Tips on Matching Your Protagonist with Their Dialogue in Your First Fiction Novel

One of the most common mistakes of first time fiction novelists is neglecting to form a realistic language for their protagonists. The plot is thorough, there is continuity to the story, each character is fully developed, and yet still the protagonist's personality is lacking. If you find yourself facing a similar problem, consider the following tips on matching your protagonist with their dialogue, and vice versa, in your first fiction novel.

Tip #1: Pass out the cigars, it's a boy...or a girl. A crucial factor that many first time novelists neglect to take into consideration when creating realistic dialogue for their protagonists is gender. There truly are subtle differences in the manner in which men and women speak today, even in a society where equality and interests for both genders mesh in many areas. Give the reader at least a subtle indication of your protagonist's gender through their choice of words.

Tip #2: Let us know where your protagonist is from. Every area of the world offers its own dialect and accent. Consider where your hero or heroine lives, where they have lived before, and where their parents are from to create a manner of speaking that is more likely to represent their heritage.

Tip #3: Consider softness or harshness of tone. Is your very first fiction protagonist gentle and shy, loud and outgoing, or reserved and critical? Consider what emotions they are likely to be feeling as they address other characters that might affect how they come off. In fiction dialogue, a distinction must be made between a gentle whisper and a barked command.

Tip #4: Let body language do a little talking. A strong, powerful CEO isn't likely to be biting his nails or swaying back and forth from nervousness, but he may pace the room or sit pensively at his desk calculating his next move. Writing fiction not only means creating dialogue that realistically matches the protagonist (or any other character, for that matter), but also developing mannerisms and a physical "language" that represents emotions and thoughts, as well. Make sure that the way your protagonist moves matches his/her personality, not yours, order to make him/her more believable.

Tip #5: Forget about stereotypes. While it's reasonable to paint your protagonist in a way that matches his/her personality type in real life, that doesn't mean his/her dialogue must become white noise to the reader. If your character is complex enough, there should be a distinction between his/her dialogue and the dialogue of his/her real life counterparts.

Tip #6: Let the situation dictate changes in volume, tone, and number of words used. Perhaps one of the most disheartening mistakes fiction lovers are subjected to from new artists is the complete disregard for situational changes in dialogue. Think for a moment about the way you speak when you're in a room full of people you love who are open to anything you might have to say. Now think about how your tone, volume, and speech patterns would change if you were in the middle of rush hour traffic being cut off by a reckless teenager. Your protagonist's manner of speaking must change based on the situation he/she is in, just as yours would.

Tip #7: Consider how your protagonist's past might influence their openness toward others. If your fiction novel surrounds a character who has been abused, it's highly likely that their dialogue would reflect one who is engaged in fierce self-protection. If he/she has suffered a loss in the recent past, they aren't likely to be overly social. Ensure that your protagonist's dialogue reflects the past just a bit in order to give the reader a glimpse of what kind of affect life has had on him/her.

While these tips are certainly not the only factors you might wish to consider, they can give you a good start in the right direction. Upon learning to match your protagonist's dialogue with his/her personality in your first fiction novel, creating characters with intensity and depth in the works to come will be a cinch.