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How to Be More Articulate in Everyday Speech & Storytelling

Here’s how to be more articulate when speaking in everyday conversations and telling stories. This guide will help you formulate your thoughts and improve your speech and vocabulary. I’ve geared the advice in this guide toward adults who want to be better at expressing themselves in everyday situations.

How to be more articulate in everyday speech

How to be more articulate when telling stories, 1. speak slower and use pauses.

If you tend to talk fast when you’re nervous, try slowing down and taking a breath for two seconds at the end of each sentence. Doing this helps you gather your thoughts. It also projects confidence, which is a nice bonus.

A quick hint: I look away from the person I’m talking to when I pause. It helps focus my mind and avoids the distraction of wondering what the other person is thinking.

2. Seek out chances to talk rather than avoiding it

The only way to master something is to do it over and over again. Like Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “ The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. ” Fear is paralyzing – do it anyway. Go out to that party where you only know a few people. Keep making conversation for a few more minutes rather than ending it prematurely, even if it makes you uncomfortable. Speak louder than you’re used to so everyone can hear you. Tell a story regardless of whether you think you’ll mess it up.

3. Read books out loud if you find pronunciation hard and record it

I have a friend who’s a soft talker. She reads books out loud and makes sure to project and enunciate her words. She also records herself.

You can do this too. See how you sound at the beginning of your sentence and the end. Those are the parts where soft talkers tend to begin too quietly, or they trail off and disappear. Also, pay attention to your pronunciation. Use the recording to see what you could do to speak more clearly. Then take a look at our advice below on emphasizing the last part of each word as you say it.

4. Write in discussion forums online to practice conveying a point

Write answers in the subreddits Explainlikeimfive and NeutralPolitics . Doing this will give you practice getting your idea across, and you’ll get instant feedback in the comments. Also, the top comment is usually so well written and explained you can learn a lot about getting your point across from it alone.

5. Record yourself talking in everyday situations

Put your phone on record when you’re talking with friends and have your headset in so you can hear yourself. What do you sound like when you play yourself back? Do you sound pleasing or annoying? Alarming or boring? Odds are, how you feel will be the same as those listening to you. Now you know where you need to make changes.

6. Read the classic “Plain Words”

This time-honored style guide will help you get your ideas across effectively. Get it here . (Not an affiliate link. I recommend the book because I think it’s worth reading.) Here is a preview of what you’ll find in this book:

• How to use the right words to say what you mean.
• When writing and speaking, think about others first. Be brief, precise and human.
• Tips on how to make your sentences and vocabulary more efficient.
• The essential parts of grammar.

7. Use simple rather than complicated language

I tried using more complicated words to sound more articulate and polished. That backfired because it made it more difficult to talk, and I just seemed like a try-hard. Use the words that come to you first. Your sentences will flow better than if you are continuously searching for words to appear smart. One study even found that using overly complicated language makes us come off as less intelligent.[ 1 ]

Conversely, if you love words, do what comes naturally in your speech. Talk like you write. If you find you’re talking ‘over the head’ of your audience, use more accessible words.

8. Omit filler words and sounds

You know those words and sounds we use when we’re thinking like: ah, uhm, ya, like, kinda, hmmm. They make it harder for us to be understood. Instead of defaulting to those filler words, take a second and collect your thoughts, then proceed. People will wait while you think, and they will be interested to hear the rest of your thoughts.

Think of it as an unintentional dramatic pause. It’s human nature to want to know what comes next.

9. Project your voice

When needed, can you make yourself heard from 15-20 feet (5-6 meters) away? If not, work at projecting your voice, so people have no problem hearing you. In noisy environments, a loud voice will make you appear more articulate. When you talk with your full vocal range, you speak from your chest rather than your throat. Try “moving down” your voice to your belly. It’s louder, but you aren’t straining or yelling.

Have a look at this article for more tips on how to make your quiet voice heard .

10. Use high & low pitch

Alternate your pitch from high to low and back again to keep people interested. This adds drama to your stories. If you have a hard time imagining it, the opposite is speaking in a monotone. Try listening to great speakers like Barack Obama and actors like Cillian Murphy to see what we mean by high and low pitches drawing you into the story.

11. Use short and long sentences alternately

This allows you to provide impressive detail in long sentences and emotions in short sentences. Try to avoid several long sentences in a row. It can overwhelm people with information, which may confuse them, causing them to check out of the conversation.

12. Talk with assurance and confidence

Project confidence with your body language and your tone of voice. Try not to use qualifying words like maybe, perhaps, sometimes etc. Even if you second guess yourself internally, speak with conviction. People are wired to discern when others are believable.[ 2 ] You can achieve that with your delivery.

13. Slow down and pause

When you want to emphasize a point or a word, slow your pace down and take a breath. People will notice the change and will follow you more closely. You can speed up your pace when you are covering things your audience already knows.

14. Vocabulary do’s & don’ts

Meet your audience where they are. Use words that are accessible to everyone, and you’ll reach more people. Using big words can get you in trouble if you’re trying to impress others, and the words don’t come naturally to you. You’ll feel uncomfortable, and your audience will lose faith in you, or they’ll move on because it’s above their pay grade.

15. Visualize being great at speaking to a group of people

If you’re like me, you’re uncomfortable being the center of attention, and when you are, you’re probably worried you’ll screw up. Remember what you heard about self-fulfilling prophecies. Use that knowledge to imagine talking to a group of people and killing it. Those are the images you want in your head. We fear the unknown, but if you beat fear to the punch, and think about what you do want, you’re halfway to making it happen.

16. Speak with harmony

You know you’ve mastered public speaking when you’ve perfected this habit. To speak with harmony, you must combine what you learned about short and long sentences with high and low pitches. Doing this will create a natural and pleasant flow that draws people in. It’s almost like music. Go back to speakers like Barack Obama, and you’ll see why he’s so effective. It’s because he punctuates his speech with high/low pitches, short, impactful sentences and long, detailed ones. His addresses are mesmerizing as a result.

See what’s considered the speech that made Obama here .

1. Think through the broad strokes of the story before you start talking

Storytelling has three main components: a beginning, middle, and end. Think about how each section fits into the whole before you start telling the story.

Imagine you just got a promotion at work and you want to let your friends know. These would be the broad strokes:

• Say how long you’ve had the job – gives context.
• Was being promoted a goal of yours? If it was, this tells us if it was hard-earned or not.
• Tell them how you found out about the promotion and your reaction.

They want to know how you felt and to relive the event as you tell it.

Knowing how you want to tell a story before you begin will make it better.

2. Try telling a story in a mirror

Joe Biden used to have problems being articulate when he was a child. He attributes overcoming it to reading poetry in the mirror. This technique is excellent to practice telling stories and also to see how you look and sound. If you worry that you’re too quiet or you don’t command attention, try being animated and enunciating your words. It’s a practice run, see what works.

3. Read fiction books to improve your vocabulary

Reading is a must to become a great communicator. When you read you:

• Improve your vocabulary
• Become better at writing and speaking
• Learn from experts how to tell a good story

Have a look at these books for inspiration.

4. Join Toastmasters

You’ll meet regularly, give a speech, and then get feedback from others on that speech. I was intimidated by Toastmasters at first because I thought everyone there would be amazing speakers. Instead, they’re people just like us – they want to be more articulate and conquer their fear of public speaking.

5. Ask yourself what the audience may not know

Include the critical parts of the story when you tell it, making sure to fill in all the necessary plot lines. The Who, What, Why, Where and When:

• Who are the people involved?
• What are the important things that happened?
• Why did it happen?
• Where did it take place? (If relevant)
• When did this happen (If required for understanding)

6. Add excitement to the delivery of your story

Add drama by telling the story with excitement and suspense. It’s all about the delivery. Things like, “You wouldn’t believe what happened to me today.” “I turned the corner, and then Bam! I ran right into my boss.”

7. Omit what doesn’t add to the story

If you love detail and pride yourself on your extensive memory, this is where you need to be brutal. Avoid information dumping. Think of your audience, just like a writer does. They won’t mention how someone coughs unless it’s a sign of a plot-affecting illness. In the same way, you only want to say things that are important to your story.

8. Journal daily events to practice your narration

Try journaling to practice formulating your thoughts. Pick out the things that made you laugh or get angry. Try describing an event. Fill the page with the details of the story and how it made you feel. Then read it back to yourself, both that day and a week later. See what works and what doesn’t. When you’re happy with how you wrote it, try saying it out loud in a mirror. If you want, read it aloud to a friend.

9. Emphasize the last letter of each word

I know this sounds weird, but give it a go. You will see how it makes you enunciate every word. Try saying this out loud: Talki ng slow er an d emphasiz ing the las t lett er o f ea ch wor d mak es yo u a mo re impac tful speak er . If you’d like to hear an example, listen to Winston Churchill’s speeches. He was a master of this technique.

• Oppenheimer, D. M. (2006). Consequences of erudite vernacular utilized irrespective of necessity: Problems with using long words needlessly . Applied Cognitive Psychology: The Official Journal of the Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition , 20 (2), 139-156.
• Sah, S., Moore, D. A., & MacCoun, R. J. (2013). Cheap talk and credibility: The consequences of confidence and accuracy on advisor credibility and persuasiveness . Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes , 121 (2), 246-255.

David Morin is the founder of SocialSelf. He's been writing about social skills since 2012. Follow on Twitter or read more .

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“Consequences of erudite vernacular utilized irrespective of necessity”…! I love this. As Orwell would say, “this mixture of vagueness and sheer incompetence is the most marked characteristic of modern English prose, and especially of any kind of political writing”.

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The power of language: How words shape people, culture

Speaking, writing and reading are integral to everyday life, where language is the primary tool for expression and communication. Studying how people use language – what words and phrases they unconsciously choose and combine – can help us better understand ourselves and why we behave the way we do.

Linguistics scholars seek to determine what is unique and universal about the language we use, how it is acquired and the ways it changes over time. They consider language as a cultural, social and psychological phenomenon.

“Understanding why and how languages differ tells about the range of what is human,” said Dan Jurafsky , the Jackson Eli Reynolds Professor in Humanities and chair of the Department of Linguistics in the School of Humanities and Sciences at Stanford . “Discovering what’s universal about languages can help us understand the core of our humanity.”

The stories below represent some of the ways linguists have investigated many aspects of language, including its semantics and syntax, phonetics and phonology, and its social, psychological and computational aspects.

Understanding stereotypes

Stanford linguists and psychologists study how language is interpreted by people. Even the slightest differences in language use can correspond with biased beliefs of the speakers, according to research.

One study showed that a relatively harmless sentence, such as “girls are as good as boys at math,” can subtly perpetuate sexist stereotypes. Because of the statement’s grammatical structure, it implies that being good at math is more common or natural for boys than girls, the researchers said.

Language can play a big role in how we and others perceive the world, and linguists work to discover what words and phrases can influence us, unknowingly.

How well-meaning statements can spread stereotypes unintentionally

New Stanford research shows that sentences that frame one gender as the standard for the other can unintentionally perpetuate biases.

Algorithms reveal changes in stereotypes

New Stanford research shows that, over the past century, linguistic changes in gender and ethnic stereotypes correlated with major social movements and demographic changes in the U.S. Census data.

Exploring what an interruption is in conversation

Stanford doctoral candidate Katherine Hilton found that people perceive interruptions in conversation differently, and those perceptions differ depending on the listener’s own conversational style as well as gender.

Cops speak less respectfully to black community members

Professors Jennifer Eberhardt and Dan Jurafsky, along with other Stanford researchers, detected racial disparities in police officers’ speech after analyzing more than 100 hours of body camera footage from Oakland Police.

How other languages inform our own

People speak roughly 7,000 languages worldwide. Although there is a lot in common among languages, each one is unique, both in its structure and in the way it reflects the culture of the people who speak it.

Jurafsky said it’s important to study languages other than our own and how they develop over time because it can help scholars understand what lies at the foundation of humans’ unique way of communicating with one another.

“All this research can help us discover what it means to be human,” Jurafsky said.

Stanford PhD student documents indigenous language of Papua New Guinea

Fifth-year PhD student Kate Lindsey recently returned to the United States after a year of documenting an obscure language indigenous to the South Pacific nation.

Students explore Esperanto across Europe

In a research project spanning eight countries, two Stanford students search for Esperanto, a constructed language, against the backdrop of European populism.

Chris Manning: How computers are learning to understand language​

A computer scientist discusses the evolution of computational linguistics and where it’s headed next.

Stanford research explores novel perspectives on the evolution of Spanish

Using digital tools and literature to explore the evolution of the Spanish language, Stanford researcher Cuauhtémoc García-García reveals a new historical perspective on linguistic changes in Latin America and Spain.

Language as a lens into behavior

Linguists analyze how certain speech patterns correspond to particular behaviors, including how language can impact people’s buying decisions or influence their social media use.

For example, in one research paper, a group of Stanford researchers examined the differences in how Republicans and Democrats express themselves online to better understand how a polarization of beliefs can occur on social media.

“We live in a very polarized time,” Jurafsky said. “Understanding what different groups of people say and why is the first step in determining how we can help bring people together.”

Analyzing the tweets of Republicans and Democrats

New research by Dora Demszky and colleagues examined how Republicans and Democrats express themselves online in an attempt to understand how polarization of beliefs occurs on social media.

Examining bilingual behavior of children at Texas preschool

A Stanford senior studied a group of bilingual children at a Spanish immersion preschool in Texas to understand how they distinguished between their two languages.

Predicting sales of online products from advertising language

Stanford linguist Dan Jurafsky and colleagues have found that products in Japan sell better if their advertising includes polite language and words that invoke cultural traditions or authority.

Language can help the elderly cope with the challenges of aging, says Stanford professor

By examining conversations of elderly Japanese women, linguist Yoshiko Matsumoto uncovers language techniques that help people move past traumatic events and regain a sense of normalcy.

Tips for Online Students , Tips for Students

How To Be More Articulate: Tips To Be A Better Speaker

Updated: July 11, 2022

Published: May 18, 2021

Speaking in front of others might come naturally to some people, but for many it’s their worst nightmare. But when it comes to speaking articulately, this is a skill that’s very important to possess. Even if you don’t consider yourself to be that well-spoken, learning how to be more articulate in everyday speech can help you be a better speaker overall.

The Basics: How To Be More Articulate in Everyday Speech

Learning how to be more articulate is a process, and it won’t happen overnight. But, if this is a goal that you have for yourself ⁠— whether it’s because you want to make more friends, participate more in the classroom, overcome your fear of public speaking, or make yourself stand out more at a job interview — there are several steps you can take to improve your speaking.

Imitate Speakers You Admire

Who is a speaker that you like to listen to? Think of someone that you admire for their way with words and how they are in front of an audience. A smart first step in becoming more articulate is to imitate speakers that you like. Watch them and listen to them, and notice what they do to capture an audience. Then, try to replicate that the next time you’re speaking with others.

Use of Pauses

Another good trick to help you learn how to become more articulate is to use pauses at the right moments when you’re speaking. Whenever you want to emphasize a sentence, phrase, word, or even a feeling, using a pause before or after will do that for you.

Watch Your Sentence Length

Using long sentences can not only lose your audience, but it can make you out of breath! While it’s okay to use long sentences every so often, try to break them up with shorter sentences to maintain the pace of your speech.

Use Rhythm, Pitch Variation, and Voice Projection

There’s nothing more exhausting than listening to a monotonous speaker. Therefore, it’s important to use rhythm and tempo when you speak. Your intonation is really what captures your listeners, and if you can have a beat to your tone — going up and down when necessary — you’ll sound like a very experienced speaker.

You’ll also want to use a variation in your pitch, as well as train yourself to project your voice or quiet your speaking depending on what emotion you want to evoke in your audience.

Image by Michelle Koebke from Pixabay

The Secret To Being Well-Spoken

Any person can practice for a speech or a presentation in order to sound less nervous. But the secret to being well-spoken in everyday speech takes a lot of practice in order to perfect it and allow you to naturally be more articulate. By following a series of steps, you will be well on your way to becoming more well-spoken.

First, Listen To Yourself Speak

In addition to listening to and imitating a speaker you admire, you should also listen to yourself speak. Although it may be cringe-worthy for some individuals, recording your voice with an audio recorder or video camera and then listening to/watching yourself speak can do wonders.

When you hear it, ask yourself what you’d like to improve on. And, if you’re brave enough, ask a friend, mentor, or teacher to listen, too, because sometimes it’s helpful to get tips from someone else who may hear your speech differently than you do.

Understand Your Audience

The next step in becoming a better speaker is to understand your audience. When you’re speaking, it’s important to adjust your speech depending on who you are speaking to.

For instance, if you are speaking to a class of kindergartners, you’re going to want to use the appropriate-level vocabulary, with a higher pitch and more excitement in your tone overall. But when you’re speaking to someone that’s interviewing you for a job, you’ll want to make yourself sound intelligent, serious, but also approachable.

Slow It Down

Sometimes when we are nervous, we tend to speed up our speech, which can be the one thing holding us back from sounding more articulate. So, when you speak, remember to slow down. Use pauses to help with this, or take a breath between longer sentences.

Eliminate Filler Words/Keep It Simple

When we’re nervous, we tend to insert filler words to fill the spaces in between what we really want to say. Words and phrases like “umm”, “like”, “so”, and “you know” , can easily find their way into speech when what we really want to say isn’t coming out as clearly as we’d like. Try to avoid using these filler words at all costs. And, if you’re struggling to find a word that’s just not coming to you, then remember that keeping it simple is best for everyone.

Enunciate the Final Sound/End of a Word

It’s very common in speaking that the last sound of a word or sentence tends to get mumbled out. While this isn’t necessarily wrong, making sure to enunciate the final sound can make you sound firm and confident in your speech. This will naturally help you sound more articulate. Be sure to always check your pronunciation and hear for those final sounds when speaking.

Show Off Your Confidence

If you are not confident about your speaking, your audience will be able to tell. Even if you don’t necessarily feel confident, try to pretend that you are. Make eye contact with your listeners, and try and carry yourself in a way that exudes confidence. Take Your Time

You should always think before you speak. If you take a second to think about what you want to say before just saying whatever comes to mind, you’ll be able to be more careful with your words.

