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How to Write Dialogue for (most) Dream SMP Characters
A few months ago, I remembered seeing a lot of posts giving advice on how to write dialogue for DSMP Characters. And while those posts contained numerous helpful pointers, overall, they fall just short of capturing what it means to write in a character’s Voice.
Unique character Voices, while tricky to get right, are usually achieved by giving each character a distinct set of words to say, in a manner that distinguishes them from the rest of the cast.
With this in mind, I’ve spent the past few days combing through almost Thirty Hours of VOD footage to collect nearly all of the unique words, phrases, and speaking habits of every major and minor character on the Dream SMP (involved in 2+ story arcs.)
Before Reading:
Sentence-Starters are single words or phrases which begin a sentence. (ie. “Y’know, maybe you should try something different.”)
Sentence Paddings are reoccurring words added to the middle of sentences. (ie. “It’s like he just can’t cry.”)
Sentence Endings are single words or phrases which end a sentence. (ie. “There’s no need to fight, I hope.”)
All three of these types can be combined with one another to create more natural-sounding sentences. For instance, if a character has the two Sentence-Starters “Okay” and “So,” they can be used like this; “Okay, so, I’m a bit worried.”
(Note: When certain traits or phrases aren’t obvious with how they should be applied to dialogue, an (ie.) will be added below to illustrate them.)
Wilbur
General Traits:
- Repeats himself for emphasis. Sometimes these repetitions will add additional information. More often, this repetition is focused around a specific word with the circumstance of the sentence being changed each time.
ie. “I’m living in an eternal limbo again. I’ve been through limbo, I’m out of limbo, and socially, I’m still in this limbo.”
- Highly eloquent in language, bordering on poetic.
- Highly introspective; significantly less so after Eret’s betrayal and onward.
- Occasionally makes literary analogies and references, sometimes breaking the Fourth Wall to do so.
- Curses semi-frequently. Wilbur is the only known character to use the word “cunt,” although rare.
Common Go-To Swears - Fuck, Shit, Prick, Bastard, Hell, Ass (Including all variations and combinations.)
- Tends to hum when he thinks to himself.
- Stutters most often when offended, shocked, or surprised.
- Generally addresses characters semi-formally, often by title or role.
- Often slips into long-form monologues when self-reflecting.
- Usually defaults to being the head of a conversation; introducing, managing, and elaborating on topics throughout, especially when speaking to three or more people.
Circumstantial Phrases:
- You and I, we’re ━ (To connect positively with someone.)
ie. “You and I, we’re used to seeing the good in people.”
- I wanna pick your brain / Can I pick your brain? (To ask about someone else.)
- Don’t say that, I’ll cry (Affectionate banter, only to Tommy.)
- I’m afraid ━ (When hopeless or delivering bad news.)
ie. “I’m afraid there’s no getting out of this now.”
- There’s no reason to ━ / There’s no reason for ━ / There’s no need for ━ (When being threatened or breaking up a fight.)
ie. “There’s no need for violence, gentlemen.”
Saving this for myself and to show others because this is still as amazing as ever.
