Everybody writes their fantasy dialogue like they're in a Tarantino movie

I peer reviewed 30 stories on a writing site last month and 28 of them had characters talking in that snappy, witty back-and-forth that real people never do. Has anyone else noticed how forced that sounds compared to how people actually pause and stumble through conversations?

2 comments

2 Comments

rowanbennett28d ago

Buddy watched someone say "we need to talk" then just stared at their shoes for 10 seconds.

mason_barnes28d ago

Started paying close attention to how people actually talk at work and on the phone, and it's mostly half-finished sentences and awkward pauses. Threw out my whole first draft after that because nobody talks like they're in a cool crime flick while ordering coffee. Now I just write dialogue where people interrupt each other and leave thoughts hanging, it feels way more real.