Not only will this make you more articulate (since you’ll be able to avoid using filler words), it will help you to be more mindful of another person’s thoughts and feelings.

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

How To Be Articulate and More…

Learning how to be more articulate takes time and practice. But, once you’ve perfected your speaking, you can always take it to the next level. Depending on which aspects of your articulateness you’d like to improve, there are some strategies to help you get there.

How To Be More Articulate and Intelligent

To be more articulate and intelligent, speaking slowly and carefully to give yourself enough time to think of the right word or phrase before going ahead. Also, it’s worth it to improve your vocabulary so that you can use these words while speaking. Familiarize yourself with diverse topics in order to broaden your knowledge in terms of things you can speak about.

How To Be More Articulate and Polished

Next, to sound more polished when you are speaking, do not answer questions with simple answers. Always give supporting information and evidence, and address the person you’re talking to with specifics and with their name.

How To Be More Articulate and Confident

A lot of what makes a person seem confident when they speak has actually nothing to do with the words coming out of their mouth. In order to sound more articulate and confident, maintain good posture, try to avoid habits like swinging your legs or wringing your hands while speaking, and command the room with a positive presence.

How To Be More Articulate and Powerful

Lastly, to sound more articulate and powerful, avoid using loose descriptive words and superlatives. When you talk about something, talk about it for what it is, and never beat around the bush. Be direct and to the point, and use facts and information to support your points.

Additional Speaking Tips

When it comes to learning how to be more articulate, some speaking tips will resonate with some people more than others, depending on what your specific issues are with speaking and what you want to improve on.

However, there are some additional speaking tips that can help you with speaking in everyday life.

Don’t Sound Like a Know-It-All

Though it’s good to sound more powerful, confident, and articulate, you want to be very careful that you don’t come off as pretentious or a know-it-all. This can be a big turn off to your audience. Never talk down to others, belittle them, or assume they don’t know what you’re talking about. And, also, be sure not to interrupt others and to give them a chance to speak as well.

Build a Database to Pull Stories From

Sometimes, being an articulate speaker also means that others can relate to you; that they find you personable, funny, etc. You don’t always have to be an expert on a topic to be seen as well-spoken or to have others pay attention to you. You just need to be a good storyteller! By building up a database of stories in the back of your mind, you can pull from these depending on the situation.

Don’t Overthink It!

Finally, the most important piece of advice when it comes to being more articulate is to not overthink it! We are all just human, after all, and speaking is just another form of communicating so we can connect with others.

Sure, being well-spoken and articulate can make you a better student, a better entertainer, and a better candidate for the workplace. But, at the end of the day, all that matters is that you stay true to yourself and who you are.

Going to school and earning your degree is a great first step in learning how to be more articulate. University of the People offers degree programs tuition-free, and the skills you learn and experiences you have in school can help make you an expert speaker.

Related Articles

How to write a speech

• James Haynes
• October 6, 2022

Table of Contents

Introduction.

So you want to learn how to write a speech. Maybe it’s for a speech for work, or maybe it’s for a school project. You know that professional speakers don’t just make stuff up. They don’t write a few thoughts on a notecard and then shoot from the hip for an entire presentation. They take the time to write and carefully craft their material. And you’re ready to do that! You have an idea of what you want to speak about, but how do you actually create your talk? How do you give a speech? And what makes a talk “good”?

In this post, you can read answers to all of those questions. You’ll learn tips to go through the process to create a great speech from idea to completion. And you’ll learn how to write and give an inspiring speech. Ready to learn more? Read on!

Before you start to write your speech

A speech is simply a talk meant to get your audience to learn, understand or do something. 

The best speakers on the planet only have one or two talks they do and those talks are insanely good. Start by developing just one, really amazing talk that resonates deeply with your intended audience. The best marketing for your speaking business is a great talk, so it is worth it to put in the hours for this part. Yes, even if your first speaking gig is a free talk at a community center.

Keep in mind: Your audience is always going to be asking two questions: “so what?” and “now what?” So what means, what does this have to do with me? Now what is what you want the audience to do as a result of your talk. Give them action steps to implement what you taught them. If they hear you speak but literally don’t do anything differently, what’s the point?

Giving a speech is almost like mapping for a road trip. If you are going to go on a road trip, it’s easier to have a paper map or Google Maps to tell you where you’re going. But if you just get in the car and you start driving, and people are in the car asking you where we’re going, you’re in trouble! But by organizing and structuring your talk, you can lead the audience to your conclusions. And you can effectively answer those two questions: “so what?” and “now what?”

Find Out Exactly How Much You Could Make As a Paid Speaker

Use The Official Speaker Fee Calculator to tell you what you should charge for your first (or next) speaking gig — virtual or in-person! 

Want to learn how to write a speech? Read on for 3 steps to make it unforgettable:

1. Begin with the end in mind and tell a story

Have you ever been left at the end of a speech wondering, “What was the point of this talk?” Don’t do that to your audience. When creating your talk, determine the destination that you want to take them to. Once you pick a point, then you can work backwards and reverse engineer how to get your audience to that place.

The best way to do the point of your talk is to find where your audience’s needs converge with your passions. Think about what problems you like to solve and what topics you want to talk about and look out into the world. Who is asking for solutions to those problems? Become the expert on that audience and commit yourself to meeting their needs. (for more on finding your big idea, check out this episode of The Speaker Lab podcast)

Okay, so now you have your topic, the idea you want to communicate. Now what? One of the best ways to create a memorable, relatable talk is by integrating first-person stories . You don’t have to have lost a limb or scaled Mount Everest. Keep an eye out in your everyday life for little moments that can contribute to your message. Write them down and integrate them into your talk. As you get more speaking gigs, you will very quickly learn which stories are a hit and which are total flops…which is all part of the process!

Humans relate to stories. We connect to stories. Funny stories. Sad stories. Inspirational stories. We love stories. So tell them. Lots of them. Stories will keep your audience engaged and are also easier for you to memorize. Telling stories that you lived and experienced generally makes the story better for you and the audience. For the audience, they can often times find themselves in your story. For you as the speaker, it’s much easier (and more powerful) to tell a story that you lived versus one you read in a book.

2. Write out your speech from beginning to end

As Grant Baldwin discusses in this video on preparing your talk , you want to write out your talk to have a basic structure: beginning, middle, and end.

In the beginning, you’re going to want to introduce the problem that your talk is going to solve and ultimately start to capture the audience’s attention. One thing that’s important to remember is there’s a difference between an audience that wants to be there and an audience that has to be there. When you get on stage, you want to be able to answer for the audience: Who are you? Why should I pay attention? Why does this matter? What am I supposed to do with this information? Can I trust you? You want to give the audience a reason to engage with you and where you’re going with the speech.

The next part of the process is the main body. This is where you will provide the solution to the problem or elaborate on the idea you’ve presented, and then share the action items that transform the audience. These action items should be specific, tangible, actionable, and realistic. You want to give something that the audience can leave with knowing exactly what to do now. So you want to make it specific, tangible, actionable, and realistic – not something that’s just vague or squishy, but something that they can actually understand.

The last part of the process is the closing. The purpose of the closing is to transition the audience to your main call to action. Remember, your audience is always asking themselves two questions: “So what?” and “Now what?” And this is where your closing comes in. Your closing is so important because the audience will remember what they learned and heard from you in the final minutes of your talk.

3. Structure your speech

Types of structures for writing your speech.

Another step Baldwin recommended on our podcast on creating your talk is to break your talk into sections beyond the beginning, middle, and end.  As you internalize your talk’s message, you can break the talk into sections that you either deliver in order or out of order.

But regardless of how you break it up, you should determine what the point of each section is. It may be to tell a story to illustrate some key thoughts. Practicing that section could include practicing telling the story aloud, delivering the punchline, and transitioning out of that story into the next point that you’re trying to make. This will make it easier to memorize your speech.

Each section should stack on to what you’ve already learned. So once you learn paragraph one, then you can practice paragraph two. Then you can go back and practice one and two together – again, everyone has their own technique, but oftentimes out loud is best! (Another tactic here is to record yourself and listen back to help you to not only learn the material, but to also help decide if the material works.)

Sequential structures

One method Grant Baldwin discusses in our podcast on how to write your speech is to use different types of structures. For example, a sequential structure for memorizing your talk can take the main themes you want to speak about and put them in a sequential form, so that it’s easier to remember the order. Grant gives the example of a talk he gave for college audiences called “Life is a Highway,” where he talked about an imaginary road trip. 

As Baldwin said, the way the talk was structured was to talk in the beginning about the past, and where the audience has been, then talk about the future, where they’re going, and to end by talking about where they are, right now. “It needs to almost happen in this certain sequence,” Baldwin said, “which also makes it easier for you to memorize because they need to go in this specific order.”

When you use this structure, you can deliver your speech in any order, Unlike a singer, whose audience may know all the lyrics to the song she sings, if a speaker goes out of order, it may be impossible for the audience to notice – after all, they don’t have a script!

Modular structures

Another type of structure you can use to write your speech is a modular structure. This allows you to go in order, but it also allows you to jump around. This could be especially helpful if you’ve got a couple of main thoughts or ideas and they don’t necessarily have to go in a certain order. You can kind of mix and match them around, similar to how a band at a concert can switch songs around in their setlist.

Baldwin gives the example of topics he covered in a book talk for high school students, answering questions such as, should I go to college? how do I pay for college? What classes do I take? What do I major in? Job interviews, resumes, internships, credit cards, budgets, taxes, etc.

Similar to the sequential structure, it may be helpful for you to think of the content as telling a story, so that you don’t leave anything out. If you have five key themes, for example, that you’d like to cover, they could be five elements of a story you would like to tell. Remember: stories will keep your audience engaged and also make it easier for you to write your speech.

By following these steps, you can set yourself up for success. Many external variables help make a speech go well. Beyond working these steps before giving a speech, you should try to put as many of those variables in your favor as possible. Don’t stay up late the night before at a reception. Don’t eat a massive pasta bowl before you go on stage. Try to avoid speaking during a slot when most of the audience will be distracted. If all the variables are stacked against you but you crush your talk, it can still come across as “meh” to the audience.

Keep in mind: Speaking is like playing jazz – you don’t have to give a talk the same way every time. You can improvise and mix it up sometimes, and you don’t need to plan out every hand gesture or movement or exact line you’ll use. Some of that is fine, but also be present enough with the audience that you can play jazz when the moment calls for it.

If you have a dream to inspire others with your message, you’ve probably considered taking your passion to the stage. Becoming a speaker might sound like a charmed life in many ways. And while it does take hard work, it totally is. 

Free Download: 6 Proven Steps to Book More Paid Speaking Gigs in 2024​

Download our 18-page guide and start booking more paid speaking gigs today!

In the meantime, here are a few rapid fire FAQs about speeches. Happy speaking!

How much money can you make as a professional speaker?

The runway to a successful business is often slow. But many professional speakers make 6+ figures a year within a couple years of starting their speaking business!

What degree you need to become a professional speaker?

It does not matter! You can have no degree or a PhD in whatever field you like and still be a great speaker.

Can anyone become a professional speaker?

Absolutely.

How long does it take to become a professional speaker?

This may vary quite a bit, primarily based on your state in life.

• Last Updated: February 29, 2024

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How to write a speech that your audience remembers

Whether in a work meeting or at an investor panel, you might give a speech at some point. And no matter how excited you are about the opportunity, the experience can be nerve-wracking . 

But feeling butterflies doesn’t mean you can’t give a great speech. With the proper preparation and a clear outline, apprehensive public speakers and natural wordsmiths alike can write and present a compelling message. Here’s how to write a good speech you’ll be proud to deliver.

What is good speech writing?

Good speech writing is the art of crafting words and ideas into a compelling, coherent, and memorable message that resonates with the audience. Here are some key elements of great speech writing:

• It begins with clearly understanding the speech's purpose and the audience it seeks to engage. 
• A well-written speech clearly conveys its central message, ensuring that the audience understands and retains the key points. 
• It is structured thoughtfully, with a captivating opening, a well-organized body, and a conclusion that reinforces the main message. 
• Good speech writing embraces the power of engaging content, weaving in stories, examples, and relatable anecdotes to connect with the audience on both intellectual and emotional levels. 

Ultimately, it is the combination of these elements, along with the authenticity and delivery of the speaker , that transforms words on a page into a powerful and impactful spoken narrative.

What makes a good speech?

A great speech includes several key qualities, but three fundamental elements make a speech truly effective:

Clarity and purpose

Remembering the audience, cohesive structure.

While other important factors make a speech a home run, these three elements are essential for writing an effective speech.

The main elements of a good speech

The main elements of a speech typically include:

• Introduction: The introduction sets the stage for your speech and grabs the audience's attention. It should include a hook or attention-grabbing opening, introduce the topic, and provide an overview of what will be covered.
• Opening/captivating statement: This is a strong statement that immediately engages the audience and creates curiosity about the speech topics.
• Thesis statement/central idea: The thesis statement or central idea is a concise statement that summarizes the main point or argument of your speech. It serves as a roadmap for the audience to understand what your speech is about.
• Body: The body of the speech is where you elaborate on your main points or arguments. Each point is typically supported by evidence, examples, statistics, or anecdotes. The body should be organized logically and coherently, with smooth transitions between the main points.
• Supporting evidence: This includes facts, data, research findings, expert opinions, or personal stories that support and strengthen your main points. Well-chosen and credible evidence enhances the persuasive power of your speech.
• Transitions: Transitions are phrases or statements that connect different parts of your speech, guiding the audience from one idea to the next. Effective transitions signal the shifts in topics or ideas and help maintain a smooth flow throughout the speech.
• Counterarguments and rebuttals (if applicable): If your speech involves addressing opposing viewpoints or counterarguments, you should acknowledge and address them. Presenting counterarguments makes your speech more persuasive and demonstrates critical thinking.
• Conclusion: The conclusion is the final part of your speech and should bring your message to a satisfying close. Summarize your main points, restate your thesis statement, and leave the audience with a memorable closing thought or call to action.
• Closing statement: This is the final statement that leaves a lasting impression and reinforces the main message of your speech. It can be a call to action, a thought-provoking question, a powerful quote, or a memorable anecdote.
• Delivery and presentation: How you deliver your speech is also an essential element to consider. Pay attention to your tone, body language, eye contact , voice modulation, and timing. Practice and rehearse your speech, and try using the 7-38-55 rule to ensure confident and effective delivery.

While the order and emphasis of these elements may vary depending on the type of speech and audience, these elements provide a framework for organizing and delivering a successful speech.

How to structure a good speech

You know what message you want to transmit, who you’re delivering it to, and even how you want to say it. But you need to know how to start, develop, and close a speech before writing it. 

Think of a speech like an essay. It should have an introduction, conclusion, and body sections in between. This places ideas in a logical order that the audience can better understand and follow them. Learning how to make a speech with an outline gives your storytelling the scaffolding it needs to get its point across.

Here’s a general speech structure to guide your writing process:

• Explanation 1
• Explanation 2
• Explanation 3

How to write a compelling speech opener

Some research shows that engaged audiences pay attention for only 15 to 20 minutes at a time. Other estimates are even lower, citing that people stop listening intently in fewer than 10 minutes . If you make a good first impression at the beginning of your speech, you have a better chance of interesting your audience through the middle when attention spans fade. 

Implementing the INTRO model can help grab and keep your audience’s attention as soon as you start speaking. This acronym stands for interest, need, timing, roadmap, and objectives, and it represents the key points you should hit in an opening. 

Here’s what to include for each of these points: 

• Interest : Introduce yourself or your topic concisely and speak with confidence . Write a compelling opening statement using relevant data or an anecdote that the audience can relate to.
• Needs : The audience is listening to you because they have something to learn. If you’re pitching a new app idea to a panel of investors, those potential partners want to discover more about your product and what they can earn from it. Read the room and gently remind them of the purpose of your speech. 
• Timing : When appropriate, let your audience know how long you’ll speak. This lets listeners set expectations and keep tabs on their own attention span. If a weary audience member knows you’ll talk for 40 minutes, they can better manage their energy as that time goes on. 
• Routemap : Give a brief overview of the three main points you’ll cover in your speech. If an audience member’s attention starts to drop off and they miss a few sentences, they can more easily get their bearings if they know the general outline of the presentation.
• Objectives : Tell the audience what you hope to achieve, encouraging them to listen to the end for the payout. 

Writing the middle of a speech

The body of your speech is the most information-dense section. Facts, visual aids, PowerPoints — all this information meets an audience with a waning attention span. Sticking to the speech structure gives your message focus and keeps you from going off track, making everything you say as useful as possible.

Limit the middle of your speech to three points, and support them with no more than three explanations. Following this model organizes your thoughts and prevents you from offering more information than the audience can retain. 

Using this section of the speech to make your presentation interactive can add interest and engage your audience. Try including a video or demonstration to break the monotony. A quick poll or survey also keeps the audience on their toes. 

Wrapping the speech up

To you, restating your points at the end can feel repetitive and dull. You’ve practiced countless times and heard it all before. But repetition aids memory and learning , helping your audience retain what you’ve told them. Use your speech’s conclusion to summarize the main points with a few short sentences.

Try to end on a memorable note, like posing a motivational quote or a thoughtful question the audience can contemplate once they leave. In proposal or pitch-style speeches, consider landing on a call to action (CTA) that invites your audience to take the next step.

How to write a good speech

If public speaking gives you the jitters, you’re not alone. Roughly 80% of the population feels nervous before giving a speech, and another 10% percent experiences intense anxiety and sometimes even panic. 

The fear of failure can cause procrastination and can cause you to put off your speechwriting process until the last minute. Finding the right words takes time and preparation, and if you’re already feeling nervous, starting from a blank page might seem even harder.

But putting in the effort despite your stress is worth it. Presenting a speech you worked hard on fosters authenticity and connects you to the subject matter, which can help your audience understand your points better. Human connection is all about honesty and vulnerability, and if you want to connect to the people you’re speaking to, they should see that in you.

