#letsdiscuss

[kukku2050]

Love is a gift, but mutual love is a miracle. Have you found your everything? ❤️ Comment below!

[bizessenceaustralia]

Attention HR Professionals!

We would like to hear from you!

As #experts in the field, which #HRchallenge do you face most often? Share your insights and experiences in the comments below. Let’s come together as a community to exchange ideas and solutions.

[btcinfonews]

McGregor Token Fails Fundraising Target Amidst Meme Coin Decline

💔 McGregor Token's Fundraising Fumble: A Meme Coin Meltdown? 💔

Once upon a crypto moon, there was a token—a dreamer, a fighter, swooping in to conquer the meme coin arena. Enter the McGregor Token, aiming to raise big bucks but quickly realizing that, much like my ex, the enthusiasm just wasn’t there. 😅

The fundraising goal? Epic. The reality? Not even close. As reported this week, McGregor Token has flopped harder than a failed UFC fight night, snagging just $39,000 of its lofty $1 million dream. #Facepalm

McGregor's expression when he realized he doesn't have a winning token.

What’s the Deal? 🤔

🔥 The meme coin market is experiencing a serious slowdown; farewell to moonshots!

Community concerns brewed a storm, dampening investor spirits.

Is it time to reassess your investment strategies? 🤷‍♂️

Market Saturation – Over It? 🚫

So what happened? Upon a deep dive into the crypto rabbit hole, it turns out our dear Conor was facing a lack of enthusiasm from meme coin lovers. Why? Because just like that last semester of high school, everyone is over it!

Maragkos Petros, Founder of MetadudesX said it best, "Celebrity coins like McGregor’s REAL and Trump’s are toxic for crypto. Driven by hype, they lack utility."

What Lies Ahead? 🔮

If future projects can’t bring something fresh to the table, they might as well be buried in the crypto graveyard. Analysts suggest that innovative features will be the key to unlock better fundraising outcomes. And, as we all know—this wild, unpredictable market loves a good plot twist. 🎭

So, what does this mean for you? Investors and crypto enthusiasts everywhere are taking notes, and some are frantically scrambling to explore options that don’t leave them holding the bag! Ready to dive deeper? Check out the full story HERE! Your thoughts? 🚀💸

Let’s face it; the meme coin craze is cooling down faster than a soda left out in the sun. Are we looking at the rise of the new innovations? Or will the McGregors and Dogecoins of this world be nothing but a wave in crypto history?

#CryptoNews #McGregorToken #MemeCoinMadness #InvestSmart #CryptoCommunity #UKFighter #BlockchainBuzz #LetsDiscuss

[movingpictures]

What's the biggest game-changer in marketing in the last decade.? Let's chat. Is it the rise of social media influencers, AI-driven personalized marketing, or something else.Share your thoughts below. #MarketingTrends #LetsDiscuss.

[aigency]

Hey there! As we delve deeper into the realm of AI, let's discuss the misconceptions and concerns surrounding its potential dangers. 🤔 What fears do you have about AI? Share your thoughts! #AIworries #FutureTech #LetsDiscuss

[fuh-saw-t]

How to Write Character Dialogue 

Like, in a realistic and engaging way. 

Edit: PART 2

Preemptive warning that this extremely long-winded and messy post is designed to be a vague guide to help or prompt beginners with methods they could use in writing, to help people avoid common mistakes, and to hopefully aid in developing unique methods of constructing and presenting dialogue. It's also opinionated, and heavily influenced by my own writing style.

This post will be split up into two posts detailing a macro and a micro view - macro being dialogue in general, and micro focusing on how individual characters and stories will have certain considerations. Reblog and say in the tags if you want Pt 2 on the micro-view.

The 'Macro-View'

Don't start googling that term. I made it up.

The key to making dialogue sound realistic (and, in turn, making your characters appear more like people - making them easier to empathise with) is to think about how real people talk. Very obvious, right? You'd be surprised.

-

Ellipsis 

And no, not the '...' kind. We'll get to that later.

Ellipsis is a term that refers to how words can be omitted from a sentence, yet it can still be understood. It's something we do all the time (though not often thinking about it). For example:

"Are you going home?"

"You going home?"

The latter is entirely understandable, but is not grammatically correct. However, most people do not speak in grammatically correct sentences, or even sentences. We speak in utterances and focus more on being understandable than eloquent. It's important to consider this when writing, as I've seen time and time again - even in published books - the writer focusing too much on making the dialogue grammatically correct. The characters sound dry, void of personality, and appear to be reading off of a script at every moment.

Ellipsis isn't going to be used in every sentence. You still have to think about which character will use it and when.

