For Future Reference...thank You Original Poster For Creating This.
For Future Reference...thank you Original Poster for creating this.
Things Real People Do in Dialogue (For Your Next Story)
Okay, let’s be real—dialogue can make or break a scene. You want your characters to sound natural, like actual humans talking, not robots reading a script. So, how do you write dialogue that feels real without it turning into a mess of awkward pauses and “ums”? Here’s a little cheat sheet of what real people actually do when they talk (and you can totally steal these for your next story):
1. People Interrupt Each Other All the Time In real conversations, nobody waits for the perfect moment to speak. We interrupt, cut each other off, and finish each other's sentences. Throw in some overlaps or interruptions in your dialogue to make it feel more dynamic and less like a rehearsed play.
2. They Don’t Always Say What They Mean Real people are masters of dodging. They’ll say one thing but mean something totally different (hello, passive-aggressive banter). Or they’ll just avoid the question entirely. Let your characters be vague, sarcastic, or just plain evasive sometimes—it makes their conversations feel more layered.
3. People Trail Off... We don’t always finish our sentences. Sometimes we just... stop talking because we assume the other person gets what we’re trying to say. Use that in your dialogue! Let a sentence trail off into nothing. It adds realism and shows the comfort (or awkwardness) between characters.
4. Repeating Words Is Normal In real life, people repeat words when they’re excited, nervous, or trying to make a point. It’s not a sign of bad writing—it’s how we talk. Let your characters get a little repetitive now and then. It adds a rhythm to their speech that feels more genuine.
5. Fillers Are Your Friends People say "um," "uh," "like," "you know," all the time. Not every character needs to sound polished or poetic. Sprinkle in some filler words where it makes sense, especially if the character is nervous or thinking on their feet.
6. Not Everyone Speaks in Complete Sentences Sometimes, people just throw out fragments instead of complete sentences, especially when emotions are high. Short, choppy dialogue can convey tension or excitement. Instead of saying “I really think we need to talk about this,” try “We need to talk. Now.”
7. Body Language Is Part of the Conversation Real people don’t just communicate with words; they use facial expressions, gestures, and body language. When your characters are talking, think about what they’re doing—are they fidgeting? Smiling? Crossing their arms? Those little actions can add a lot of subtext to the dialogue without needing extra words.
8. Awkward Silences Are Golden People don’t talk non-stop. Sometimes, they stop mid-conversation to think, or because things just got weird. Don’t be afraid to add a beat of awkward silence, a long pause, or a meaningful look between characters. It can say more than words.
9. People Talk Over Themselves When They're Nervous When we’re anxious, we tend to talk too fast, go back to rephrase what we just said, or add unnecessary details. If your character’s nervous, let them ramble a bit or correct themselves. It’s a great way to show their internal state through dialogue.
10. Inside Jokes and Shared History Real people have history. Sometimes they reference something that happened off-page, or they share an inside joke only they get. This makes your dialogue feel lived-in and shows that your characters have a life beyond the scene. Throw in a callback to something earlier, or a joke only two characters understand.
11. No One Explains Everything People leave stuff out. We assume the person we’re talking to knows what we’re talking about, so we skip over background details. Instead of having your character explain everything for the reader’s benefit, let some things go unsaid. It’ll feel more natural—and trust your reader to keep up!
12. Characters Have Different Voices Real people don’t all talk the same way. Your characters shouldn’t either! Pay attention to their unique quirks—does one character use slang? Does another speak more formally? Maybe someone’s always cutting people off while another is super polite. Give them different voices and patterns of speech so their dialogue feels authentic to them.
13. People Change the Subject In real life, conversations don’t always stay on track. People get sidetracked, jump to random topics, or avoid certain subjects altogether. If your characters are uncomfortable or trying to dodge a question, let them awkwardly change the subject or ramble to fill the space.
14. Reactions Aren’t Always Immediate People don’t always respond right away. They pause, they think, they hesitate. Sometimes they don’t know what to say, and that delay can speak volumes. Give your characters a moment to process before they respond—it’ll make the conversation feel more natural.
Important note: Please don’t use all of these tips in one dialogue at once.
More Posts from Violetdawn001 and Others
What is with the Dreamers' Houses?!?! Part 3.25 Lurien's Spire - Windows and Colors
Welcome back to talking about the Dreamers' Houses! Today we're discussing more about the Watcher's Spire and what it tells us about Lurien's character.
Last time, we talked about Lurien's Telescope and what it spoke of Lurien's character. Yet there was something else I noticed with the placement of the Telescope itself.
It is on the Left Side of Lurien's office, facing the Left half of the City. While some might state that this is because of classism, I am not so sure. Not when I noticed this particular detail.