1. Identify your objectives and target audience

Before diving into the writing process, find healthy coping strategies to help you stop worrying . Then you can define your speech’s purpose, think about your target audience, and start identifying your objectives. Here are some questions to ask yourself and ground your thinking : 

• What purpose do I want my speech to achieve? 
• What would it mean to me if I achieved the speech’s purpose?
• What audience am I writing for? 
• What do I know about my audience? 
• What values do I want to transmit? 
• If the audience remembers one take-home message, what should it be? 
• What do I want my audience to feel, think, or do after I finish speaking? 
• What parts of my message could be confusing and require further explanation?

2. Know your audience

Understanding your audience is crucial for tailoring your speech effectively. Consider the demographics of your audience, their interests, and their expectations. For instance, if you're addressing a group of healthcare professionals, you'll want to use medical terminology and data that resonate with them. Conversely, if your audience is a group of young students, you'd adjust your content to be more relatable to their experiences and interests. 

3. Choose a clear message

Your message should be the central idea that you want your audience to take away from your speech. Let's say you're giving a speech on climate change. Your clear message might be something like, "Individual actions can make a significant impact on mitigating climate change." Throughout your speech, all your points and examples should support this central message, reinforcing it for your audience.

4. Structure your speech

Organizing your speech properly keeps your audience engaged and helps them follow your ideas. The introduction should grab your audience's attention and introduce the topic. For example, if you're discussing space exploration, you could start with a fascinating fact about a recent space mission. In the body, you'd present your main points logically, such as the history of space exploration, its scientific significance, and future prospects. Finally, in the conclusion, you'd summarize your key points and reiterate the importance of space exploration in advancing human knowledge.

5. Use engaging content for clarity

Engaging content includes stories, anecdotes, statistics, and examples that illustrate your main points. For instance, if you're giving a speech about the importance of reading, you might share a personal story about how a particular book changed your perspective. You could also include statistics on the benefits of reading, such as improved cognitive abilities and empathy.

6. Maintain clarity and simplicity

It's essential to communicate your ideas clearly. Avoid using overly technical jargon or complex language that might confuse your audience. For example, if you're discussing a medical breakthrough with a non-medical audience, explain complex terms in simple, understandable language.

7. Practice and rehearse

Practice is key to delivering a great speech. Rehearse multiple times to refine your delivery, timing, and tone. Consider using a mirror or recording yourself to observe your body language and gestures. For instance, if you're giving a motivational speech, practice your gestures and expressions to convey enthusiasm and confidence.

8. Consider nonverbal communication

Your body language, tone of voice, and gestures should align with your message . If you're delivering a speech on leadership, maintain strong eye contact to convey authority and connection with your audience. A steady pace and varied tone can also enhance your speech's impact.

9. Engage your audience

Engaging your audience keeps them interested and attentive. Encourage interaction by asking thought-provoking questions or sharing relatable anecdotes. If you're giving a speech on teamwork, ask the audience to recall a time when teamwork led to a successful outcome, fostering engagement and connection.

10. Prepare for Q&A

Anticipate potential questions or objections your audience might have and prepare concise, well-informed responses. If you're delivering a speech on a controversial topic, such as healthcare reform, be ready to address common concerns, like the impact on healthcare costs or access to services, during the Q&A session.

By following these steps and incorporating examples that align with your specific speech topic and purpose, you can craft and deliver a compelling and impactful speech that resonates with your audience.

Tools for writing a great speech

There are several helpful tools available for speechwriting, both technological and communication-related. Here are a few examples:

• Word processing software: Tools like Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or other word processors provide a user-friendly environment for writing and editing speeches. They offer features like spell-checking, grammar correction, formatting options, and easy revision tracking.
• Presentation software: Software such as Microsoft PowerPoint or Google Slides is useful when creating visual aids to accompany your speech. These tools allow you to create engaging slideshows with text, images, charts, and videos to enhance your presentation.
• Speechwriting Templates: Online platforms or software offer pre-designed templates specifically for speechwriting. These templates provide guidance on structuring your speech and may include prompts for different sections like introductions, main points, and conclusions.
• Rhetorical devices and figures of speech: Rhetorical tools such as metaphors, similes, alliteration, and parallelism can add impact and persuasion to your speech. Resources like books, websites, or academic papers detailing various rhetorical devices can help you incorporate them effectively.
• Speechwriting apps: Mobile apps designed specifically for speechwriting can be helpful in organizing your thoughts, creating outlines, and composing a speech. These apps often provide features like voice recording, note-taking, and virtual prompts to keep you on track.
• Grammar and style checkers: Online tools or plugins like Grammarly or Hemingway Editor help improve the clarity and readability of your speech by checking for grammar, spelling, and style errors. They provide suggestions for sentence structure, word choice, and overall tone.
• Thesaurus and dictionary: Online or offline resources such as thesauruses and dictionaries help expand your vocabulary and find alternative words or phrases to express your ideas more effectively. They can also clarify meanings or provide context for unfamiliar terms.
• Online speechwriting communities: Joining online forums or communities focused on speechwriting can be beneficial for getting feedback, sharing ideas, and learning from experienced speechwriters. It's an opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and improve your public speaking skills through collaboration.

Remember, while these tools can assist in the speechwriting process, it's essential to use them thoughtfully and adapt them to your specific needs and style. The most important aspect of speechwriting remains the creativity, authenticity, and connection with your audience that you bring to your speech.

5 tips for writing a speech

Behind every great speech is an excellent idea and a speaker who refined it. But a successful speech is about more than the initial words on the page, and there are a few more things you can do to help it land.

Here are five more tips for writing and practicing your speech:

1. Structure first, write second

If you start the writing process before organizing your thoughts, you may have to re-order, cut, and scrap the sentences you worked hard on. Save yourself some time by using a speech structure, like the one above, to order your talking points first. This can also help you identify unclear points or moments that disrupt your flow.

2. Do your homework

Data strengthens your argument with a scientific edge. Research your topic with an eye for attention-grabbing statistics, or look for findings you can use to support each point. If you’re pitching a product or service, pull information from company metrics that demonstrate past or potential successes. 

Audience members will likely have questions, so learn all talking points inside and out. If you tell investors that your product will provide 12% returns, for example, come prepared with projections that support that statement.

3. Sound like yourself

Memorable speakers have distinct voices. Think of Martin Luther King Jr’s urgent, inspiring timbre or Oprah’s empathetic, personal tone . Establish your voice — one that aligns with your personality and values — and stick with it. If you’re a motivational speaker, keep your tone upbeat to inspire your audience . If you’re the CEO of a startup, try sounding assured but approachable. 

4. Practice

As you practice a speech, you become more confident , gain a better handle on the material, and learn the outline so well that unexpected questions are less likely to trip you up. Practice in front of a colleague or friend for honest feedback about what you could change, and speak in front of the mirror to tweak your nonverbal communication and body language .

5. Remember to breathe

When you’re stressed, you breathe more rapidly . It can be challenging to talk normally when you can’t regulate your breath. Before your presentation, try some mindful breathing exercises so that when the day comes, you already have strategies that will calm you down and remain present . This can also help you control your voice and avoid speaking too quickly.

How to ghostwrite a great speech for someone else

Ghostwriting a speech requires a unique set of skills, as you're essentially writing a piece that will be delivered by someone else. Here are some tips on how to effectively ghostwrite a speech:

• Understand the speaker's voice and style : Begin by thoroughly understanding the speaker's personality, speaking style, and preferences. This includes their tone, humor, and any personal anecdotes they may want to include.
• Interview the speaker : Have a detailed conversation with the speaker to gather information about their speech's purpose, target audience, key messages, and any specific points they want to emphasize. Ask for personal stories or examples they may want to include.
• Research thoroughly : Research the topic to ensure you have a strong foundation of knowledge. This helps you craft a well-informed and credible speech.
• Create an outline : Develop a clear outline that includes the introduction, main points, supporting evidence, and a conclusion. Share this outline with the speaker for their input and approval.
• Write in the speaker's voice : While crafting the speech, maintain the speaker's voice and style. Use language and phrasing that feel natural to them. If they have a particular way of expressing ideas, incorporate that into the speech.
• Craft a captivating opening : Begin the speech with a compelling opening that grabs the audience's attention. This could be a relevant quote, an interesting fact, a personal anecdote, or a thought-provoking question.
• Organize content logically : Ensure the speech flows logically, with each point building on the previous one. Use transitions to guide the audience from one idea to the next smoothly.
• Incorporate engaging stories and examples : Include anecdotes, stories, and real-life examples that illustrate key points and make the speech relatable and memorable.
• Edit and revise : Edit the speech carefully for clarity, grammar, and coherence. Ensure the speech is the right length and aligns with the speaker's time constraints.
• Seek feedback : Share drafts of the speech with the speaker for their feedback and revisions. They may have specific changes or additions they'd like to make.
• Practice delivery : If possible, work with the speaker on their delivery. Practice the speech together, allowing the speaker to become familiar with the content and your writing style.
• Maintain confidentiality : As a ghostwriter, it's essential to respect the confidentiality and anonymity of the work. Do not disclose that you wrote the speech unless you have the speaker's permission to do so.
• Be flexible : Be open to making changes and revisions as per the speaker's preferences. Your goal is to make them look good and effectively convey their message.
• Meet deadlines : Stick to agreed-upon deadlines for drafts and revisions. Punctuality and reliability are essential in ghostwriting.
• Provide support : Support the speaker during their preparation and rehearsal process. This can include helping with cue cards, speech notes, or any other materials they need.

Remember that successful ghostwriting is about capturing the essence of the speaker while delivering a well-structured and engaging speech. Collaboration, communication, and adaptability are key to achieving this.

Give your best speech yet

Learn how to make a speech that’ll hold an audience’s attention by structuring your thoughts and practicing frequently. Put the effort into writing and preparing your content, and aim to improve your breathing, eye contact , and body language as you practice. The more you work on your speech, the more confident you’ll become.

The energy you invest in writing an effective speech will help your audience remember and connect to every concept. Remember: some life-changing philosophies have come from good speeches, so give your words a chance to resonate with others. You might even change their thinking.

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Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

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What are the Benefits of Public Speaking?

August 18, 2017 - Dom Barnard

Public speaking is a great way of  building personal development  on many levels, since improving communication skills is helpful in almost every area of life. Whether your goal is to engage in political debate, make a career as a motivational speaker or gain confidence in front of an audience, public speaking can help you meet your goal.

We’ve listed the top benefits of public speaking, which will encourage you to get out of your comfort zone and sign up to speak at a few events in the future.

1. Career advancement

Effective  public speaking skills  can help with career advancement, as they indicate creativity, critical thinking skills, leadership abilities, poise, and professionalism, qualities which are very valuable for the job market.

Speaking at events and conferences is a good way of building credibility. The more well known the event the better, as you can add these speaking achievements to your resume.

Public speaking can also help you stand out at work. You’ll learn to speak up in meetings, to promote your ideas, and to present yourself as a professional. Speaking skills can also help you  excel in job interviews .

After speaking at a few events, people will remember you and begin to see you as an authoritative figure on your area of expertise. You’ll find yourself getting new client and business from people who watched you speak. All sorts of new business and speaking opportunities will open up for you.

2. Boost confidence

Public speaking can significantly boost your confidence. Overcoming the fears and insecurities that accompany public speaking is empowering. Furthermore, connecting with audiences can be a strong reminder that you have valuable insights and opinions to share with the world.

Your confidence levels will grow as you go from speaking to small groups of people up to large audiences. This will benefit you not just on stage, but in everyday life as well, whether it be in a meeting or on a date.

A study by  North Carolina Cooperative Extension  of people aged 9 to 18 who participated in a public speaking program found that public speaking increased confidence. The study found that meeting a goal was an important factor when it came to increasing the students confidence.

While the nervousness that comes with speaking in front of a crowd won’t entirely disappear, it will teach you how to deal with your fears and turn your weakness into strength.

3. Critical thinking

Public speaking is an excellent way to build critical thinking skills.  Writing a speech  requires a great deal of careful thought, from the audience analysis to the closing sentence. It’s not enough to have a message, you also need to figure out how to tailor the message to fit the needs of your audience.

How can you make your points relevant to your listeners? How can you help the audience understand your views? If you start thinking critically about your speaking style, you may find ways to improve your general communication style at home and at work.

4. Personal development

Communication skills are crucial for personal and professional success and improving this area is one of the greatest benefits of public speaking. Preparing a speech forces speakers to take a step back and think critically about  effective ways to communicate . In everyday life, it’s easy to fall back on communication habits we formed many years ago.

5. Improve communication skills

When you write a speech, you have to think carefully about the best framework, persuasive strategy, and diction to communicate your message to the audience. This type of thinking can help you improve your communication skills in other areas of your life.

Personal relationships, social interactions and work situations require you to communicate ideas to other people. Public speaking focuses on communicating ideas. You can learn to calmly take up an opposing view, to present your ideas in an organized and coherent manner, and to defend your views to others.

6. Make new social connections

Public speaking engagements are good places to meet other people who share your interests. You’ll find that people approach you after your presentation to engage in conversation. It makes it much easier to make  new social connections . Try to mingle with the audience for as long as you can after your speech, answering questions and seeking fresh perspectives on your topic.

Give audience members the option of getting in touch with you at a later date by listing contact information on handouts or slides. If you have a website, direct audience members to find more information there.

If you are part of a speaking line-up, reach out to your fellow presenters. Congratulate them or, if you miss a talk, ask how it went. There are lots of opportunities for networking in the realm of public speaking, so plan ahead and make use of them.

7. Personal satisfaction

Public speaking is a  very common phobia , right up there with spiders and heights. Many people would prefer to do almost anything instead of standing up and talking in front a crowd of people. Delivering a speech can feel intimidating and risky.

Fears and insecurities tend to multiply as the speech draws closer: “What if I forget my speech?” “What if I can’t answer the audience’s questions?” Public speaking is a way of showing yourself that, with practice, you can do the things that scare you the most. What starts out as a nightmare can turn into a personal boost.

8. Expand your professional network

Another benefit of public speaking is that when you speak at an event, you will suddenly find that everyone wants to talk with you. This is a valuable opportunity for making friends, building business contacts and generating business.

Not only this, but you also get the opportunity to network with other speakers, some of whom may be very difficult to contact normally. Speaking events may also have guest rooms for speakers where they are given food and drink and can network together.

9. Learn to persuade

Public speaking has a long history as a catalyst for nonviolent activism and  political change . It is a powerful way to unite people under a common cause and motivate them to take action. It’s no secret that people throughout history have used the power of public speaking to make a difference.

You’ll hardly ever have a better opportunity to speak to a captive audience about what really matters to you. You’ll get a chance to influence your peers. You won’t change the world with every speech, but you can easily impact someone in some small way.

10. Build leadership skills

If you let others do your talking for you in the past or found it hard to express what you wanted to say, that will fade. Not only will you be able to fluently speak your mind but you’ll find yourself doing it for others too.

In standing up and speaking in a way that is powerful, you’re speaking in a way that will change people’s minds about something. If you’re able to master that skill, changing hearts and minds and learning how to persuade, you will be already honing one of the major aspects of leadership.

If you’re able to do it in public to a group of people, chances are you’ll be able to do it in a more individualized setting. Leaders require the capacity to drive change, public  speaking skills are vital  in learning that ability.

11. Learn performance skills

You’ll have become conscious of timing, when to pause and how long for. You’ll know about vocal variety, how to shift through changes of volume, speech rate and tone. Your articulation will be clearer. As you become more confident you’ll know about mime, using props and storytelling. All of these  acting skills  enhance your speech.

12. Develop your vocabulary and fluency

You’ll know the effect of the words you choose to express your message and you’ll also know they need to be different for different audiences. As well as having a flexible vocabulary, you’ll no longer use  common filler words  we hear in everyday conversation indicating that the speaker may be unsure about what they’re saying or anxious about speaking.

13. No fear of impromptu speaking

When called upon to say a few words at a moment’s notice at a wedding, awards ceremony or other special occasion, your heart will not pound. Instead you’ll find yourself graciously accepting the opportunity for an  impromptu speech . This is a huge benefit of public speaking and you’ll stop constantly worrying at formal events about being asked to speak.

14. Learn to argue

When you present, you often need to put forward a well thought out argument. In the preparation, in the practice and on the actual stage, you will learn much about the art of argument, especially if you get to engage with your audience in some form of question and answer.

15. Helps you drive change

Who do we listen to more, someone talking to us in person or an email? The person speaking is always going to be more convincing than a note sent across the internet. You could spend your time going from person to person, if that’s your comfort zone.

But think about how many more people you could reach if you stood up on stage and had them all gathered together in an audience. If you’re speaking to an audience of 300 versus one-on-one, then you’re driving serious change. The more people you’re able to speak to, the more change you can implement.

16. Be a better listener

Listening may be a lost art, but a public speaking course actually teaches you to become a  better listener . When you attend conferences, you’ll hear several different types of speeches about a wide variety of topics, from people who may be very different from you. This will passively build your listening ability and note taking.

These benefits of public speaking make getting out of your comfort zone and giving a speech absolutely worth it. You’ll be nervous the first few times you speak, however you’ll quickly learn to enjoy the experience.

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What Did I Learn from My Speech Class?

“Speech,” “speaking,” “speaker”: these are a few of the words that excite me the most. I was taking pictures and videos for my school’s graduating class during my freshman year, and I was amazed by people speaking so confidently during the commencement. Right from the day I saw those speeches, I wanted to be a graduation speaker and speak at my commencement in my senior year. It would be really strange if an English Language Learner (ELL) student talked about his dream of presenting in front of five thousand people because people would probably laugh about it. Luckily, I’ve been a good speaker since childhood, but my speaking skills became a thousand times better after I took a speech class during my senior year in high school. I am able to talk confidently in front of many people and the majority of the credit for this goes to my teacher and my peers from my advanced speech course. I have decided to explain four reasons why everyone should take a speech class during high school and college.

1. It boosts your confidence . I always enjoyed talking in front of people but I never imagined myself talking in front of five thousand people. If I was that confident in speaking during those events, it was just because of my speech class.