-

The Other Ellipsis

Gonna break every fanfic writer's heart in one statement: using ellipsis to convey pause is grammatically incorrect.

But, good news! Language is made up and I think it works well for dialogue, so it gets to stay.

Ellipsis (...) can be used to convey a pause - usually when a character is considering something, overthinking or too heartbroken to think straight. It can technically be used anywhere, but I'd advise against using it at the beginning of a sentence, like this:

He muttered, "...I can't believe it."

Because, honestly, it doesn't really convey much that you couldn't show through other methods. And, since a pause is silence, placing it at the start of a sentence conveys (in most cases) nothing, as of course there would be silence - the character hadn't started speaking yet.

However, when placed at the end of a sentence, like this:

He muttered, "I can't believe it…"

We report back to the primary purpose of an ellipsis - to convey something has been omitted. Here, the use of the points have created the impression that the character had more to say, but instead trailed off. This is something we do in speech all the time.

-

Dashes

To me, dashes are a near-essential part of constructing realistic dialogue; they can be used to present characters' spontaneity, the insertion of impromptu remarks, or a 'take it or leave it' comment that can be considered by the other characters or reader based on context (or what's remembered). For example:

"Well," he said, flipping idly through the pages, "we could go to the city and protest there—that might be too dangerous—or try to rally some support from the neighbouring villages."

That's the (largely) grammatically correct version, though. Since language is made up, punctuation is a lie and readers don't notice nor care, you can do whatever. There, I used the 'em dash' (as opposed to the 'en dash', which is '–', or the hyphen, which is '-'). This is what grammarians and dictionaries tell you to do, but you can totally change whatever you want to suit what you think looks best. Such as putting in an en dash or a hyphen instead, putting spaces between the words and the punctuation mark, or putting marks such as '?' or '!' within the subordinate clause (a relatively-new habit of mine).

As you can tell, I usually put a '-' in writing where I don't have to bother. Like here on this blog.

Overall, dashes are a great way of inserting side-comments and impromptu thoughts, making your characters seem much more natural and alive. Moreover, they can be used to give the effect of stuttering. And, as a bonus, they can also be used to show interruption or a stopped thought. For example:

"But you didn't tell me about—"

"I didn't have to tell you anything."

Personally, I use en dashes for interruptions and em dashes for self-obstructed speech (where the character stops themselves) to indicate the following silence. Punctuation can be used creatively to show whatever effect you want. Experiment and find your style!

-

Contractions

This is a short one, since I'll touch on it in part 2, but contractions such as 'don't' and 'I'm' do not necessarily indicate a character, for lack of a better term, isn't posh. I see people try to write characters that are intended to be posh or highly educated all the time and decide the best way to show that through their speech is to omit contractions. In fact, it just makes them sound a bit like a robot. People can still use contractions in speech if they're highly educated, especially in a context where their education or status is not relevant. There are better methods to show a character's personality or upbringing through dialogue, but we'll touch on that later.

-

Dialogue Placement

I'm too lazy to think of, or look for, a better term. It's where you put the dialogue, and how much of it you have. Simple as.

Let's be blunt. Don't do this:

He said, "blah blah blah."

She replied, "blah blah blah."

He responded, "blah blah–"

She screamed, "blah blah blah!"

Riveting dialogue, am I right?

Instead, let's try jazz things up. Ensure that your speakers are clear to the reader, that the tone can be understood through either your punctuation, descriptions or dialogue, and you'll be absolutely fine.

Elliot was heartbroken. Taking Elena's hand, he told her, "I can be better, I promise."

"Seriously?" She snapped her hand out from his grip. "If you could be better, then why weren't you better before? Before all this, I– now I don't know what to think."

"But you don't have to think! I'm telling you, Elena, the life we can have–"

"I don't want to hear it!" She screamed, "We're over!"

Even if you replaced that with blahs, it'd probably be a bit more engaging. The content of your dialogue isn't the only thing that matters, it's how it's placed. Here, the placing is diversified; the dialogue is sometimes embedded within the sentence, more so than before, making the words seem a lot more related to the context; a better view of the situation is shown, and we aren't bothering the reader with a constant 'she said, he said' situation. Though, it should be noted that 'said' is your friend, not an enemy.

Also, you know how sometimes in TV you get characters go 'all right!', 'so cool!', 'let's go!, etc, and wonder how much they paid the voice actors to say the same generic one-liner ten times an episode? That happens in writing, too. If it's something generic and unimportant to the plot or adds nothing to the situation, you can describe it instead or leave it out entirely. 

Like how you can say 'he screamed in pain' instead of typing out "AUGSHAHSGEJAJAHHHHHHHAAAAAA!!!"