We have three bugs with unique designs with unique dialogue. From the dialogue, it seems that they took up the duty of the Watcher's mantle, placed there possibly by Lurien himself. Of all the sides of the Spire, these three are also facing the left side. What could be on that side of the City that Lurien went out of his way to leave his Telescope facing the left side and appointed watchers to guard that side?
Oh.
Wait.
Taken from ntvv.vn.
The entire Soul Sanctum and the Soul Master is on the LEFT side of the City. The same group responsible for THIS carnage.
Tragically, that is not even half of the people butchered by the Soul Master. If Lurien had an inkling, however, of the Soul Master's doings, then he would keep watch over that portion of the City in order that he can find evidence of the Soul Master's wrongdoings. Unfortunately, as we all know, Lurien ran out of time to prevent the full tragedy.
That did not, however, stop Lurien from doing everything he could to stop the Soul Master. He left the Telescope and appointed not one, but three mini watchers to keep an eye on the Soul Master. Who knows how many notes and networks he left behind to the mini watchers as well that we never got a chance to read. What we do know is that Lurien made sure that every tool and opportunity to protect his City was left at the Pale King's disposal. Lurien wasn't just protective, he took preventative action and was willing to include others to best protect his City.
Though that begs the question of how many back-up plans Lurien had to protect the City.
Moving on, I could dive into how Lurien is one of the few bugs to have a statue in the whole of Hallownest. I could also talk about the sheer size of his Spire or the fact that Lurien, confirmed to be mortal, has a stone lore tablet that so far only the Pale King has. But I will not as fellow Tumblr user Eggbuggo already talked about that. Don't worry, I found the post so you don't have to scroll down to March 2nd, 2023 to find it.
https://www.tumblr.com/eggobuggo/710665789135634432/i-think-lots-of-people-tend-to-forget-how-much?source=share
Instead, I will talk about the color of the Spire, or colors.
The City of Tears is mainly divided into two colors: dark blue for the Left side (commoners + business) and red for the Right side (noble houses). The Watcher's Spire, however, has three colors: Blue, Red, AND Purple.
For comparison, here is a picture of the left side of the City of Tears.
Vs. the Right side of the City.
The Watcher's Spire, meanwhile, has three colors.
The floor is red, the pillars and elevators are blue while the wall is purple.
What does this color design say about Lurien the Watcher? For starters, the Watcher has not one assigned color to his Spire, but tastefully uses all three. Even a person from far away can see the beauty in how Lurien creates a contrast with these colors. Considering that each side of the City is predominately one color, this speaks volumes on how Lurien did not side solely which one side of the City.
For example, there is no red or purple glow in the left side of the City. Compare these two images.
Vs.
The lamps inside the Watcher's Spire produce this violet/pinkish glow whereas the lamps on the left side of the City only glow white. Same glass shape, but different light.
On the flip, or right side of the City, the nobles seem to hide any blue inside their home unless it is completely necessary, such as the elevator shafts. Compare:
&
Vs. Lurien using the red as the floor, but decorating with the blue pillars and window frames. The contrast here is used as framing, creating something beautiful even if it is just a hallway.
I believe the color choice for the Watcher's Spire speaks the exact same thing of Lurien's character as the Spire's placement in the City of Tears. Lurien was the mean between extremes for the City. Not only is the Spire in the middle of the City where everyone can reach it, but the use of purple in particular, a color created by mixing blue and red, shows both a claim of connection, yet also distant from the citizens of the City. This is important as purple isn't predominantly seen anywhere else in the City of Tears.
One last thing regarding color, Lurien is also the only one person to employ both blue and red sentries. Except for the one Great Husk Sentry and the Winged Sentry in the Resting Grounds, the blue and red sentries are never seen together. Given the sole location of both the blue and red sentries in the same is the Watcher’s Spire, it speaks to Lurien’s character that he was able to bring those two sentries together. Unfortunately, we do not know if the Watcher was able to pull it off due to his high position, geo, or his personal character, but the feat is still remarkable.
We have reached page 18 of Lurien's section, so I believe it would be best to cut off here for now. To recap: Lurien is proactive to protect his City, even though he would lay dreaming forever. We notice this in the placement of items and people by certain windows. We also learned how colors reflect Lurien's character as the mean in-between the two extremes of the two sides of the City, especially the use of the color purple which is a mix of blue and red. While this creates a distinction between the Watcher and the other citizens of the City, Lurien is still able to bring the people together as noted in the kinds of guards patrolling in his Spire.
If you wish to read more of the Essay, click one of these links below.
Part 1.0: Herrah's Den : Here
Part 2.0: Monomon's Archives: Here
Part 3.0: Lurien's Spire: Here
Part 3.25: More of Lurien's Spire (You are here.)