2. You can always learn something.  I was always super excited to go to my speech class everyday. I always got a chance to learn something new like what a hand gesture or body movement meant. Watching others’ speeches was always the best part because I learned something new from every single conversation.

3. It will help your speech-writing skills.  Writing a speech was always a hard task for me. Especially when I used to write persuasive speeches; I would always mess up the writing structure. In my speech class, I got to learn a lot about writing speeches and how everything will impact the audience.

4. It gives you a lot of practice . When we are in a standard English class, we usually have at least one speech. But if you are in a speech class, you will have five to six speeches in a semester, and you will receive a lot of practice.

Advanced speech gave me so many memories and taught me many skills that have improved my public speaking skills. I have transformed from an average speaker to someone who can be a graduation speaker. Not only did I learn how to speak, but I also met so many great people in that class. If you ever get a chance to take a speech class, don’t hesitate to do it.

How Writing Helps Us Build a Life

The power of words propelled author emi nietfeld from homelessness to harvard..

Posted July 31, 2023 | Reviewed by Davia Sills

• What Is Resilience?
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• At times experiencing suicidal thoughts, she turned to writing to light the way out and advocate for herself.

In her book Acceptance , Emi Nietfeld recounts her life growing up in foster care , sometimes experiencing homelessness and suicidal ideation. She wrote college admissions essays while living in her car. Against impossible odds, she was accepted to Harvard and later worked as an engineer at Google. Her story critiques the “rags to riches” American myth and current ideas about resilience and acceptance. At her moment of greatest peril, the act of writing itself powers her into a new life.

This Q&A with Emi Nietfeld was edited for length and clarity.

Ryan Prior: What's the meaning of the title Acceptance ?

Emi Nietfeld: James Baldwin, in Notes from a Native Son , writes we have to hold these two truths at once: both to accept the world as it is without rancor, including all of these bad things happening in the world. And then the other truth that we must hold simultaneously is that we must never accept these injustices as commonplace.

While I was struggling to accept what happened in high school, I thought that I should just be able to look back on my life and on these systems that failed me and feel acceptance. And I felt something. But that feeling was a lot closer to resignation.

The second part of the quote is about how we should never accept that this is the way that things are. We should never accept that the world will always be racist and sexist and classes and ableist. I was like, "Oh, that's the problem." I felt like accepting my past meant accepting that it was OK… when really it was not.

RP: What cultural myths about resilience would you push back on?

EN: When I was a senior in high school, I won a scholarship from an organization called the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, and it was specifically a scholarship for overcoming adversity. This group really praised resilient children. What that meant was that we had often gone through poverty or homelessness or foster care, but we didn't seem outwardly affected by it. As I got older, this idea of grit—especially as promoted by Professor Angela Duckworth at the University of Pennsylvania—became more and more prevalent.

It's become this huge buzzword that’s often used instead of solving the underlying problem. For example, in Flint, Michigan, when there was a contaminated water crisis in 2015. Before that, people were in schools teaching elementary schoolers how to be resilient when they literally had been poisoned. And the solutions that would make the underlying problem better—health care and nutrition —were judged to be just totally unrealistic.

I think that resilience can be a really positive thing. We all want our children to be healthy, safe, and happy. But the way we use that concept often takes social problems and makes them the responsibility of vulnerable individuals.

RP: Who is Horatio Alger? Why do Americans gravitate toward this myth?

EN: Horatio Alger was a prolific 19th-century novelist who's best understood for having protagonists whose hard work and virtue always lead to their success. The author's name, Horatio Alger, is synonymous with these stories of upward mobility, the American Dream, and pulling yourself up by your bootstraps. But there's a lot that we don't even think about.

He had been a preacher and had to resign after allegations of sexually abusing children. And in his books themselves, the protagonists do work hard. But it's almost just as important that they are lucky and that they're chosen by wealthy benefactors who decide to help them and give them opportunities. That part of the Horatio Alger myth is actually more realistic. But that is the part that we don't want to think about as a society.

RP: How do you fit in context with recent memoirs about adversity and new lenses on the American Dream?

EN: I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Tara Westover, who wrote Educated . When I started writing Acceptance in earnest in 2015, people told me nobody wants to hear about education or about a teenager who is trying to get into college as a means of upward mobility. But Educated (published in 2018) really brought into the conversation the way that—especially for youth from circumstances of neglect, violence, and isolation—college is not just about school. It's this pipeline to a different life.

I also was heavily influenced by Chanel Miller's book Know My Name . Chanel Miller was known as Emily Doe in the Stanford sexual assault case. Her book takes readers through the criminal justice system for victims of sexual assault. In many ways, Miller's life was the best-case scenario where she had witnesses to her attack, and there was a conviction. And she shows how even in this best-case scenario, things are really bad. And that was a useful example for me, where I had it so much better than many people who have been in foster care or experienced homelessness. It gave me permission to tell my story and use the advantages I have to reveal the flaws in the system.

RP: Recounting a high school moment, you write, “I knew I had to transfer to writing. As long as I was alive, I could change my life.” How was crafting your own story about dealing with suicidal thoughts and, ultimately, building a life?

EN: When I was a child living with my mom, she had a problem with hoarding. I told doctors about it and therapists and other adults, and I felt like I was never believed. For me, writing became this way of trying to convince people to listen to me. And that writing was both the place that I could escape, to and it was my hope for escape from my situation. I saw that it was going to take me being very persuasive to convince people to listen to my perspective instead of just turning to a version of the story that was more convenient for them.

Ryan Prior is a journalist-in-residence at the Century Foundation and author of The Long Haul. He has written for CNN, STAT, The Guardian , and USA Today .

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Chapter 1: The Speech Communication Process

Speech and My Personal Life?

In fact, a study in 2004 found that short-term stresses -such as speaking in public -are actually thought to boost your immune system. The researchers found that these types of tasks “tended to mobilize (the subjects’) fast-acting Immune response -the body’s all-purpose defense system for fending off infection and healing wounds “(Song 1). It’s a small stress that teaches your body to handle the bigger stressors of life. So speaking in public is good for you in many ways.

Fundamentals of Public Speaking Copyright © by Lumen Learning is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Realistic Dialogue: 16 Observations Writers Should Know About Real Life Talk

by Joe Bunting | 113 comments

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Realistic dialogue can make your story. In fact, as Shakespeare knew, you can tell a whole story just through authentic, realistic dialogue. You're probably thinking: “Easier said than done.” What makes dialogue difficult to do well?

Good stories are about real people, and people in real life love to talk to each other. We are biologically disposed to receive pleasure from conversation.

If you want to write good stories, learn how to write effective dialogue. In this article, you'll learn sixteen  dialogue tips that will help you take everyday conversations and turn them into stretches of dialogue that benefit your story.

Dialogue is a Skill

Writers can learn how to take bad writing riddled with unnecessary or bad dialogue in their manuscripts and write ordinary conversations in their manuscripts that grab readers and significantly impact the plot .

When I first started working seriously on my writing, I would go into coffee shops, eavesdrop on a real life conversation, and write down everything people said. This helped me begin to understand how normal speech worked—but it wasn't enough.

Before I could write lines of dialogue well, I had to ask  WHY casual conversations mattered.

Realistic Dialogue in Everyday Life

Why did this person say this thing? Why did that person reply like that? How did they get on this subject in the first place?

I eavesdropped on conversations for months. It was actually a little creepy. But it taught me so much about how real dialogue works, and how I can take a conversation to inspire natural dialogue and nuanced conversations in my creative writing.

1. Real People Say Random Things

As writers, we want our characters to talk about things central to our plot, but humans are weird. In real conversations, people don't talk about important things. More often than not, they talk about mundane things like the weather.

To write realistically random dialogue without losing track of your plot, have your characters begin a conversation about something random, and then circle around to the important parts of your plot.

2. Real People Bicker

I'm sure some people manage to be nice to each other all the time, but in my experience, the closer you are to someone, the more you bicker.

In fact, bickering can become part of an everyday conversation—as unfortunate as that is.

Bickering rarely turns into full arguments. It's more like a constant buzz of tension.

And while bickering can add tension to your scenes , make sure characters don't bicker just because. Use these conversations in your story to impact the plot or develop a character trait.

3. Real People Don't Give Long Monologues

I know you want to show off your exquisite writing skills with a long speech, but in normal situations, real people don't like making speeches. They feel uncomfortable when they're the only one talking for a long time.

If you want to write a speech, you need to create some kind of excuse for your character to give the speech. Perhaps they just won an award or their about to go on a long trip or they are dying and want to share their last words.

And if you do need a long speech, make sure you don't just write dialogue alone. While long speeches might work in movies, especially if they're written by a dialogue genius like Aaron Sorkin , books do better to break up long speeches with action.

4. Real People Don't Always Hear You

Real people are hard of hearing. Real people have lawnmowers go by them in the middle of their conversations. Real people say, “What's that? Huh? What did you say? Come again? Sorry, what?”

In your stories, could you create tension by having certain characters ask questions—and maybe even leaving them with unanswered questions.

Dialogue through subtext can be just as powerful as actual dialogue—and getting a character to ask a question can draw a reader's attention to the importance of information. Authentic dialogue is full of these unspoken messages. 

5. Real People Refuse to Repeat Themselves

Sometimes, when the other person can't hear and says, “Huh? What did you say?” Real people don't repeat themselves. They say, “Nothing. It's not important. Never mind. I'll tell you later. Forget it.”

Sometimes, this leads to bickering. Or an awkward silence.

This technique is especially effective if a character has just said something vulnerable. People will rarely repeat something embarrassing or hurtful or vulgar. You can draw attention to their vulnerability by having them refuse to repeat themselves.

6. Real People Don't Always Reply

Sometimes, someone will say something like, “Man, it's a beautiful day,” and then wait for the other person to respond. Usually, the other person says, “Yeah, gorgeous, right?” But sometimes the other person doesn't say anything. They just grunt or roll their eyes or stare out the window.

People learn how to do this as teenagers, and it's a good way to show underlying tension.

7. Real People Use Nicknames

No one calls you by your first, middle, and last name. So don't use whole names in your dialogue.

Maybe you want to introduce a character by their first and last name early in the book with description, but after that, trust that the reader knows who they are. Especially since other characters won't address them by their formal name unless it's a specific character trait that speaks to the kind of person they are.

8. Real People Cuss

Some people are very sensitive to curse words, and I get it. But real people pepper curse words throughout their speech, and if you want to write realistically, you need to think seriously about interjecting an occasional  cuss word in your dialogue if it fits the character and situation.

Obviously, you'll want to be aware of genre and market if your characters use profanity. But sometimes bringing characters to life means showing their colorful language patterns that reflect their life experiences. 

9. Real People Speak in Tangents

A paper needs proper grammar, but it's not uncommon for incomplete sentences to occur in everyday speech. Let the grammar rules go when you're writing dialogue. Seriously.

10. Real People Lose Track of Time and Their Surroundings When They Talk

Don't intersperse your dialogue wit a lot of description or action. Your characters aren't noticing what they're doing or what they're seeing. They're paying attention to the conversation. If you're using any kind of deep viewpoint (i.e. third-person limited ), your narration should be paying attention to the conversation, too.

11. Real People Exaggerate

Real people don't tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. They don't exactly lie either. They just leave things out and exaggerate to make themselves look better. It might be morally questionable, but it's very human. (And you're writing about humans, aren't you?)

12. Real People Tell Stories

The only time you can write long speeches is when your character is telling a story. People love to tell stories, especially stories about themselves. Sometimes, people will even listen to them.

William Faulkner, Joseph Conrad, the author of Arabian Nights , and many others have exploited this with the literary technique of the Story within a Story .  Heart of Darkness is basically one long monologue about an experience a sailor had on his travels (in fact, it's a monologue about a monologue). 

The majority of Arabian Nights  is a woman telling stories to her murderous husband. Often, in these situations, the author allows us to forget we are actually reading dialogue. All the speaker tags would get really old.

Every once in a while, though, another character will make an interjection and remind us.

13. Real People Have Accents

But remember, writing in an accent can be extremely annoying to read, not to mention distracting. It can be difficult to be consistent and to keep it from turning the character into a caricature. 

Feel free to experiment with accents, but don't be surprised if your readers don't appreciate it. (And study dialogue examples written this way.) Be especially careful if you are capturing speech patterns outside your own culture.

14. Real People Talk When No One is Listening

Even when people don't reply, real people keep talking anyway. This is a great way to show annoyance, if your character's lecturing someone, or insecurity, if they can't stand the sound of silence, or even social awkwardness, if they can't pick up on social cues.

15. Real People Don't Talk at All

Sometimes, real people are too mad or too nervous or too sullen or too much of a teenager to talk. Don't make your characters talk if they don't want it. Body language and silence can be just as effective in communicating at times.

16. Real People Say Less Than They Feel

In the end, natural dialogue isn't the best tool for developing a plot because real people are unpredictable. They rarely speak about the things closest to them. They rarely speak about their vulnerabilities.  They often talk about the most superficial, irrelevant subjects.

Real people talk less, which makes it very difficult to get character emotion, sentiment, and transformation across through fictional dialogue.

The key is to get your characters into a situation where they're so broken, so destitute, so screwed up that they'll say anything. And perhaps that's why we read fiction anyway, to hear people say exactly what's on their mind.

What are your favorite observations about realistic dialogue?  Let us know in the comments .

Write a piece of dialogue using the observations above.

Write for fifteen minutes . Afterward, ask yourself whether it sounds like the way real people talk. Is it realistic or are you trying to get your characters to say what you  want  them to say?

When you're finished, post your practice in the Pro Practice Workshop here . And if you post, please give some feedback to a few other writers about whether their dialogue sounds realistic or not.

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Joe Bunting

Joe Bunting is an author and the leader of The Write Practice community. He is also the author of the new book Crowdsourcing Paris , a real life adventure story set in France. It was a #1 New Release on Amazon. Follow him on Instagram (@jhbunting).

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113 Comments

Great article! Thank you!

Great article.  I found it very interesting.

As a software developer, I recently did some work on a tool to help transcribe dialogue from recorded audio. In testing it, I was shocked at the way real-world dialogue looks in print — it’s horrible! I became terribly frustrated with all the fragments, repeated phrases, false starts (in which a person starts to say something, stops, and says something completely different), and other oddities.

The important thing for writers is to understand that you don’t even notice that sort of thing when you hear it, but it is super-frustrating to read. For that reason, I think it’s helpful as a writer to become aware of the way real-world dialogue works, but your readers will hate you if you become a slave to it.

Another one I’d add to this list is that people don’t answer questions they’ve been asked. They talk long enough to sound like they’ve answered a question, but all they did was make a lot of sounds.

Great observations, Hugh! Soy fascinating, and after transcribing dozens of hours interviews and conversations for articles and ghostwriting I definitely agree with you.

This was very interesting.  And I get it.

I used to screen through hours of videotape, looking for usable snippets to be including in “highlight reels” of conferences and training seminars.  Amazing how few high moments there really were.

 I like this last sentence here. A lot of people are incapable of saying I don’t know, so they make something up, put a little salt and sugar on it to improve the taste, and let it go. And most people accept the B.S. without question. I see this a lot, especially in regards to religion, politics, and other topics that so often people think they know more about than they really do and are unable to admit when they don’t know.

Hey Joe, can I ask for your advice?

Your blog post came at the perfect time. I’m in the midst of thinking about polishing my dialogue writing skills. Even though I write novels and short stories, I find myself looking toward screenwriting instruction for guidance. When it comes to dialogue, do you think the format used in screenplays can be applied to fiction?

P.S: You may not remember, but a few weeks ago, in a comment, I wrote about going to the Robert McKee seminar. It was exhausting, but life changing, Joe. You should seriously consider going to it in NYC in April.

Hi Wendy! I DO think fiction writers can learn a lot about dialogue from screenwriting, but what do you mean by formatting? Like the way it looks? 

Ugh I’m so jealous! I’d love to go. You want to give me $1,000 so I can? 🙂

 Thanks, Joe!

Re: Formatting: I wasn’t so much thinking of formatting, as in how it looks on the page. I was more thinking about how, in movies a lot of the dialogue is, for lack of a better term, rapid fire. Often times, I see fiction writers try to include a lot of exposition within the dialogue which leads to long paragraphs of dialogue rather than long paragraphs of description. Personally, I like the idea of rapid fire better and appreciate how it moves the story forward much faster.

OMG Joe! You and us loyal readers need to come up with an idea to help get you the money to go. You still have six months to make it happen!

I gotcha. Yes, exposition is a tricky thing, and both screenwriters and novelists need to treat it like dynamite, a little goes a very long way. I wouldn’t say screenwriters don’t use it though. Go watch any crime show and pay attention to how the detectives give each other (and the audience) all this information about the murder through dialogue. Detectives don’t talk like that! But you have to give the audience the information somehow.

So yes, long paragraphs of dialogue, too much exposition, description, etc, all that’s bad.

Also, you’ll notice that whenever screenwriter’s have to give exposition, they do it in, like, Egypt or in the middle of a chase scene or while the characters are getting shot at. Exposition is boring and so you have to offset it with excitement. Novelists can and do do that too.

Oh and if you can figure out a way to get me to NYC or LA for Robert McKee, I will definitely be okay with that. 🙂

In my experience, dialogue always improves radically during my many rewrites.  It always gets pared down to the bare essentials.  It starts to sing. It really can be musical. Maybe that’s one of its secret purposes. Dialogue makes music of our prose.

He called from a payphone.  “The rain is wet,” he said, like code I was supposed to decipher.

“It’s dry here,” I said.

“And lonely?” he asked.

“Desperately,” I said.

In the background, the semis rolled by.  I could hear a woman, the high tremble of her voice like a bird.

“You’re not alone,” I said.

“Not exactly.”

“Then why are you calling me?”

“I can’t not call,” he said. 

I sat down, right on the floor.  “Who is she?” I asked.

“She’s an Ashley or a Tiffany. The details are sketchy.” A little laugh escaped him, a little puff of humor. “She needed a ride, just to Memphis.  Got a baby there, or a sick mama. Like I said, the details are sketchy.”

“Where’d she sleep last night?” I asked.