-

Also, a few other, quick things because I am tired:

Every rule of punctuation and grammar, as well as every piece of advice you'll ever be given, can be broken in certain situations. Always take advise and grammar rules into consideration, but recognise when it may be best to break them.

Avoid empty adverbs. These are situational.

E.g. 'She whispered quietly' is empty - the verb 'whispered' already insinuates the action was quiet. Adverbs should add to a description or circumvent expectations, an example being if she 'whispered angrily'. Adverbs are not always necessary.

Please don't overuse dashes and overdo stuttering. I'm looking at you, My Hero Academia Fanfiction writers. This line is directed at you.

-

Obligatory 'I'm not a professional, I just do things sometimes and have some education on this'.

Asks are open, and if anyone wants a Pt 2 where I cover considerations in writing dialogue for certain situations, personality traits, etc, feel free to either ask for that in the comments/tags or send an ask in about what specific thing you want covered!

[kreeshaturner]

🤐Funny how so many men spend years damaging women, yet when they are ready to settle down, they want a woman that is not damaged 😒🙊 Ladies, Gentlemen, thoughts????💁🏽‍♀️🧐 #letsdiscuss #talktome #takemeasiam #quarantinetalk (at Edmonton, Alberta) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_S7ZCrHPWc/?igshid=xzfhtx95qjfp

[jojorf360]

I’ve Been a Bit Lost

Hi there! It’s been quite a bit of time since I decided to write on here again. I honestly don’t have much of an excuse, other than I’ve been a bit demotivated. There have been some changes in my life that may have brought upon that mindset, but I’m here now, thankfully. I could babble on about my personal issues, but who wants to hear that? Anyways, what’s clouding up your mind?

[juniper-lii]

View this post on Instagram

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🔷🔶🔷🔶 #newsflash 🔶🔷🔶🔷 The newest episode of the #islandDreams #podcast is out now. Title: What is Beauty? (Link in bio) Available on #Spotify #iheartradio #applepodcasts #googlepodcasts #andmore @teddysphotos @johnlegend #letstalkaboutit #letstalk #letsdiscuss #beautifulpeople #beautysbeholder #inspirethepeople #motivatethepeople #forthepeople https://www.instagram.com/p/B0O1gbQgLDb/?igshid=h33rnzfzcbnb

[jay-lynch-blog]

We're gonna be shooting the shit while shooting shit tonight! Find us at twitch.tv/celticsarge1 or twitch.tv/TSEJoe ! Follow the links now and smash that follow button so you get notified with we go LIVE! #twitchstreamer #twitchtv #smallstream #letsdiscuss https://www.instagram.com/p/CplCzCsuJxM/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[cocoaswatches]

oh don’t mind me..just swatching inclusive products and minding my business 😬 What are some recent complexion product launches that have really impressed you? That have disappointed you? #LetsDiscuss https://www.instagram.com/p/Bl6byuZn0yS/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=7llqtapwbw08

[heardyoubeloved]

Check-In: did you do your self-care? If so, what'd you do? Drop a comment #checkingin #checkin #howareyou #mindfulness #selfimprovement #thoughtoftheday #mentalhealth #mentalwellness #menspodcast #podcast #growthmindset #harlempodcast #nycpodcast #blackpodcast #latinopodcast #mybrotherskeeper #letsdiscuss #letshaveaconversation #letstalkaboutit #letshaveadiscussion #discourse #discoursecommunity #judgementfreezone https://www.instagram.com/p/CmXTC3Ev2r0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[muzikaddik]

✨Diversity 101 ✨ 📸: @strapsandsouls Powered ⚡️by @cultureenergized #culture #diversity #inclusion #publicspeaking #safespace #letsdiscuss (at Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library) https://www.instagram.com/p/BszXWI8gaa1/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=l9iw4gsixwj

[fuh-saw-t]

-How to Write Character Dialogue-

Part 2: Characterisation Boogaloo

One again beginning with the mandatory 'This is just my process with my writing style. I don't work on what is correct - I work on what I find is best in my opinion. You can take this advice, adapt it to your own style, stories and characters, etc'.

This post concerns the specifics of dialogue. The more open-ended advice can be found here, under the Macro-View.

The 'Micro-View'

Once again, I made that term up.

Every story, character, scene and method of presenting events, thoughts, feelings and expressions will inevitably be unique. Here, I'll explore different approaches, methods and considerations that you can take to heart whilst writing the dialogue of your characters.

-

Amount

In the writing of dialogue, your first consideration should be 'does this character need to say anything here?'