Part 3.5: Lurien's Spire: Pillows and Patriotism: Here
Part 3.7 Lurien's Spire: What is wrong with Lurien's Office?! Here
Part 3.8: Even, even More of Lurien's Spire: Secret Room: Click here
Part 3.9 Watcher Knight Boss Room! Here
Part 4.0 What We Know We Don't Know About the Dreamers' Houses: Click Here
Link to essay on Ao3: Here
If you have thoughts you wish to share, please feel free to comment or reblog!
What is with the Dreamers' Houses?!?! Part 3.9 Ballroom and Resting
Now, Lurien's patriotic nature is quite famous in the community. Let us discuss a room that is not talked often about: Lurien's ballroom.
Also known as, the Boss room for the Watcher Knights. People scarcely remember that this boss room was a ballroom once just as often as they remember that Lurien canonically had 15 Watcher Knights, not just 6.
Could you imagine attending a ball here? The wide space surrounded by huge windows that allow you to see the whole City of Tears? Massive chandeliers that allow you to dance the night away till dawn? The drapes that offer a chance to prank a fellow guest…or sneak a kiss. If you want a closer look at the chandeliers, here is the best shot I got.
Goodness! Lurien could have taught Hornet or Hollow how to dance here!
What does this ballroom tell us about Lurien's character?
For one, it hints that the Watcher duties included some social aspect. One does not need a ballroom unless the person has a formal event. (Unless you need to transform the room into an emergency kitchen and shelter. Though usually, I've seen it the other way around where someone transforms a commons to a dancefloor.)
While we do not know who would attend these social events hosted by the Watcher's Spire, all these events must have been fantastic by the sheer view alone. The host of the social events has a very good chance of being the Watcher himself, as he is the Keeper of the Spire. Though the possibility remains that someone could have rented his Spire or Lurien could have lent his ballroom to any committee or guild in need of it. We do not have any evidence of this, however, so this is just speculation.
What is certain is that Lurien had a ballroom and it had to been used at some point. The Watcher, hosting a grand formal event, is not exactly an image that appears often in the fandom. Usually, Lurien is portrayed as an introvert who retreats from society rather than invites society into his home.
Yet there appears to be a place for Lurien to remain an introvert while hosting these grand balls. Behold the chart below.
Red arrow points to the ballroom (plus the above area where you get your reward of geo) while the green arrow points to the room with the three little watchers. Blue arrow points to Lurien's office.
Lurien has created a buffer zone between him, his work, and the ballroom. When Lurien is hosting a party and feeling overwhelmed by all the company, he can duck out into either the green arrow zone or use the zone to sneak into his office. Whereas when Lurien is too tired from his work, he can slip down the elevator to the green arrow zone or the ballroom for a dance. Again, if work came up at the ball, Lurien can pull the person aside into the green arrow zone and into his office if need be. Then, as soon as work was completed, Lurien can return to the ballroom after taking a breather in the green arrow zone.
Lurien knows himself and the duties required of him, whether it be his guardsman duties or his social duties, and so created a space for him to meet both duties while giving himself a breather room, literally.
Speaking of a breather, let us turn from the ballroom to the room which Lurien made to allow anyone to rest, the bench room.
This is personally my favorite bench in game, though the one in the Queen's Gardens is a close second. The soft sound of rain while surrounded by the glow of the lamps, all while Marissa's song echoes in the background. The whole room is beautiful, allowing you to take a breath not just from the brutality and decay outside, but for awe that Team Cherry creates in their game.
Unlike the other Dreamers, Lurien does not have a unique bench. The bench within his Spire is standard across the kingdom. While it does save Team Cherry time, I believe the standard bench speaks to Lurien's character as well. The standard Hallownestian bench is for anyone to sit, and so anyone and everyone is welcomed to rest at Lurien's Spire. Note the placement of the bench, directly underneath the bridge connecting the Watcher's Spire to the Commoner/Worker side of the City. Anyone from that side would immediately have a place to rest when they arrived or about to depart. As for the nobles, the room is so beautiful and costly adorned that they would have no reason to complain. Once again, the bench area’s predominantly colored purple, showing how anyone could rest there in beauty.
Sidenote: I find it interesting that the glass lamps Lurien used for this room were first and only seen on the Commoner/Worker side of the City. The nobles only have round spheres or crest-like ovoid.
If you wish to read more of the Essay, click one of these links below.