“Come on,” he said. “The reason we work is that you don’t ask me questions like that.”

I ran my fingers through my hair.  Lately, I’d been scratching my scalp until it bled and there were sores that I continued to work.  If I kept it up, I’d start pulling out my hair again.

“I know,” I said. “I know.”

“And you can do whatever you want when I’m away. I like thinking that you do. I like thinking somebody else’s hands are on you.  You know that. It keeps us from going stale. Last thing we need. That’s why you left King. That’s what you told me.”

My heart pounded.  I hated this speech, and every time I heard it, I wanted to say something that would make it all right between us.  I never did.

Finally, I said “I love you,” my voice weak, like a kid in trouble, and knew this was the worst wrong thing I had ever said.

“I gotta go,” he said, and the phone went dead.

I had trouble getting up.  I dropped my phone when I did it, the insides crescendoing across the pine floor.  I’d saved for six months to buy it, the newest Apple wonder, and I stood and looked at it spilled to oblivion, and a wide chasm opened inside me, dark as night.

He had no way to call me now, not that he would for at least a day.  I imagined him with Ashley/Tiffany.  I could see him nodding as she told her sad story.  He wasn’t listening, but she wouldn’t know that.  She’d drop into his strong arms and feel safe.  He’d tell her he couldn’t be tied down and she’d think, He doesn’t know how persuasive I can be.  He’d tip her chin up and look in her eyes and she’d think the world was turning slow, just so she could stay in that moment.

The bell on the dryer sounded, a sharp twang that made me jump.  It sounded like a phone, but wasn’t.  But then nothing was what it was supposed to be.

That’s definitely a random way to start a conversation. But seriously, this was brilliant, Marla. I like how neither of them answer each other’s questions.

I want to smack him. Great writing Marla – I like how you have so little dialogue and then the main character thinks the rest.

Great Dialogue!  So much is revealed in the short responses, and the fact that he calls her while he’s with another woman. 

 So sad.  The dialogue was completely believable.  What a jerk, acting like he was doing a good thing by calling her… not even bothering to walk out of the room first.  I loved that last paragraph where she hears the bell and thinks it’s the phone.  I hope she leaves him.

I agree with Plumjoppa the short responses are really nice, somehow makes the space between the two characters seem greater.

Marla strikes again.  The dialogue is so meaty within a few choice words.  I thought you did really amazing.

One question… how does she know that he picked Ashley/Tiffany up the day before and not just minutes ago?  I do love the question, “Where’d she sleep last night”, but felt like maybe he needed to say something beforehand to reference when T/A started coming along for the ride.

Aww, man when she dropped her phone.  That stinks.  And I love how you call it the latest Apple Wonder.

The dryer sounding like a phone, but it wasn’t… loved that, too.

And the inner conversation she had about how the exchange between him and T/A would go.  And how he just says, I gotta go after she says I love you…

Great writing, Marla.

How sad!  But great as usual.  Wendy has a good point with her question.  I was also bothered by this ““The reason we work is that you don’t ask me questions like that.”  It took me more than one reading to figure out what he/you meant by that line.  Could be I’m too innocent, or I was going through a “duh” moment, but I would work on that line…

I like all that you have to say except the cussing part. I do not talk that way (perhaps I am not real?). My friends don’t talk that way and most of the people that I come into contact with do not. I did spend nine years in the Navy and heard a lot of it but mostly from young, drunk sailors. People that don’t have a good command of the language are (in my experience of 60+ years of life) the most likely offenders. So, your statement that “real people” do that is somewhat insulting to the larger portion of our population that does not but is still very much real.

We’re talking about fiction, Steve. Stories of other people, not you. If you don’t think that people curse, you must be living in a bubble of some kind. My mother is 98 and even she, in her own sweet way, curses from time to time, such as when she struggles to rise from her chair, and in frustration lets loose with a cute little verbal volt that actually makes me happy to see that she’s got some fight left in her, poor old soul.

We write fiction that reflects us. The point he was trying to make were that real people do that. My point is that people not doing that does not make them any less real or vital as people. I maintain that a poor command of that language is responsible for most of it. I find the bubble part of your comment to be demeaning. Other peoples experiences in life are just as valid and just as real if they do not contain the use of foul, despicable language. That is just a crutch for not being able to express yourself. If your attitude and response is typical of the people here, then perhaps I should not be here.

Come on. We’re better than this.

To refocus on dialogue, I think you make an excellent point. Personally, I don’t cuss and I’m still a real person. I’m sorry if it came across that I’m denying my own real-ness and vitality (and yours to boot). Not my intention, but I can definitely see your point.  If you’re writing a story about people that don’t cuss, by all means, don’t cuss. However, if you’re writing a story about a rebellious teenager or drunken sailors, you might be doing your story a disservice, at least if you’re trying to be realistic, by leaving out the profanity. 

Not everyone is into realism. Thousands of fantasy books are published every year. This is fiction, so ir-realism is allowed. Do what’s right for your story.

It’s also possible to include the illusion of someone cussing without actually including the words. I write plenty of real dialogue without it. Lots of real stories (not just fantasy) are quite complete without it. As I said earlier, our writing reflects us. Even our characters reflect us in some small way. If using that language reflects you, then put it in your book! That is real. If not using it reflects you, then don’t. That is also real. Stories can be just as real, hard and gritty without it as they can with it. We are the writers. We get to choose where our stories fly.

That’s a thought provoking point, Steve. I still disagree with you, but I’m definitely challenged. Thanks for spurring us on.

You’re a good man, Joe!

 Actually, I agree with you.  There are plenty of real people who do not cuss, and plenty of communities where cussing is not prevalent.  I have read plenty of excellent books without cussing in them, that were still very believable.  And yet, I would cut some slack for people who do use it.

 I think that we each are driven to write our own truths, and that is a reflection of where we grew up, our upbringing our own moral beliefs, etc.  And sometimes we want to explore other truths, and unfortunately (or not–peace, people), there are plenty of people out there who do use foul language.  I would assume that if you wanted to write a dialogue between members of a street gang, the language could not be pristine and still be believable. 

People on this blog come from all over the world, represent different age groups, communities and religious or other beliefs and by sharing our thoughts on writing, can help us all grow.  And of course, while advice is given, we are still free to decide which points we agree with and which we don’t. 

I, personally,  hope you come back to share more with us.

Double post! Sorry!

NB – for some reason my name keeps changing at the top of my posts and replies – sometimes I appear as Kate, sometimes as kittykattykaty (which is my email) and sometimes as Kate Hewson, but basically I’m the same person. Seems to change depending what computer I am on and how I have logged in. Sorry.

Lydia sat forlornly by the window of her cell, looking out through the bars at the trees and fields that surrounded the castle walls. She wondered how long she would be kept here. She wondered if her mother and sisters were missing her yet; if they had even noticed that she hadn’t returned home.

But suddenly, the key turned in the lock, the door opened and in walked Jack. Lydia’s heart leapt.

“JACK!” she almost laughed with relief, “How did you get into the castle? How did you get in here? Did anyone see you? I’m so pleased to see you!”

She ran across the room and flung herself at him.

Jack stood stiffly, without returning her hug, and pushed her gently back.

Lydia’s face fell. “What’s wrong?”

“Lydia I need to tell you something…” he couldn’t meet her eye. He took a breath to say something, but stopped and bit his lip. Lydia felt that she would quite like to bite his lip too, but now wasn’t the time.

“Jack, we need to go!” she said, “We need to get out before somebody comes! Did you bring your horse?” She ran back to get her shawl from the bench. “It was freezing outside earlier, I didn’t have time to get anything warmer-“

“Lydia, just stop!” Jack raised his hand, and this time looked right at her. “I haven’t come to rescue you.”

Lydia looked at him, confusion etched across her face. “What do you mean?”

Jack took a deep breath, brushed his fingers through his hair, put his hands in his pockets and took them out again. “I’m not who you think I am.”

This didn’t make any sense. “Well…who the hell are you then?”

“I’m…kind of…well, I live here.” Jack said.

Lydia’s brow furrowed. “What, in this cell?”

Jack gave a small laugh. “No, you looney! In the castle.”

Lydia’s mind was racing. “Are you…one of the servants?”

“No.” jack said quietly.

Lydia shook her head. “I don’t get it. What are you trying to tell me?”

Jack closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I’mPrinceJacob”

“Sorry, who? You’re what?”

Jack opened his eyes again. “The Prince. Prince Jacob. You know… Son of the King, heir to the throne..”

“The PRINCE prince?” asked Lydia in disbelief.

“The prince prince.”

She didn’t know whether to slap him or hug him.

Ha – just realised where I got that lip biting bit from. Please ignore.

Compelling storyline.  Don’t you hate it when cutting and pasting messes up your formatting?

One thought I had while reading this was to have a few more dialogue lines flow one after the other without exposition in between, or shorter exposition.

“Lydia I need to tell you something…” Jack said, not meeting her eye.

“Jack, we need to go!  Get out of here before somebody comes! Did you bring your horse?”

She ran back to get her shawl from the bench. “It was freezing outside earlier, I didn’t have time to get anything warmer-”

Jack grabbed her by the arm.

“Lydia, just stop!  I haven’t come to rescue you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Jack took a deep breath. “I’m not who you think I am.”

“Well…who the hell are you then?”

Jack brushed his fingers through his hair, dipped them into his pocket, then pulled them out again. 

“I’m…kind of…well, I live here.”

Anyway, just my thoughts, and you know what thougths are worth, but thought it might help keep the tension if you knocked out some of the description, cause the scene is really good.

OOh, thanks Wendy, great suggestions!!! this is a tiny snippet of my big WIP, so many thanks for that!! x

Here is a very short story I wrote some time ago using just dialogue. It can be found at : http://www.short-story-time.com/the-baby.html. It was written just for laughs. 

“Well, Mrs. Johnson, how do you like your new baby boy. Isn’t he a handsome little fellow?”“Well…he sure is, but…but…there seems to be…”“He comes with all the latest features: a full head of blonde hair, corn flower blue eyes, guaranteed to be six feet tall, accelerated toilet training capabilities, full maturity in 6 years. Look, he’s growing already!”“But, Doctor Hornsby, there seems to be…”“He is fully functional immediately. Listen to that voice! You know, Mrs. Johnson, I’ll bet he’ll be a great singer someday –if he wants to be. We have included the superior intellect package at no extra cost.”“But, Doctor Hornsby, there seems to be…”“This model will also have excellent coordination and will be able to play all sports at the highest levels by the time he is in his early teens. Look, he’s grown nearly six inches already!”“But, Doctor Hornsby, there seems to be…”“What is wrong Mrs. Johnson? You sound like you’re not fully satisfied.”“Oh no, Doctor Hornsby, it’s just that his head in on backwards.”“Oh…so it is…well, no problem. We’ll just return him to the factory for some…(ahem)…adjustments.”“But, Doctor Hornsby, that’s just not possible!”“Why not Mrs. Johnson, it shouldn’t take too long to fix.”“But, Doctor Hornsby, we opted for the natural birth method. He just won’t fit!” 

Hmm…all the carriage returns were stripped out.

Love dialogue. My creative writing teacher gave me an assignment to eavesdrop on some else’s conversation and write down every word extanged.

I noticed that people unknowingly repeat themselves. Maybe to emphasis a point or maybe because they think the other person didn’t hear them. People also say “What” a lot.

Good ones, Shaquanda. 

Joe,  This is such great advice about dialogue. I’d love to either re-blog it or at least post a link to it on my blog, Gerry Wilson: The Writerly Life at http://gerrygwilson.com . On Mondays I feature a “Monday Discovery” where I link to blogs or specific entries I’ve found interesting and/or helpful. I would give full credit to you in either case. If that isn’t all right with you, please let me know. 

Dialogue has always been the hardest aspect of writing for me… especially writing a man’s voice.  I often find myself laughing hysterically when I read back what I wrote… a man and a woman bickering ends up sounding like two school girls.  So frustrating!  It takes piles of rewrites to work it out.  So I thought I’d take another stab at it here and not over think it for once. 

Here is my practice:

“Did you do it?” Lisa asks.

Josh’s back is turned to her, arched, neck strained as he works to wrestle a suitcase down from the top of the closet. 

Lisa rolls her eyes.  “Just get a chair.”

Josh gives the bag a hard yank.  “Shit!”  He ducks, holding the suitcase shield-like to protect himself from the resulting avalanche: old clothes, winter sweaters, boxes of photograph, his stash of porn.  

Lisa picks a DVD off the floor, “real classy,” she says, waving the graphic cover in his face. “What if the boys found this?” 

Josh ignores her, carries the bag to the bed. 

Shaking her head, Lisa begins to gather up the porn, returning it to a back corner of the closet.  “You didn’t answer me,” she says, carefully re-burrying his stash under a wad of holiday sweaters.

“Just thrown them away,” Josh said, “I forgot they were even up there.”

“I don’t care about your stupid college porn collection.  I was talking about Knox… did you tell him?”

“What do you mean kind of?”

Josh shrugs.

“You said you were going to do it before you left.  Seriously, Josh!  I would have done it months ago.”

“I’m sure he already knows.”

“Then you don’t know your son.  He definitely doesn’t know, but he will as soon as school starts and I want us to be the ones to tell him.  It’s important!”

Josh shoves a handful of shirts into the bag, not bothering to fold them. “Fine, I’ll tell him now.”

Lisa laughs, “Ya!  Good idea!” she says sarcastically, “give him ‘the talk’ when he’s got his whole lacrosse team out in the yard!”

“What do you want me to do?” he asks, shoving socks and underwear on top of the jumble of shirts.   “I have to leave in twenty minutes.”

“I want you to go back in time and tell your son where babies come from!” she shouts.

Josh sighs. He turns, looks at her, his dark eyes crinkling into a grin.  Lisa braces herself, holding tight to her anger.  “You know I’m no good at this kind of thing.”

“Then why did you tell me you wanted to do it?” she snaps.

“Baby,” he says, speaking to her chest, “no ten year old boy wants to hear his mom talk about ejaculations and wet dreams.  Especially when his mom is hot.”

“Your sick.”

He sits on the bed, “come here.”

“No.  I’m mad at you,” she says. 

Josh stands and crosses the room, wraps his arms around her, “I could always do what my dad did and just toss him a video,” he teases, words and breath vibrating in her ear. 

She shrugs his mouth away.  “You better not,” she warns, and turns her head, rests her cheek on his chest, “you promised me you’d do it.”  She listens to his heart, closes her eyes and nestles in closer. 

“I will.  As soon as I get home,” he promises, leaning down to kiss her cheek.

“No.  I’ll do it.”

“Baby, I’ll be home Thursday.  Can’t our boy stay innocent for a few more days?”

“School starts Monday.  All the mom’s agreed we’d tell the boys over the summer.  I don’t want to give them another reason to hate me.”

“The only reason they don’t like you…”

“Don’t say it.”

“It’s true!”

“They’re nice to Tonya, and she’s hot.”

“Which ones Tonya?”

Lisa smiles, “Like you don’t know!”  She can smell him—cologne, sweat, fabric softening—she misses him already.

“I tried to tell him, but the kid never sits still and I didn’t think you would want me to yell it as he ran by: hey dude… the penis goes in the vagina, wear condoms!”

Lisa giggles and tries to work out a strategy… Josh had a point, getting Knox to sit still was almost impossible.   

“I can call as soon as I land.”

“No, you have to do it face to face,” she says, distracted. 

“Then I’ll skype him.” 

Lisa tries to picture it—Knox huddled in front of the computer, held captive by headphones, his dad’s face huge on the screen.  “Now THAT would traumatize him.”

Josh kisses her neck.  “Have him call me if he has any questions.”  He pats her affectionately on the butt and heads to the closet for pants. 

She leans against the closet door, “I’m going to miss you.”

“Did you wash my black jeans?”

“Ya, there in the drier.” 

A bang on the bedroom door “Mom!  Can I go to Kyle’s?”

“Come say goodbye to your dad first.”

The door opens and a wiry nine-year-old bursts into the room, blond hair stained brown with sweat, face red from running, skin still showing the marks where his helmet had pressed into his forehead.  “Bye dad!”

“Take care of Mom while I’m gone.”

“K,” Knox says, a blur of energy.  He whirls around.

“And help out with your brothers.”

“K.  Bye Dad.”  He’s already running.  “Kyle wait up, my mom said yes.” 

“I’m proud of you,” Josh calls after him.

“Proud of you too,” Knox calls back.  The door slams.    

Lisa heads to the laundry room, her mind a jumble of charts and diagrams.   

Warning… practice contains mild adult content. 

Shaking her head, Lisa begins to gather up the porn, returning it to a back corner of the closet.  “You didn’t answer me,” she says over her shoulder as she strategically arranges holiday sweaters over the pile of smut.  

I thought the way the characters was pretty true to life.  Not much to point to and say “that part was kind of stilted.”

Loved the exchange of Tonya.

So, it’s mom’s job after all, huh?  Nice how disagreed without having an all out fight.  I like the dynamic of this couple you created.

Just a piece of something to practice my dialogue skills:

“Who’re you?” The unshaven face peering through the screen door gave no hint of recognition. I stood uncertainly on the stoop, hoping I was at the right house.

“I’m your niece Cecelia. I called earlier to tell you I’d be stopping by.”

“Humph!” The face retreated momentarily and the screen door swing open on squeaky hinges. I stepped inside in response to the unspoken invitation.

“Whatcha want, anyway? ”

“I was hoping you could tell me more about my father, your brother Neil. I want desperately to find out more about his boyhood. He died last year and I’ve felt an empty void in my heart ever since. Can I ask you a few questions?”

“S’pose so.” He shuffled around the room, shifting stacks of magazines and newspapers until the edge of a ragged couch appeared. He motioned, “Sit there.”

I perched stiffly on the edge of the sofa. I hoped no bugs or mice would make an unexpected appearance. I was nervous enough as it was…without random creature encounters. “How long before his death did you and my father last speak?”

“Ten years, I reckon.”

“Really? Why so long?”

“Nothin’ to say to each other, I s’pose.” My uncle shifted from one foot to the other.

“Did you argue?”

“Nope, not as I recollect.”

