter was written. He arrives to find Legend sitting with paper and quill still in hand, the faintest smile visible in his tired eyes, and he knows right away that something is very, very wrong.

Does he manage to talk some sense into Hyrule? Does he offer some other healthier coping tool? Who knows but oh man the idea is driving me crazy in the best way lol

Oh I'm totally subscibed to that theory XD

A tiny problem– the timeline is locked in the AU. Time travel can't happen to the parts of the timeline post LU (to stop a problem like monsters crossing timelines again) thats why any time travel item Rulie found can't work anymore. It'll be the same for the rest of the links.

I do think its funny to imagine Warriors finding Legend's letter and realising he can't do anything. No matter how much he asks Lana or prays to Hylia the timeline won't open for him. The helpless guilt? It'll be soo delicious

Hypothetically, Hyrule will be so happy to see Wars again but would grow a tiny bit (an understatement) jealous that the captain was able to visit him. How unfair!

I dont think it would go well. How can Warriors say that Rulie shouldnt raise their dead brothers when its his only way to see them again? When Wars can time travel to visit the others if he wants to?

When wars has loved ones around him he wont endanger when he goes home and Hyrule has to stay away from the princesses so the monsters out for his blood wont come for them? The captain wont be the one alone for who knows how long when he goes back!