Oftentimes, I see dialogue which, if removed, has no change on ambience, the scene, character development, characterisation or any relevant interactions. Does your character need to input their opinion here? Not thinking of the usual 'who asked?' sort of way, but does it change, show or do anything? Do they need to exclaim "Woah!" or can that instead be described, or omitted entirely?

Too much useless character dialogue can sort of 'clog up' your page, if you get what I mean. What I'm referring to, however, in no means include things that you believe adds something to your character, a character relation, or the ambience and feel of the scene. I made a note of this in the previous post, but I felt this deserved an elaboration/secondary mention.

-

Emotions and Intensity

Dialogue in intense and emotional moments, especially in a dramatic scene, I think can do wonders. It serves to engage your reader and direct the scene, instead of just having people kick each other or cry. As dialogue should be separated through paragraphs at each person talking, it makes the scene move quickly - the reader reads it quickly, too. Kind of meta, isn't it?

Make use of syntax. Short sentences, pauses, ellipsis (the dots and omission kind), false starts, etc. All of these can show emotion and make your dialogue feel natural, without having to state it outright. E.g.

"I don't think this is working," he said. "It's not that I'm… ungrateful, that's just— that's not what I mean. We need to try something else, something new."

Not the best example I could give, but this post isn't exactly a Times Best Seller (as if that means anything).

Someone who is nervous ‐ for any reason, if they're in front of their crush, are experiencing fear, etc - may use a lot of these pauses and false starts. But it's good to remember not to overdo them. Read your text out loud. Seriously, it helps. Overusing pauses and false starts can really dampen their effect.

Also, people never stutter as much as you think they do, unless they have a speech impediment (which is perfectly valid, if that's a part of your character). Stuttering is fine, but don't overdo it nor use it in situations where it doesn't call for it, unless it's a recognised trait in your character. Even then, going "N-N-N-N-No" never looks good. Like, it genuinely doesn't look good on the page nor screen. Yes I do judge that.

Italics can also be used as emphasis to convey intensity. So can dashes. Use exclamation points wisely, punctuation marks can be easily overused.

As another note, please use description and character actions alongside emotive or intense dialogue. Dialogue is never separate to your descriptions nor your story. Think carefully about how you can use expressions, actions and descriptions of tones to further the feeling you're intending to show in your dialogue, or to change the meaning of what a character is saying in context.

-

Informal Speech and Accents

Popular character distinctions can involve the written display of slang, informal speech and accents. Personally, I adore these traits, as they can add character and insinuate things that do not have to be explicitly said; the use of informalities can really distinguish your character and make them memorable and unique.

But, as with everything, things can go horribly wrong (in my opinion).

Rule one of dialogue: don't get caught up trying to make your dialogue grammatically correct. It's not going to sound natural. Slang and general, everyday informalities may not be in many dictionaries nor will it be accepted by autocorrect or grammarly, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be in your writing. Different characters' uses of colloquialisms (such as, 'Heyo!' 'How's it hangin?' 'Darn it.') can add a certain quirk to them, whether this means they use general popular slang or no slang at all. Don't ever think of removing colloquialisms from a characters' dialogue for the sake of having correct grammar. This also goes for traits of AAVE. Use it when you see fit, whether or not conventional grammar agrees with it. All variations of English are valid. Moreover, I adore it when fantasy or other-world stories make their own unique slang, informalities or alternative vocabulary. It can say so much about the world they live in, and what some groups' ideologies are.

However, make sure you don't overdo the use of slang or divergent grammar and syntax. It's good to make your characters talk differently and have styles of speech that are distinct from one another, but what's even more important is that your reader can understand what you're writing. If you're using so much that someone has to have Urban Dictionary open while they read your story, that's not a good sign. This also goes for accents; it's sometimes beneficial to diversify speech, but if the spelling differences and grammatical changes get so prominent a reader can't read it or has to re-read to understand, you have a bit of a problem to correct. If they can't understand the dialogue, they don't understand your story. I've had to put multiple written works (published books, even) down because the use of slang and how they write in accents was so proficient I couldn't figure out what characters were saying.

Overall, I'd say not to write out accents (changing spelling with how words would be said). It can really make the dialogue unreadable, and can often turn out sounding like an offensive caricature.

-

Education

A common character dialogue difference which I also love is the distinctions between those who are educated and those who are not. Of course, this is very diverse among characters and can go beyond that black-and-white summary. A character's status may be at play, their ego, or even how they are educated - a character who is educated by people who value different things or hate another group may speak differently to one who is educated in another way.

Common distinctions made to show educational or cultural differences between characters include contractions and vocabulary.