“I didn’t see you at the funeral.” I felt like this conversation was going nowhere.

“I ain’t much on funerals. Too much wailin’ and tears.”

“I see.” Unfortunately, I didn’t see at all. How could my uncle have neglected to appear at my father’s funeral? My father was his only sibling! I didn’t know my uncle that well, but I thought surely he would have wanted to say goodbye. Apparently I was wrong.

 I like this Karetha. I think you can unpack some of the dialogue a bit, though. For example: “I was hoping you could tell me more about my father, your brother Neil. I want desperately to find out more about his boyhood. He died last year and I’ve felt an empty void in my heart ever since. Can I ask you a few questions?” — doesn’t sound too realistic to me. Perhaps:

“I just have some questions.”

“Questions? About what.”

“My dad. I miss him.”

“So what’s that gotta do with me?”

“Well there’s so much I don’t know about him, about his childhood.”

“I don’t think I can help you much there.”

“I think you can.”

Or something like that?

 Nora, thanks for the suggestions.  Like Wendy, you’ve showed me some good ways to make it seem more like someone would actually talk.  I appreciate it 🙂

This was very interesting.  I thought the uncle (maybe you could name him? just noticed he doesn’t have one) spoke with a natural clipped tone.

Cecilia was great, too.  But I think sometimes her dialog read like she was really talking to tell the reader what was going on.

Might be pared down to just, “I was hoping you could tell me more about my father.  Your brother, Neil.  Can I ask you a few questions.”

You reveal that her dad died when you reference the funeral, and I think the reader might be pulled in more if he/she discovers that fact as the story progresses.  Have them wonder up front, “hmmm, why doesn’t she know her dad?  why can’t she just ask her dad her questions?”

With that in mind, I might change “How long before his death did you and my father last speak?” to “When did you last speak to my dad?”

Tough conversation to have, when only one person really wants to engage.

I thought you did a really job of putting dialect into the uncle without it being irritating.  It was very natural, and I thought read smoothly

Good Exercise.

 Wendy…I like the suggestions regarding Cecelia’s dialog.  Your approach makes it seem more realistic.  Thanks!

not sure about this one, might not focus enough on the dialogue. But the idea is practice so here you are. — “Hey!” the voice echoed around the lobby and I prayed that when I looked around it wouldn’t be her. “Hey! there you are!” All other guests had paused for a moment to watch Sal, a large round woman wearing a rainforest decorated kaftan, flailing her arms and shouting in my direction. She had spotted me. There was eye contact. 

“Oh, hi. it’s good to see you.” I say, quickly scanning the lobby for a familiar face, lost child or uncontrollable fire.  Sal grabs a hold of me and hugs me close. 

“Oh, my god I am so glad I have found yo..” her chunky baubled necklace digs into my chest. “.. I was petrified and had to come and tell…” When she releases me and I can breath the wave of perfume hits me. She smells like she lives inside a wild rose. I sneeze involuntarily. “Bless you darling!”

“Thank you.” I notice a waiter and grab his attention “gin and tonic please.”

“Oh nothing for me darling” Sal pats the waiter on the arm and laughs “too early for me dear, I will be positively sloshed if I do that!” she sits down and continues “well it was just awful. I could have sworn..” Her lips are beet red. I watch as they open and close, her dark blue eyes are laced with the wrinkles of a woman who smiles – perpetually. “…but when I got there, it was gone..” Her hair is black and curled. It rises in towers above her head “…the officers said that I..” when she moves her arms the fat sags and swings with her“.. I just don’t know what to do, no one will listen to me..”

“I’m sorry to hear that Sal.”

 This was great… I laughed out loud numerous times.  Love that he isn’t listening to her story… and how you showed that in your writing.  I thought that was very clever.  Also loved that line about looking around for a failure face, a child, a fire.  great stuff.

This is hilarious Emily! 

I have to agree with Alisha, the fading in and out of dialog was really great and helped to develop both characters: your narrator as wanting to avoid this woman, and the Sal as someone who really just wants to talk, whether she’s being listened to or not. Great stuff!

I too loved the line about the familiar face, lost child, or uncontrollable fire. It made me laugh out loud. 

Keep up the good work 🙂

Could really get his disinterest in her tale.

Could not help thinking the protagonist should end with something like, “Well, I don’t know what to say”. Did like the truthfulness of how sorry he is to hear whatever she is spilling into his ear.

I’d ditch the “it’s” and just say, “Good to see you.”. Think it sounds a bit more natural.

You have a great sense of humor.

good point about the “it’s”. I think I always say it in my head but never out loud when I say “good to see you.”

 I agree that the paragraph that shows non-listening is creative, but the reader has to follow it even if the listening character isn’t. Perhaps if it were formatted in the traditional way, with each new quote on a new line? I think it might work better.

Yeah. I struggled with the formatting. I wanted to get across the seamlessness, like Sal was talking in the background of main characters thoughts. But it may make it clearer to space it out. thanks.

That’s a great twist on dialogue Emily. It’s as if they aren’t really talking to each other in a conversation at all. The description and responses are great. Love the humor!

I find that when writing dialog, especially for contained scenes, it helps to just get out of the characters’ way and let them talk. Don’t put any restraints on them grammatically or thematically. If you’ve ever acted before, writing dialog is similar to improve. Never tell them no. It’s your job to go with the flow and guide it, without constraining it, to something plausible and powerful.

Whether I managed any of that successfully is up for debate, but here’s my practice for today:

Adam hung his coat on the coat rack and rolled his shoulders back while stretching his neck first to one side and then the other. He fished his keys out of his pocket and set them on the counter.

“What did the doctor say?” May asked from the kitchen. 

He chewed his lip, happy that she couldn’t see him, or how sick he felt. What to say? What made sense? 

“Adam?” May poked her head into the living room. “What did the doctor say?”

“Fit as a fiddle,” he said. Who talks like that? His palms were sweaty.

May stepped fully into the living room, her eyebrows a concerned steeple, “Are you alright? You look pale.”

“Yeah, I, um…” In the kitchen a pot bubbled over and May disappeared into the kitchen before he could finish.

“Just a second!” She said. 

It was happening. The words were crawling up from his gut and about to spill out. About to bubble over.

“I’m pregnant.”

From the kitchen he could hear May settling the burner and securing the pot’s lid. She returned to the kitchen, still concerned. “What was that, babe?” 

“Baby…”

“Yeah?”

“No, I mean…um…” His stomach lurched. Or was it his stomach at all? “We’re going to have a baby.”

May cocked an eyebrow at him. “What?”

She looked at him a minute. Then broke into a smile,”Oh come off it. I always pull out!” She laughed.

“This isn’t a joke, May…” He smirked despite himself.

“That’s why you’re smirking,” She crossed her arms in front of her chest.

“I’m serious! The doctor did an ultrasound…there’s a baby in…my womb.” It all seemed so ridiculous when he said it out loud. 

“Oh yeah, your womb. Of course. We should have known when your last period didn’t show up.” May was getting bewildered now. She could see how sick he felt. How worried he was.

“You’re right. I’m joking. You got me.” Adam ran his hands up his face and back through his hair.

“You’re…serious.” He could hear her stomach sink in her voice.

“Yeah…I can’t explain it. The doctor couldn’t explain it, but…we’re going to have a baby.” He wanted her to tell him it would be okay, but there was no hope for that. This was abysmal. Bizarre. It was more than either of them could handle.

May looked down at her hands and then returned to the kitchen without a word. Adam almost ran to the couch, letting it catch him in his darkening tunnel of a world. Deep breaths. It was real. Oh God, this was actually happening.

 Well, that was a surprise!  Poor Adam!  May’s initial reaction was hilarious…  I can’t even imagine how I would react if given that sort of news!  Sheesh!

 Did not see the pregnancy twist coming!  Good one 🙂

Great image:  her eyebrows a concerned steeple.

Is it abysmal because HE is having the baby?  I couldn’t help wondering if there was some back story about how neither of them wanted kids?

I might cut the following lines:  May was getting bewildered now. She could see how sick he felt. How worried he was.

Cause it follows May still ribbing him and he jokes back.  I loved that right when he decides to play it off as a joke is when she says “You’re serious.”

There a few bits of dialogue that if were trimmed of a word or syllable, might sound more conversational to me?

“Just a sec.”  for “Just a second”

“You all right?” for “Are you all right?”

and here:  She looked at him a minute… I’d change minute to moment.  Cause there is no way I could look at my husband for a whole minute without saying something after my husband told me he was pregnant.

Very original story line!  Good exercise.

Haha “there is no way I could look at my husband for a whole minute…” you’re so right. That’s a good point. And yes, it is abysmal because HE is having the baby. 

Thanks so much for taking the time to critique, Wendy 🙂

 I like the story and the dialogue, though I agree with the previous critiques about cutting some out. I like when May disappeared back into the kitchen. Nice story!

(This post contains profanity)

Knock. Knock.   No response.   “Jim?”   “I’m in the bathroom for Chrissake!”   Laura pushed open the door to the master bedroom they no longer shared.  Jim’s laptop was perched atop a pile of pillows on what had formerly been her side of the bed, before she’d starting sleeping in the guest room. The screen displayed a website advertising a $250 bottle of scotch for $199.99.   “Jim?” Laura said through the bathroom door.   “Laura, really?  Really?!  We have to talk now?”   “It’s just…” Sigh.  Start again. “I’m heading to the grocery store.  You want me to pick you up anything?”   No response.   “Jim, I’m…”   “God, Laura.  Just give me a chance to think.”   Pause.  No answer.   “Okay, well if you think of anything, just text me.  I gotta run.  Or I won’t be back in time to pick up the kids from…”   “Beano.”   “What?”   “Beano.  I need Beano.”   “Beano?”   “Yes, dammit.  Why do you bother me while I’m in here and then not listen?  You always do this.”   “No.  I heard you.  I just wanted to make sure I got…”   “And toilet paper.  The right kind this time.”   Laura frowned, wondering when it was she had stopped knowing how to do anything right.   “Charmain?”   “Charmain?  God, no.  You know the kind I like.”   How Laura wished she still knew what Jim liked.    “What brand is it, again?”   “Laura, how would I know the brand?  You’re the one who does the grocery shopping.  Not me.”   “You wanna come with me?  To the store? Get out for a little bit?”   “Yeah, sounds awesome, Laura.”   Laura heard a flush.   “You’re a f***ing jerk, you lazy ass drunk,” Laura said, knowing that Jim would not be able to hear her over the sound of his load of crap going down the toilet.   She heard him turn on the sink.  At least he still washed his hands.   Jim came out from the master bathroom.  He hadn’t bothered to run the fan, and it was obvious.  He sat down on his rumpled side of the bed, pulling his laptop toward him.   “You’re gonna be late getting kids, you know.  It’s all about time management, Laura.”   Jim took a swig from his coffee mug that was not filled with coffee.   Laura left without saying good-bye.  She left without saying a lot of things she wanted to say.    If she’d learned anything from the Al-A-Non meeting she was heading to it was that there was no point arguing with a bottle.

 Great line: “Laura left without saying good-bye.  She left without saying a lot of things she wanted to say.”

Great dialogue.. told a lot about this couple. Saying what she wants to say when the toilets flushing and he can’t hear her was a nice touch. 

 This sounds very realistic to me, except she’s not even out of the house and she’s so compassionate. LOVE the dialogue, especially the opening.

Awesome dialogue Wendy … I want to read more … 

Really good dialogue. Lots ‘said’ in the pauses and the words unspoken! 

Great post! I’m bookmarking it, since this is quite the dialogue treasure trove.

Alas, I don’t have a practice. I started one, but it wasn’t dialogue. Maybe if I can get into the writing mindset, I’ll do one and post it here.

When she walked in, she smiled like nothing was wrong.

“Why didn’t you call me back?” I asked.

“Oh, sorry. Forgot.”

“Forgot? I left you a hundred messages!”

“Whatever. What’s got your panties in a wad this time?” She asked.

“Never mind. So what are you gonna have?” I thumbed through the humongous menu.

“I’m not really hungry. Can we split something?”

“Okay, forget it. I’ll just have a salad. So why are you in such a bad mood?”

“Really?” I asked.

“No, but obviously you’re pissed about something.”

“Not that you really care, but I just got fired.”

“Welcome to Cheesecake Factory, my name is Jorge. Have you folks dined with us before?”

“FIRED? What the hell did you do this time?” she asked.

“I’ll come back in a little while to get your drink order,” Jorge said and quickly disappeared.

“Can you keep your voice down, please?” I said. “If you must know, I got caught writing my novel on company time.”

“Novel? What novel?”

“Are you kidding me? I’ve been working on a novel for the past three years.” I said.

“Well, I guess you’ll have plenty of time writing your novel now!” 

“You know I’m gonna get another job. I’ve got a second interview with Google later this week.” I said, assuringly.

“That’s not what I’m talking about. I meant you’ll have plenty of time to write your great American novel because you’ll be single.”

This was a great plot line dialogue.  Especially within the constraints of a restaurant where there is a struggle to act socially appropriate vs. sayind and doing what is on your mind.

I found a lot of it true to the way people speak, but I think you could add a snap to some of it.

Like, instead of:  “Are you kidding me? I’ve been working on a novel for the past three years.” I said.

I might edit the second sentence to read as an annoyed “Uh-Duh”… like “Are you kidding me?  The novel I’ve been working on for the past three years!”

And I’d kind of like her walk in a little more arrogantly… Maybe:

She walked in with a smile and not a hint of an apology.

Not sure I followed what was going on here, but I am functioning on an insomniac amount of sleep so maybe I just missed something?

“Okay, forget it. I’ll just have a salad. So why are you in such a bad mood?” “Really?” I asked. “No, but obviously you’re pissed about something.”

Interesting break-up twist in the end.  Get the sense that even if he hadn’t lost his job, they’d be better off with separate checks. 😉

 I like this, though I’m not sure too many people really say, “If you must know…” It’s very hard to comment when we don’t know the characters! I really like the interruption from the waiter.

Very valuable info!  I have found that many people also talk a lot with their hands.  I would like to say that I really appreciate the information you put out there.  Good job,  Keep it up!

This was a great post, Joe.  You gave us to lot to thinking about when putting words into other people’s mouths.

One question:  What’s your take on “words” like gotta, gonna, shoulda, sorta, gotcha being included in dialogue.  I generally don’t use them in my narrative writing, but sometimes slide them in between quotation marks when I think they sound more like a character’s speech pattern.   Interested in hearing your thoughts on this.

Not sure where this falls into the mix, but I think real people a lot more informally than I sometimes see written.

For example:

“I have looked everywhere and I cannot find my other sneaker.  Would you please help me look for it, mom?”

As opposed to “Mom!  I can’t find my sneaker.  Help me!”

It seems like people shy away from contractions sometimes in writing dialogue, and I’m not sure why?  Do you find this, too?

This blog has been a great outlet for me.  Thank you for consistently challenging us to improve.

Good question Wendy. I sometimes wonder what’s acceptable in writing my character’s idiosyncratic way of speaking. Is it okay to spell a word creatively to describe how that person says it? I don’t like sloppy grammar but what if that’s how someone speaks. 

Sure Gerry. Thanks 🙂

Here’s my practice. I have a tendency to burden the dialogue with too much explanation. I hope I didn’t do that, but let me know what you think I can improve.

Adela’s wobbly legs carried her to kitchen but she couldn’t get past the doorway. She clutched the frame and stood blinking at her husband, his sin exposed by the bright fluorescent light.

“What just happened?” The whisper that eked out betrayed her smallness.

He didn’t even bother to answer her.

“I said, what did you do?” Maysoon’s sobs bled through the walls and filled the space between them.

“What?” He popped some crackers into his mouth, choked and coughed the crumbs onto the counter. “None of your business.”

His voice was foul as the mix of spit and hair that clogged the bathroom drain. Adela vomited.

“Disgusting.” He moved towards the door, expecting her to move to let him pass, but she didn’t.

“It is my business!” The sudden fury in her eyes pinned him to the wall, her voice held a gun to his temple.

“You and your daughter are both prostitutes.” He laughed.

The room turned red and green as an instinctual rage enveloped Adela. She leapt for the meat knife, but she slipped in her vomit and hit her head on the table.

“Don’t start acting like you care all of a sudden. Don’t start acting like you have a right to care,” he hissed. He stepped over her and left the house barely shaken as Adela sat in her own filth, the kitchen knife within reach.  

Oh my goodness, what a scene! There’s a lot going on in there outside of the dialogue, and that’s really good – I liked “He didn’t even bother to answer her” – that says a lot.

 Thanks, Kate. I’m glad that came through. It’s hard to write dialogue about things that people so don’t want to talk about.

This is without doubt the best article I’ve read on dialogue – very, very useful and insightful and I will definitely be putting to practice much of your advice. Well done.

Wow. Thanks Simon!

“I don’t want to leave a bad taste” “I get it…” she answered. “Hey, did you guys ever talk about how it is going to be between the two of you when she leaves?” she on the next line. “Nope.” “Did she ask you to move with her?” “Nope” “U ok?” “What do you mean? “I’m just asking if you’re ok with me asking all these questions.” “Of coz, u got the right” I typed back. “Well, not really” after giving it a bit of a thought. “What exactly that bothers you right now?” her words taunted back. “I wish I know.” “It’s all jumbled up right now” I added on the next line while trying to think through what exactly were those things. “Must be…” she replied, “I know how you feel.”

The phone rang, breaking the oppressive silence.  It took several rings before Phyllis managed to hobble over to the phone. 

“Hi, Mom, how’re you doing?”  Her daughter.

Phyllis paused.  “Fine.”

“Mom, that ‘fine’ doesn’t sound too good.  What’s hurting today?”

She laughed softly.  “How did you know?”

“Mom, I hear it in your voice.  Is it your leg again?  Your back?”

“The leg, honey.  But it’s ok.”

“What’s ok? How bad is it?  Give it to me from one to ten.”

“I guess today it’s a seven.”

“A seven!”

“That’s not so bad, yesterday it was a nine.”

“What does the doctor have to say?”

“There isn’t that much to do.  He can give me another shot in a few days.”

