>>40245270>>40252486This anon is very right. Don't be afraid to get in character and act out the lines. I've been damned to write believable dialog for the longest time, but the way I see it, it differs on two fronts from inner thoughts:
* Inner thoughts are (mostly) who a character is, while speaking is how he presents himself to the world. Considering a lie or painful thought is one thing, and while it can be unpleasant, there simply isn't the same risk as lying to someone else, or when asking a girl out. People are often awkward and unsure, unless talking to someone they are comfortable around.
* But it is also how the world acts upon them. If something happy happens, people usually aren't deaf-mutes and will express emotion, often in a way of a loud yell or exclamation. There are also everyday phrases that people sort of expect one another to use. If you suddenly start talking to your bros in formal upper 1% terms, or some weird lingo, they'll look at you funny. Similarly, dialogues can feel instinctively wrong to a reader if they're forced or simply not how real people talk.
There are also some nice details to consider, but these aren't required to make good dialogue. However if it's already decent, they can go a long way to sell the bit.
* Give characters different speech patterns depending on their personalities, when it makes sense. This can be something as simple as someone consistently using "aight" instead of "all right". Don't go overboard with it, but there is also no prohibition to using well known stereotypes like "the southerner".
* Use different forms of words to convey emotion. If someone is caught off guard, he might say "whuh" instead of "what".
* Show, don't tell. This is especially hard to pull off, but you can use simple spoken lines instead of lengthy paragraphs describing someone. Stutter, while pretty over-used, is a great way of showing awkwardness or discomfort. So it elevated voice to straight up shouting, or refusing to talk at all.