Part 1.0: Herrah's Den : Here
Part 2.0: Monomon's Archives: Here
Part 3.0: Lurien's Spire: Here
Part 3.25: Lurien's Spire: Windows and Colors: Here
Part 3.5: Even More of Lurien's Spire. Here
Part 3.7: What is WRONG with Lurien's Spire?: Here
Part 3.8: Even, even More of Lurien's Spire: Secret Room: Click here
Part 4.0 What We Know We Don't Know About the Dreamers' Houses: Click Here
Link to essay on Ao3: Here
If you have thoughts you wish to share, please feel free to comment or reblog! Artists! How does the idea of Lurien teaching Hornet how to dance sound?
What are some of your favorite shipping dynamics?
Let's see if I can limit this to 2...
First involves a crafter + caregiver. For example, my couple Julius and Daisy. (Julius is crafter and Daisy is caregiver.)
So crafter has "Gift-Giving" as a love language, but he/she HAS to be the one Making the gifts. In this case, Julius is a smith and is spending his time crafting jewelry for his wife Daisy.
In comes caregiver Daisy with some food and water because you bet Julius skipped a meal to work on Daisy's present. And she stays, watching him. No, she is not watching what his hands are making, she is watching HIS HANDs, his determined face, how the sweat falls from his brow as he labors because this gift has to be perfect darn it! There are times that Daisy doesn't even realize that Julius is making her a present because she is too busy watching the man she loves.
And that is the shipping dynamic, the love eyes the two make. The caregiver just sitting there in love while the crafter labors in love. And Daisy still gets surprised with her presents because she might have been distracted by her husband's face. 🤣
Second shipping dynamic is when the butler ships it.
Okay, the butler is not in the ship, but the captain of the ship. This dynamic is so fun as it invites the readers into the story by having a character cheering with them for the main couple.
What I also noticed, when the butler ships it, is that the butler points out other details about the relationship that you might miss if you are surface level-reading. The butler often points out how the two are quite compatible or cover each other's flaws. (This really is delicious to read when the author already wrote this into the story, but the butler is highlighting it for you {basically gently nudging you to see the relationship instead of telling. I have read of a story where the butler told you to love the main couple, instead of revealing. Yeah, I don't trust the butler in that tale.} )
Also, the butler going out of his way to help out the main couple get together and/or build friendships with both members is so fun to read as the butler is thinking about the relationship long term, of the family and house that the couple will build. The butler isn't just thinking about securing his job but sustaining the life that the couple will have after marriage. Personally, I think this does the readers more good than the constant "Will they, won't they?"
Oh! This applies to the Head Stewardess as well! Though it has it's own flavor as the butler often gets a father/grandfather/uncle role to one of the characters while the Stewardess gets her motherly/grandmotherly/auntie role. Or best friend looking out for the other if the butler/stewardess grew up with the head of household.
Check out this little guy and support the artist!
11/14/19 Dacentrurus. The meaning of the name of this member of Stegosauria from the late Jurassic is “Tail Full of Points”. So…a pin cushion (ask your mom or grandmother). #sonjebovember #drawdinovember2019 #dinosaur #dacentrurus #sewing #pincushion #artistsoninstagram #animaldrawing #cuteanimals https://www.instagram.com/p/B422vRLjr2s/?igshid=1euzgg4cxscgd
Me with Lurien the Watcher being a 3-D character. When I started writing/drawing Lurien fanfics, he was usually seen as a one-note simp or Herrah's personal punching bag. Years later, things have gotten better now on Ao3.
I should probably make some TallstarXReena fanship too now that I think about it.
When your faves barely have any content
Quick Memento: Don't get Lurien mad
Okay, okay, not for the reasons you think.
You see, Lurien is not like Herrah who gets fiery and hot when she gets angry. Oh no. It's the ice cold anger of a quiet man. Once he's truly mad, you're screwed.
Case in point, the two pictures below.
Or I had too much fun drawing Lurien as a Blue Morpho Butterfly and had to do it with Lurien's cloak on. And honestly, I'm too scared right now to ask Lurien who or what truly pissed him off and I'm the author/artist!
I forgot I have to be active here so here’s my Twitter tutorial on how to draw folds I made a while back to help a friend!
Dream guardian/dream king
They have burn scars on the half of their face from the fight that separated the dream realm and nightmare realm
Watcher Dad AU that nobody asked for but here it is!
A) Lurien's main business outfit.
B) The Watcher's Crest - symbolizing the City of Tears
C) Lurien with a half-mask. Only wears it at home either alone or surrounded by those he cares about the most.
D) Disguise. Yes. It works. Lurien's knights are baffled that nobody watches the Watcher enough to tell that he walks the same despite wearing different colors and a three-hole mask.
Baby Knight gets adopted! And almost immediate glow-up and grow-up!
Fortis (Latin for "brave, strong") is one very happy baby living in the Watcher's Spire with Daddy. His best friend is Grubby the plushies and isn't he the best?
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