“But how are you managing, Mom?”

“I’m managing, I’m managing.  Everything gets done; it just takes a little longer.”

Her daughter was unnaturally silent for a few moments.  “Mom, don’t you think it’s time you moved in with one of us?”

“Why, will it stop hurting if I’m by you?”

“Mom, I worry about you alone in the house- all those stairs, those empty rooms!  You took such good care of us over the years; I want to be able to take care of you now that you need us.”

“I’m okay, really.  I’m managing.  I don’t need to be taken care of.”

“I know, I know.  You don’t need anything.  But Mom, maybe we need something. Maybe we need to spoil you a little.”

“Oh, Margo, really.  You’re wonderful children.  You and the grandchildren and their children- you bring me all the joy in the world.  That’s all the spoiling I need.”

She could hear her daughter’s sigh over the wire, over the thousands of miles separating them.

“Mom, I love you.”

“I love you too, honey.  Stop worrying about me, I’m fine.  And go to sleep already, it’s late by you.”

Margo laughed.   “Don’t worry, Mommy.  I’ll go to bed. G’night.  Love you.”

This has got a great flow to it.   “You took such good care of us over the years; I want to be able to take care of you now that you need us.” – that sentence to me needs tweaking, a bit too formal. But I especially enjoyed the initial interrogation of the daughter, it has such a true ring to it.  Funny, I just read mine after yours, and it’s like the same issue but completely different responses! (Based on my grandpa, bless him!)

This one’s based on my mom, bless her as well! I’m having internet problems now, have to get in and read yours now…

Okay, seem to have a few minutes of internet connection.  Thanks for pointing it out.  Although that’s probably really close to the actual conversation, you’re right, it doesn’t read well and deserves a good tweak.  Thanks again!

This is a bit of dialogue from my work in progress. It’s between 18 year old best friends. *** Tentatively I crossed the street, a knot of dread filling my stomach. As I pushed open the front gate the hinges squeaked betraying my approach. Cole quickly brushed the tears from her face and turned round to see who was breaking in upon her silent anguish. She dropped her eyes back to the ground and I hesitated before I joined her under the tree. A gray, gnawing feeling in the pit of my heart made me uneasy. I reached her and put my hand on her shoulder guiding her to the white bench in the side yard.

I leaned forward as we sat, “Tell me, what’s wrong,” I coaxed. She composed herself and looked me square in the face, though I could see the pain and fear etched in her brow.

“Harry’s asked me to marry him.”

“Harry?” I couldn’t believe it. I was full of questions all wanting to tumble out at once. I knew she liked him and had been seeing him once in a while but I hadn’t taken it so seriously.

“When are you getting married, do your parents know, when did he ask you, you’ve barely known him three months,” I blurted the questions out as a painful string. She looked stung. She was wilting before me like a flower in the full sun of an August day. I rested my hand on hers and lowered my tone. “Is there something I don’t know?”

She nodded, “We’re already married,” she said dully. I wanted to catch my breath. I felt like I’d been slapped.

“You’re married,” I echoed stupidly. A wave of nausea swept over me, there was a ringing in my ears. Then it hit me. I stammered, “Are you…are you, pregnant?”

The air hung heavy with the word. Time stood still. A yellow jacket buzzed annoyingly near my ear in slow motion. I could hear my own heart beat. Her anguished, pleading eyes locked onto mine. Then it all came tumbling out in a torrential flood from her fragile heart into my own. I squeezed her hand tightly as she spoke of loneliness and doubt. The attention Harry had given her was overwhelming, it was more than she had ever expected from a handsome man. He made her promises, she felt loved and wanted. She was afraid to tell me when she suspected she was pregnant. She found out alone last week. The dream was ruined and she woke up to find it had burst like a bubble.

“When I told Harry,” she almost whispered, “he made arrangements for a Justice of the Peace wedding in Charlotte right away, we were married on Friday.” This was Wednesday. I wanted to scream, how could you not have told me!

“He came over to tell my parents but I couldn’t face them, not yet,” her voice quivered. I swallowed back the hurt, anger, betrayal I was feeling and patted her hand.

“I could help you tell them,” I offered.

Her eyes swam with tears, “Would you?”

“Of course, but you know you need to get this over with, the longer you wait the harder it will be.” She nodded.

I steadied myself against the rage I felt for that no good Harry Singer. If he’d been standing in front of me at that moment I would have wanted to kill him. But right now I had more important considerations. My sweet friend needed me and I wouldn’t let her down. Like she let you down, the nagging thought echoed in the back of my mind. I brushed the thought away like a puff of smoke. I hugged Cole and we cried together for a moment.

“I wish you would have told me,” I got up the courage to say.

“I wanted to, I tried to, I was just too ashamed and scared.” 

“Did you think I wouldn’t want to be there for you? That I wouldn’t want to know?” I asked. I knew it didn’t matter what the answer was, she hadn’t told me. Trust was strained taut between us.

“I don’t know,” her voice was heavy. “Harry said we shouldn’t tell anyone until we were married, I wanted to tell you but, I just didn’t, know how,” she trailed off. There wasn’t much to say, a coldness crept over me in spite of the hot morning sun beating down on us. I sighed. I hugged her tight, took her hand and led her inside.

Beck … I love this I just feel it needs a bit of an edit … I know you said work in progress … and trust me I’m no expert – the opening line caught my attention immediately … I would change it to: 

“Crossing the street a knot of dread filled my belly.  I could see Cole crying and had to know why.  The noisy gate betrayed my approach.”  …. 

Anyway, no big deal and my version is probably all wrong for your style … I just thought I would try … I hope you’re not offended … 

Makes me wonder about the back story in this … 

I’m certainly not offended Robert. I wouldn’t put it out there if I didn’t want a critique that would make my pieces better. I like your suggestions, especially the first sentence. I did cut it out of a larger scene so that may have made a difference. To find out more about the back story you’ll have to stay tuned and get the book when it comes out! 🙂 

Most of these are great, but having known my dad I will have to disagree with #3 and #5. Some people love nothing more than long monologues and repeating themselves. There are all sorts of “real people” out there and yes, there are some windbags too. 🙂 If I may, I’d like to add another rule: “Real people sometimes love nothing more than the sound of their own voice.” Talkiness is a character trait. A character who does this to hilarious effect is Mr. Collins in ‘Pride and Prejudice.’

Laura… great comment.  It’s critical and constructive and personal and insightful and informative. And I think I even agree with you.

Great point, Laura. Would we consider Mr. Collins a “real” person, though. 🙂

 I agree that there are many windbags out there.  Nonetheless, the fact that there are many windbags doesn’t mean that in writing we have to faithfully put down every word.  They are usually an annoyance to read through.  I think that we can often convey their wordiness without putting every word in. 

I recently read a book that was nice enough, but there were 2 long monologues in the book that bothered me so much, that I hesitated to recommend the book.  I felt those monologues could have (or maybe should have) been handled better. 

As to Jane Austen- Yes Mr. Collins loved the sound of his own voice, but Austen knew when to cut even Collins.  And how many of us are Jane Austen?  

I so agree! For the most part 3 & 5 are a good rule to have but Laura you are so right about the fact that some people just love to hear themselves talk. I know a guy who can have a full five minute conversation with himself with me helping him a long by adding maybe a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ every minute or two. Children tend to do this too- where they have to stop to breathe because they are so excited about what they are saying and half of it doesn’t even make sense.

Hmm…I’d say that usually talkative people save the talk with people they’re really close with or when very excited.

But perhaps some people out there are talkative with everyone? For example, there are these gossipy popular girls in some of these movies who talk till the day ends and it’s usually about ‘That boy~’ or ‘These cute shoes!’, but then again these are movies.

Also, some people are only talkative in certain moods, such as in fear, anxiety, or excitement, or certain subjects, such as sports or a holiday that they really enjoyed.

Or maybe when they’re uneasy with the stifling silence at the table?

Your point is solid and there are many talkative people out there, but perhaps not with everybody. Especially when they’re conversing with a killer and they know that they’re talking to a killer. Kind of eases the talkative trait and replaces it with beads of sweat and whimpers of fear.

I tend to be tuned to the auditory in general. Maybe it’s because of this predilection, but when I write dialogue, I ‘hear’ it in my mind, and then write what I hear, sort of like taking dictation. Sometimes I wish I knew shorthand because it can be hard to keep up with the conversation! However, then the editing process boils it down further, as PJ said. I think good dialogue has an effortless quality to it, so you almost speed up when reading it.

At 11.00am the staff of the Grantham Public Library sat in their staff room for the “Change Management” meeting with the Libraries Manager and his Human Resources Consultant.

A Powerpoint slides flashed up on the screen and words rolled over Margaret. “Going forward… meeting the changing needs of customers…. Customer centric…. Challenging environment …… hard times ….. At the end of the day…

She seaked a glance at Anna who rolled her eyes. They had a small bet on the number of times “change ready” was used.

“Margaret your vision for Grantham? “The witch had a perpetual smile, and a sharp tongue.

“Well … ummm vision that’s a big word, visionary….

“This is a well established community, you will see in your Change Ready packs the breakdown of ages, and incomes in the Grantham suburb. It has changed remarkably over the years. The question is has the Library changed with it? Are you meeting the needs of your customer? Are you growing the business?” The witch always wore black hence her nickname but her lipstick was bright red – it never seemed to smudge.

“Storytimes are busier than ever”. Sarah offered

““That is your only growth area.” The witch said

“The quality of the storyteller! Sarah, I think that you would pull an audience, as they say, anywhere.” Mr Harrison smiled at the Children’s librarian, Sarah looked down demurely.

“Thank you.” She said.

Margaret stared not for the first time she wondered if there was something going on there.

“How do our figures compare with others?”

“Good point Anna. They don’t come out too well I’m afraid. Newmarket and Waterside are both doing very well despite being much smaller in size. What do you think they have that you don’t? the witch asked

“Well they ….. Newmarket has a school right next door and Waterside has a school and the retirement village. Looking at these statistics the biggest library users are children and retirees.”

Margaret sunk a little further into her chair.

The witch beamed at Sarah. “You have it! It is all about position. Grantham may well have been the hub of this area 30 years ago but now the times and the suburb has moved on”.  

“If only we could magic carpet the building and all you fine people to a better position.”

“What are you suggesting?”

“The building is on a very prime site.”

“What would the library gain from selling it off?”

“The reality is Margaret that we would have enough to build two new libraries with all the latest technology in areas that are crying out for library services.”

Maraget closed her eyes here it comes she thought.

This was a great list, Joe. But I didn’t agree with number 10 because I think often action can be intentional and loud – especially in passive aggression – and used to speak for people, as I’ve done here.

‘Dad,’ she started.

‘No,’ he said, and downed his cold tea.

‘But don’t you think-‘

‘No.’  

‘What if this happens again?’

The old man squinted his eyes at the television screen which was off. He pushed himself slowly off the chair.

‘Where’s the damn remote!’  

She didn’t answer.

He shuffled around the room, his hands grasping out at every surface.

‘Where the bloody hell did they put it?’  

The woman sighed. ‘On top of the TV.’

‘Of course I’ve bloody well checked there.  These people just throw things around, watch that damn MTV all day with the boom boom music in my ears and then don’t have the decency to put the remote back in it’s bloody place.  I just wish you’d all leave me alone.’

She walked towards the television, and saw the remote immediately. ‘Here you go.’

He switched the TV on and classical music blasted through the two-story house.  

‘Bloody hell!’ He shouted as his finger pressed the volume down.  ‘I’m sick of all of you lot.  Go for a walk or something, Lara.’

She picked up his teacup and saucer and put one hand on his shoulder before walking into his kitchen.

‘Lord Jesus,’ she said softly as she smelt the sour milk spilt over the counter.

Good dialogue! I think I might change “The woman” to “His daughter” seeing as that’s who she is. For a moment I thought there was another person in the room. And then maybe I would take off the ‘Of course’ and leave it as ‘I’ve bloody well checked there!’ – unless she had said ‘Have you checked on top of the tv?’ – see? I may be wrong of course. 

Thanks a lot Kate – you’re spot on!  I’m so often eager to post that I don’t proof read enough times… :/ Ooh, I’m so excited for this editing thing – keen to read some more of your work!  

Tried several times to post this, my internet connection is going crazy.  Slipped in during a “connection working” moment to read yours, but can’t seem to post this, cause the connection is down again.  Will try till I get it through…

Once I got a chance to get in and read yours, I saw what you mean.  I think you did a great job, but giving you the courtesy in return of constructive critique 🙂 

First of all, I agree with your comment about Joe’s number 10.  Just yesterday I read somewhere how rather than use verbs other than said or adverbs to add understanding of a conversation, one should use action.  I think you did a great job of it here. 

There were however two things which stopped my reading for a moment:  the first one was the dad’s use of “these people.”  At first, I assumed that he was in the house with his daughter, so who are these people?  Tenants she has in the house?  If they’re her kids, then wouldn’t he say something more in the line of “those kids of yours” or “kids nowadays”?  It left me confused.   At the end, however you say she walked into HIS kitchen, so I guess he’s not by her, so I was left confused again.  Of course, this may  be explained within the story that came before this excerpt?

Thanks Mirelba, stoked for the critique!  Ja, reading your and Kate’s comments made me realise I didn’t explain enough… The ‘these people’ were his children and relatives who had come to help him get around in his house who he’d starting resenting – so I needed her to pick that line up in dialogue, definitely! 

 Gosh, is it Israel that has bad connections, or is it just bad today?  In SA, we used to have electric shortouts a whole lot… Fun and games!!

You’re welcome! No electricity problems, haven’t had them for years and years here. We’ve been having internet connectivity problems on and off since we upgraded to a faster connection, but yesterday it was off for hours, very annoying. Also no phone when the connection is down. TG for mobile phones! Today seems to be fine.

(This is just a conversation in my Percy Jackson fanfiction. I am eleven and I have the right to write these things :D)

“Nice weather,” I started. Marina glared at me. “Don’t talk about weather when I’m in a plane.”

“Look, I get that Zeus doesn’t like you very much. But Ari and Trixy are here too. You think he’d like to blast his own daughters out of the sky, too?”

She sighed and continued looking out the window, sweating nervously.

I turned to Ari. “SO, how are you?”

“The last time I’ve been in a plane, I fell out and got separated from my twin sister for seven years. I’m very fine, thank you very much,” Ari responded sarcastically.

“I just wanted a conversation!” I yelled.

“Don’t look at me for conversation then! Geez!”

“For Kronos’ sake, why the heck are you picking a fight!”

“I’m not picking a fight!” she screamed, “You started all this and I just responded!”

I shook my head and turned up the volume of the song. It was a dumb opera symphony, but I didn’t care. “Stupid Ari,” I mumbled.

“OH SO NOW I’M STUPID, THEN,” Ari exploded, reaching for her pocket, “I’m stupid? WELL, if I’m pretty stupid, I guess I can’t handle a fight with y–”

“NO!”

Trixy snatched the knife from her sister and scowled. “Mariana, would you PLEASE control your temper? If they find out you have a knife with you…”

“Well, mortals can’t see our weapons anyway,” Marina suddenly said.

“Whatever. Now, I’d like to still be alive after this trip,” Trixy sighed in an annoying big-sisterly tone, “So you girls just shut up and don’t start any arguments. I’m listening to Maroon 5 here.”

“I’m more of a Forever the Sickest Kids person,” Marina grinned.

Ari sneered. I thought she was about to start an argument again, but instead she said, “You guys. Your bands eat the dust of One Direction.”

I smiled. We were behaving like friends again.

“No way,” I laughed, “Taylor Swift is much better than all of them.”

I like how they are arguing and then find something to laugh about! Good writing. I haven’t read ‘Percy Jackson’ so I can’t relate to the characters, but I enjoy writing fanfiction too. You might want to read this through again – there are a couple of sentences where you repeat a word, for example “Look, I get that Zeus doesn’t like you very much. But Ari and Trixy are here too. You think he’d like to blast his own daughters out of the sky, too” – too many ‘too’s! I do this all the time, and sometimes it takes someone else to point it out. Great writing though – I am trying to convince my 11 year old daughter to join in with this community.

Actually, now that I’m transcribing an interview I did (boy, could I use Hugh’s tool now!) I can tell you that “real dialogue” would never work!  We need the dialog to sound real, but not necessarily be real.  We need it to draw the reader and make it easy for him to read and follow.  Real people can repeat a thought in three or four different ways, and all within the space of a few seconds.  If you tried to do that in writing, your readers would be “ho-humming” and dumping your book/story.  So we need it to sound realistic, and yet flow.

I guess dialog requires not only a good ear, but a good eye as well.

 Me too. I like to get a reaction. I think that the explanation between the dialogue helps to convey the whole picture. The silence tells us more about your character, and with your explanation, we don’t miss it.

Interesting tips…I was thinking about how tunnel thinkers vs. verbal processors dialogue differently…those of us, who are verbal processors, are more apt to put our foot in our mouth…unintentionally, of course 🙂 Thanks, Joe.

I’m going to *make* this apply to elves and centaurs if it kills me. 

I began my practice dialogue on a small sheet of paper along side of notes from this article. It seems my writing has turned into several pages. There is depth within these words outside the dialogue, I could cry. It’s quite emotional. Good fun. Thank you for the exercise.

This is my Life story

Kelpy G started off a young hoodlum, he made his way to the top through sex trafficking and a lot of coke. Before he became a clarinet god, he started vaping with his friends. His friends would be paid to do cool vape tricks at kids birthday parties. Kelpy loved what he did. That was until he met squidward. Squidward told him about the clarinet but squidward sucked. So Kelpy took his clarinet and took his money and women. Squidward dies three days later of pussi withdrawal. Now with a death on his hands, Kelpy went to canada where he discovered the magical works of weed. Everyday he smoked and played his clarinet. He knew the power of weed and used it to grow his audience at concerts. He would give his fans weed so they would love him. Kelpy soon started making millions with his new fans. One day kelpy was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer and died. he’s blessed us all.- God

Something I thought I would share, since me and my dad have a lot of conversations about house management. To be honest, I thought this was kind of frustrating to read, but trust me, the conversation sounded much more natural in person.