Contractions (such as 'don't' or 'I'll') are something I often see absent in characters of high status or education. This, though often functional, can be overdone. I'll touch more on my other approach to this later, but the complete absence of contractions can make someone sound like a robot. Urgent situations may make even the most high-status, educated character use ellipsis (in the omission way, as referenced in the last post), contractions and other forms of shortening.

Moreover, in relation to vocabulary, the character may not use long words at every interval. They may be more articulate and expressive in their word choices, but that doesn't equate to using lesser-known or complicated words. If you want to diversify your character's vocabulary, though, always take into account pragmatics and general use, and if it sounds natural in the context. Again repeating to read your dialogue out loud and get a proofreader. It can save your writing, seriously.

On a mirroring note, if you're dealing with highly uneducated characters, be careful with how you present them. Just because someone is uneducated, or doesn't have an expansive vocabulary or a solid grasp of grammar, doesn't mean they're any less intelligent or expressive. The character may articulate their feelings in a different way, but that is not a lesser way. Let the character be creative with their words and how they lay them out. Remember that a lack of education in a character does not, in any way, equal stupidity.

Related: Educated characters who overuse big words in weird contexts sound dumber than any uneducated character ever will. Facts, ykno.

-

Character Limitations

There are a lot of ways you can accidentally limit the range of your character's expression through the writing of their dialogue. Here's things to look out for. And yes, these are all things I've seen before.

To do with typography (fonts, font sizes, bold and italics), I heavily advise against giving a character a distinctive typographic style of speaking. For example, doing this:

"I AM HERE!"

"HELLO!"

"What's the matter?"

This, in a way, limits your character extensively. A character who is consistently written to speak in all-caps or bolded lettering will always sound like they're yelling, and will not have room to express themselves in a more sympathetic, emotive or calm way. This is unless you forfeit the style, which is a problem in itself. It creates inconsistency: a writer's biggest downfall, in some cases. In fact, this use at all is inconsistent, as not all characters will have their dialogue written with the same method of typography. Also, it just kind of looks ugly on the page and can cause accessibility problems with those who have dyslexia or sight issues.

In addition to this, there is what I mentioned before to do with the use of contractions. A character who always sounds articulate and in use of an extensive vocabulary doesn't always have to be this way. Of course, they shouldn't break character, but if they're in a heavily-emotive situation where they don't have time to properly think out what they're saying, they're not going to speak as if they're reciting the Bible. There's nothing wrong with posh, well-spoken characters. It's just a matter of knowing how to diversify their own speech and having the confidence to explore other sides to their character through their dialogue.

This also goes for other characterisation decisions. You have a quiet character who speaks little, in small utterances? I love those character types! But don't limit their expression and characterisation by seeing that as the only thing they can do. An excited, wonderous character who asks a lot of questions and uses exclamatives often can have their quiet moments. An angry, usually violent character can become soft-spoken.

In fact, I'd say these changes in dialogue can really uplevel stories and characters. When a character changes their usual dialogue quirks (when the plot/scene calls for it), it can mark an incredibly pivotal and key point in their development and personality.

E.g, a rich, high-status character having a meltdown, swearing and mixing up their words; a quiet character talking for a long time to console their best friend on something they relate to; the excited character finally losing their spark and becoming serious when upset; an angry, violent character becoming docile when interacting or confessing to their crush. Choices in dialogue styles for different characters, depending on scenes and situations, can change the game entirely.

-

Overall, my advice in creating realistic, engaging and in-character dialogue that shows your character's distinct personality and characteristics is to read the dialogue out loud, don't bother too much about grammar and more about readability and get a proofreader or friend that'll be honest in their opinions to look over your story.

Even more, I'd highly recommend experimenting. This goes for everything in writing, honestly. Practise writing dialogue by writing conversations between your different characters, even if said conversations won't appear in your story. Practice writing scenes. Experiment with your style and how different characters talk. Lay out your characters personalities and think about how you can implement details into their speech that subtly show who they are and what they think. Consider punctuation - it matters more than you'd expect it to.

Grow your style at your own pace. Listen to constructive feedback, and openly search for people to show their opinions and give advice on your work. Make sure you understand your characters, their values and their quirks.

And, most importantly, have fun!

[scholarshipja]

#letsdiscuss 🚨 The Jamaica Teachers' Association (#JTA) has warned the country to brace for an exodus of teachers this year as already over 400 have left the island to take up lucrative job opportunities in the United States, with just four weeks to go before the start of the new school year. Read more: Click the link in @jamaicaobserver stories or the link in our bio. @jtaccu @jamaica_teachers @jamaica.teaching.council @jamaicateachers @teachingcoucil #teachers #workabroad (at ScholarshipJamaica.com) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg8B9Nsuqsp/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=