She was sat in her red bedsheets, looking at the meshed rain out her bedroom window, the blankets pumping up and down with each breath.

“Hey, Julia!” It echoes.

“Whuh?” She replies, her head bobbing back to emphasise her irritation.

“Come here.”

Julia shoves her sheets back, and whisks her legs onto the brown carpet. Muffled steps louden when she strolls finally in the kitchen, within earshot.

“These four burners” he starts, “They are four suppliers of energy,”

“Mm-hm.”

“One-two-three-four. So, that’s four ways to get gas, and there are no other gas suppliers in our apartment.”

So,” He says, “Let’s count all the–” He raises his eyebrows, “–drains, in the house.”

“Okay.” Julia sniffs. “These.”

“So there’s one-two,” He counts.

“Three.” She points to the laundry room.

“Yes, three. Actually, no– there’s two in there.”

She says nothing.

“Because there’s one at the top and one at the bottom.”

She nods again.

“Okay, come this way–”

“Wait, is there one on the um,” She snaps her fingers, “balcony?”

“Oh yes, yes there is.” He smiles.

“Okay, this way.” His robe swung back and fourth and his slippers scraped against the carpet. His back was hunched, and his body leant forward to switch on the bathroom light.

“Five,” he swivels around to reach a fat finger towards the shower drain. “Six, the toilet. Seven.”

“Alright.” Dad strides back into the hallway and walks to the second bathroom. The TV blares from the other room.

“Eight.” He turns, “Nine.”

“The drain on the floor, so ten.”

“Ten.”

“So that means–”

“So there’s one in the other bathroom, too.”

“Eleven. And there are none in here.” She says.

“Right,” He sniffs, “So, we can conclude that there are eleven drains in the house. Which means there are more ways to get rid of things, then there are to make it.”

He shifts his weight. “So, that’s why as the purchaser of a…”

“Residence.”

He nods. “Residence, thank you. That’s why the purchaser of a residence can’t just be floatin’ around like “Oh, this looks nice, let’s buy it!””

She smirks and exhales in laughter.

“Really, it’s true.” He adds.

“That’s all,” and she hears the clutter and screeches of pans shifting.

Julia paces back to her room and shoves her headphones on.

Cool advice Joe! I will try it!

A lot to take in Joe, but I’ll give it a go.

It was a regular visit to her friend’s house. They always met, drank tea and chatted. “Well, how were the roads today?” “Awful! The snow was really bad, but luckily I was actually following a snow plough.” “Well, you’re here now, although you’re really late.” “I’m late because I was doggedly following that snow plough, on auto-pilot, and when it diverted into a layby to allow the backlog of vehicles to pass, I followed it into the layby. I then had to wait for all the traffic buildup to pass, for the snow-plough to exit the layby before I could resume my journey. STOP LAUGHING. It wasn’t funny.” “Oh well, time for a cuppa. I’ll go and make it” When we were finally settled the conversation turned to the plight of her brother who was recently widowed. “How’s David doing?” “It’s ridiculous! He just keeps going on about ‘poor Brenda’ and won’t do anyting about moving on, or sorting out her possessions!” “Give him time. After all it is only three months since she died. Has he considered bereavement counselling?” “He won’t consider anything. I’ve made suggestion after suggestion. I’ve had him here for meals, as I think he’s not looking after himself properly, and he refuses to go back and join any of the social groups he used to be part of.” ” You have to give him time and allow him to make his own decisions. You know you are such a control freak? His daughter lives nearby and she is well placed to keep an eye on him and how he’s doing.” “You never agree with anything I say, and anyway, if you are to get home before dark, it’s time you went!”

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• Speech Writing /

Success in Life Speech: Short and Long Speech

• Updated on  
• Mar 6, 2024

Success in life speech : India’s former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam once said, ‘ Man needs his difficulties because they are necessary to enjoy success.’  Success is not given or gifted. Success is earned with commitment and perseverance; whether it is academic or professional success. Everyone aspires to be a better version of themselves and wants to live prosperous lives. But do you know what it takes to become successful?

‘ Man needs his difficulties because they are necessary to enjoy success.’  – Dr APJ Abdul Kalam

On this page, we have listed down some speeches on success in life samples. These will help students with their speech-writing topics.

Table of Contents

• 1 2-Minute Speech on Success in Life
• 2 Long Speech on Success in Life
• 3 10 Quotes on Success in Life
• 4 10 Motivational Lines for Success in Life

Master the art of essay writing with our blog on How to Write an Essay in English .

2-Minute Speech on Success in Life

‘Good morning my friends, teacher (s). My today’s speech topic is ‘Success in life’. Which person comes to your mind when you think of the most successful person in the world? Is it Elon Musk? Or Mukesh Ambani? I am sure it is some top-level businessman or celebrity.

Lifelong happiness, financial security, personal development, a positive atmosphere, leading a healthy lifestyle, etc. are all signs of success. Who doesn’t want these things in life? We all wish for a better life for ourselves and our loved ones. But first, there are certain things we must focus on and take action on.

Having a goal is very important. Goals act as our guiding stars, providing direction and purpose. Let me tell you something; success is a journey and not a destination. We all have our role models. Some of us like movie stars, some sportspersons, others any businessperson or any popular figure. If you look at their life journey, they all started from somewhere and drafted a plan for themselves. 

Success demands sacrifice, discipline, and hard work. Life is not just rainbows and sunshine. There will be obstacles along the way, but it’s your determination and resilience that will propel you forward. Embrace challenges as opportunities to grow and learn, and remember that setbacks are not failures but stepping stones to success.

Bruce Lee, the famous martial artist and actor, didn’t earn fame overnight. Bruce Lee’s success was not only physical but also rooted in his philosophical approach to life. Here’s one brilliant quote by him, ‘Absorb what is useful, discard what is not, add what is uniquely your own.’ 

Next time you see a successful person, don’t just look at the car he is driving or the expensive watch he’s wearing. Think how hard he might have worked to achieve all those luxurious things.’

Also Read: Speech on Self-Confidence in English

Also Read: Speech About Life for Students

Long Speech on Success in Life

‘Hello and welcome to everyone present here. Today, I stand before you to present my ‘Success in Life speech’. Our every action must have a purpose. There are ups and downs in life, challenges that will shake you off your foundation, emotional breakdowns, and sometimes bad luck. But what if you bounce back all the challenges that stand in your way? Can you imagine your success, which is solely based on your hard work, determination, discipline, and perseverance? Take a moment and think about what your successful life will look like.

Depending on your interests and hobbies, think of a goal that you wish to achieve. With a specific goal or target in mind, you can work in the right direction and focus solely on your purpose. If you ask me, I would take some time to reflect on my aspirations and let them serve as beacons lighting my path toward success. 

Success is not achieved overnight. It’s a lifelong process. Usain Bolt, the fastest man on the planet won his first Olympic gold medal after 10 years of deliberate practice. He achieved success because he believed in himself and his hard work.

Nothing good comes for free. It requires sacrifice, determination, and a lot of hard work. The journey to success is not always smooth. It is marked by challenges, obstacles, and moments of self-doubt. In times like these, when you feel like giving up, resilience becomes your greatest ally. Resilience, it’s the ability to bounce back from setbacks, to learn from failures, and to persevere in the face of adversity. 

Do not let the absence of challenges define who you are, but rather how you respond to them. 

Success is intertwined with a commitment to continuous learning. We need to embrace every opportunity life offers, as it can expand our knowledge, develop new skills, and to adapt the ever-evolving world. 

Surround yourself with like-minded people, people who inspire you, support and challenge you to influence your mindset and shape your journey toward success. You can’t stop the inevitable, but you can learn from the mistakes you made. 

We are all in the same boat here. What we do today will define who we become tomorrow. So let’s cheer each other, and focus on our goals, not materialistic things. We all have only one life. Let’s make it count.’

Also Read: 18th Birthday Speech for Students

10 Quotes on Success in Life

Here are 10 popular quotes on success in life. Feel free to add them to your speech or any writing topics.

‘Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.’ – Pelé

‘Self-belief and hard work will always earn you success’ – Virat Kohli

‘Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that count.’ – Winston Churchill

‘Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.’ – Winston S. Churchill

‘Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome.’ – Booker T. Washington

‘Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.’ – Albert Schweitzer

‘The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.’ – Vidal Sassoon

‘Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire.’ – Arnold H. Glasow

‘Success is not how high you have climbed, but how you make a positive difference to the world. – Roy T. Bennett

10 Motivational Lines for Success in Life

Here are 10 motivational lines for success in life. Feel free to use them in your speech topics.

‘Dream big, work hard, and never give up.’

‘Your only limit is you—break through it!’

‘Every small step counts toward your big goals.’

‘Believe in yourself; you are stronger than you think.’

‘Embrace challenges; they are stepping stones to success.’

‘Success is not final, failure is not fatal—keep going.’

‘Turn obstacles into opportunities and setbacks into comebacks.’

‘The road to success is under construction—build it with determination.’

‘Your attitude determines your direction—choose positivity.’

‘Be the energy you want to attract; radiate success and positivity.’

Ans: ‘Hello and welcome to everyone present here. Today, I stand before you to present my ‘Success in Life speech’. Our every action must have a purpose. There are ups and downs in life, challenges that will shake you off your foundation, emotional breakdowns, and sometimes bad luck. But what if you bounce back all the challenges that stand in your way? Can you imagine your success, which is solely based on your hard work, determination, discipline and perseverance? Take a moment and think about what your successful life will look like.

Ans: ‘Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.’ – Pelé

Ans: Success requires determination, willpower, discipline, hard work and perseverance. Whether it’s about personal, academic or professional success, you must set your mind clear and focus only on what is important to you.

Related Reads:

This was all about the success in life speech. We hope we were able to provide you with all the necessary information you were looking for. For more information on such interesting speech topics for your school, visit our speech writing page and follow Leverage Edu .

Shiva Tyagi

With an experience of over a year, I've developed a passion for writing blogs on wide range of topics. I am mostly inspired from topics related to social and environmental fields, where you come up with a positive outcome.

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• Apr 4, 2022

What Exactly is Expressive Writing and How Can It Help You?

What do you think of when you think of writing? If you’re like me, by default, I think of essay writing. And before, as a high school student, I was quite terrified of essay writing. It all started in eighth grade when my English teacher highlighted all my grammar mistakes and told me I needed to do better (without really telling me how).

After that incident, I only wrote when I absolutely needed to. It wasn’t until I started journaling that I realized writing could be fun and enjoyable. Realizing that journaling was therapeutic and has health benefits, I researched the different ways of writing for mental health and stumbled upon the technique of expressive writing .

Expressive writing is a simple technique in which people write about an upsetting or stressful experience for 15 to 20 minutes a day for three to four times a week. Unlike other forms of writing or journaling, expressive writing is deeply personal and is focused on disclosing thoughts and feelings rather than grammar, style or spelling.

What are some forms of expressive writing?

There are several approaches to expressive writing. Here are some that I’ve personally tried:

Standard expressive writing: Writing about your deepest thoughts or feelings from a stressful or emotional event. You can write about the same or different topics over the week.

Example: My grandmother was recently hospitalized. The doctor said her kidneys were failing and she might not have longer than two weeks to live. It was a particularly stressful and emotional time for me. It was hard to find words to grieve, but simply writing down all my emotions helped me feel lighter

Cognitive processing: Writing to derive understanding and insights regarding an event. Why did the event provoke those feelings? What did you learn from the event?

Example: This form of expressive writing is particularly helpful for me to understand events that I feel anger or sad by. When the pandemic started, I wrote about my frustrations and realized I was particularly anxious when it comes to dealing with uncertainties i.e. not knowing when I would be able to travel and visit my family again.

Exposure: Promoting emotional habituation or adaptation through writing about your thoughts and emotions. What made the event stressful? What feelings did it provoke?

Example: I rarely get angry so writing about events that anger or irk me helps me identify what exactly triggers the emotion. What are some emotions you would like to work on? Try focusing on the emotion and write about an event that brings about that feeling.

Benefit finding: Focusing on the positive aspects of an event that occurred e.g. how you’ve grown or changed as a person and how you may deal with similar situations in the future.

Example: Similar to cognitive processing, I tend to use benefit finding for seemingly negative events, whether that’s an ending of a relationship or a work project that didn’t go so well. Although you might have felt pain or hurt, what are some lessons you’ve learned? How have you grown and evolved as a person?

Best possible future self: Writing about your vision of your future self and life. What is your ideal life? What does success look like to you?

Example: A fun exercise for you to visualize your ideal life! Writing about your possible future self helps you ground down to your values and what really matters. It keeps me motivated and aligned with my everyday doing.

So, how does expressive writing actually help?

Expressive writing improves your emotional state. As you become more self-aware and are better able to understand your stresses, you are able to more easily identify the sources of stress and how you can deal with them.

By writing it down, you also open yourself up and disclose the stressors in your mind that you may not share with others. This practice also boosts your learning, creativity, and problem solving. Instead of judging my emotions, I often practice reframing and re-evaluating past incidents that provoked certain feelings.

To give you an example, I was working on a project for work and was feeling drained by it. I started writing about what I worked on, my feelings after working on it, and why I think I felt the way I feel. I realized I was feeling unsupported by my project partner and felt like I wasn’t able to speak up about it. However, after processing the situation, I was more at ease and ended up talking to my project partner. We had a great conversation and were able to open up to each other. This drastically improved our working relationship.

What does the research say?

Several studies have shown that participants who wrote about a stressful or traumatic experience rather than a neutral topic have improved their physical health as their stress and anxiety levels reduced. A study by John Weinman at King’s College London showed that participants’ wounds “healed much faster among people asked to write about emotional topics.” Crazy, huh? Researchers theorized that by disclosing secrets or stressful information on paper, you reduce inhibition which in turn improves your immune function.

I’m convinced! I want to try expressive writing now. How should I start?

Set a timer for 15 or 20 minutes, then spend that time writing down your deepest emotions and thoughts about a challenge or upsetting experience that is affecting your life. When you write, ignore spelling, grammar, or structure. Write whatever comes to mind. If you feel stuck, write about the most recent event that was stressful for you. Repeat this practice for at least four days.

Build this into part of your daily ritual. If you're a morning person, write as part of your morning ritual. Stack it with your current habits whether that's writing after your morning run or meditation. If you're a night person, write before you go to bed. It may help you wind down and release any anxious or overwhelming thoughts

Set up a relaxing environment to write. Sit in a quiet and cozy spot. Get as comfortable as you can! You can write in your journal or use a pen and paper. Remove any distractions - turn off your TV, flip over your phone, or put it on silent.

You may feel upset right after you finish writing. It’s completely normal. After writing about a stressful or traumatic experience, you may feel many emotions resurfacing. Stop writing if you are feeling very overwhelmed by your emotions. You know yourself best, so do what you are comfortable with. This practice is for you.

While writing can sound daunting, it is one of the best ways for you to reflect and process your thoughts and feelings. Through expressive writing, I was able to dig up various limiting beliefs and stories I told myself. I hope that by writing, you will be able to shine a light on your whole self with love and kindness.

**While research shows that expressive writing is beneficial for physical and mental health, the practice is not therapy or a substitute for therapy. We highly recommend you seek professional help if you are feeling the symptoms of any mental illnesses.**

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Poetry from Daily Life: Only you can write a poem in your voice

This week’s guest on Poetry from Daily Life is Ellen Hopkins, who lives in Cape Girardeau. She has been a writer for more than thirty years and particularly likes to write contemporary verse novels. She refers to some of her best poetry in People Kill People, a hybrid verse/prose novel in which the voice of violence is cast in verse, calling to the characters, written in second person, who invite readers to “become” them. A unique fact about Ellen is that she has visited every state in the United States. Her favorites are in the West. ~ David L. Harrison 

A Poem Comes ... 

You might wonder where poems come from. I’d like to write a poem, you think. But what should I write about? From poet Sharon Olds: “What you know that I don’t know is what you can tell me in a poem. After all, what else is there? I cannot write about anything else. I can only tell you what I know.”

Ideas don’t have to be sweeping. You don’t have to write about war or love or life-or-death experiences unless they call to you. I have written about all of the above, but many of my best poems are about simpler things. So maybe start there.

Open a window. Take a walk. Look into your dog’s eyes. Investigate a garden. Bake cookies with your kids. Okay , you say, but other people have already written about those things. Yes, but only you can describe them in your unique way. That is your voice, and no one owns it but you. To hone it, consider sensory details. (All quotes below are mine.)

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

What scents blow in on the breeze through the window? (“The green perfume of alfalfa, fresh from the mow.”) What do you hear when you walk through the woods, or along the shore or sidewalk? (“... brilliant cockcrow alarms; quiescent cricket lullabies.”) What wisdom do you see in your dog’s eyes? (“Why, when lights go dim and soft black curtains close, why do young ones cry?”) How do rose petals feel, or blades of grass beneath your bare feet? (“... the ebb of silk and flow of leather.”) What do you taste in your kitchen? (“Fruit, coaxed ripe by northern sun, sugared just beyond tart ...”)

Keep your images accessible. Don’t make readers work too hard. Your goal, always, is to invite them in. Let them see your world through your eyes. Let them feel the emotions you hold in your heart.

A few words on the poem I’ll end with. We moved to northern Nevada in 1990. It was there in Carson City that I joined a poetry group and grew my own poetry for 33 years, until a recent move to Missouri. Most of the storms swept in over the Sierra from the southwest. But once in a while, a backdoor storm would surprise us. I hope the images I give you here paint a lovely picture.

A Poem Comes

a backdoor storm

sliding in from the northeast.

A surprise.

It reveals itself as sunrise

lifts its countenance above muted hills.

It scatters, silver

light across the winter-plumped valley.

It swells, contracts,

bursts with the brass song of saxophones.

It floats on a wind-risen

mist perfumed with rain-spattered sage.

It says goodnight,

paw prints in a sponge of desert sand.

Ellen Hopkins is a poet, former freelance journalist, and the award-winning author of fourteen New York Times bestselling young adult novels-in-verse, two middle grade novels-in-verse, and four novels (two in verse) for adult readers.