Sorry if this is in the wrong section. I'm new. I always am intrigued by the thought of writing a fanfiction- but the one thing blocking my way is the fact I just can't play a canon character! I always look at other peoples writing, and the literally have just the words I'd imagine that character to say! Because canon characters are from books, games ect..they always have a great personality and i really enjoy to write them. So I open word, think of an idea- then I get to the characters line. I write something in.. It doesn't sound like the character. At all. It was literally tons of word-replacing, but it just wouldn't sound right. So I research, look on a few sites. Rewatching and rereading the book/movie. I Try again. I feel like I'm forcing the words out. They just can't sound like the character does. I thought there might be some kind of trick to it, but i get frustrated. It might seem I'm being picky. But my words are always terribly off! I need help!
Are you writing in a fandom that is similar to your real-world culture? Like, if you're Swedish, are you writing in a fandom with Swedish characters? It would be hard for me write, say, Harry Potter dialogue, because I'm not from the UK. Maybe that's your trouble? If you're running into challenges with dialogue in general, spend some time paying attention to how real people speak. Then DON'T write dialogue that way (it would be annoying and nearly incomprehensible) but try to suggest it - sentence fragments, pauses, lack of flowery language, etc. Characters in fiction generally speak better than humans in real life (even intelligent, well-spoken humans), but they don't speak as clearly as narrative, generally. Any help?
Thanks for your reply! I happen to be writing something from my culture, yes. The thing is, i can't seem to make what I write sound like what the character would say. It's not dialogue that's the trouble either ^^' I just want my writing to sound like the character and I don't want to just be in the characters skin. To sum it up, my writing doesn't sound like what the character would say. It JSUT sounds bland and boring, and doesn't match the characters personality.
Instead of just simply watching the show or rereading the book, maybe you could look for scenes that are fairly similar to a scene you are trying to write. Make notes of how the character responds to certain situations, write out and describe the character's personality like you would for one that you made up. Notice little things the character does when they are stressed or angry or happy. Do they pinch the bridge of their nose a lot? Do they stare off into space? Do they take a deep breath and let it out slowly, making irritating noises with their lips? If you can find them, you could look up transcripts from the show and look at the way the character speaks, instead of just listening to them. Do they have words or phrases that they like to say a lot? Do they never use contractions? Things like that. One thing you could practice with is writing on one subject from each character's point of view, like say, a diary entry of what they did that day. If the same things happened to them, could you tell them apart based on their reactions and what they say? Hope that helps.
I play a lot of role playing games, and find the easiest way to get into character is to truly know the character. Who are they? Where did they come from? What influenced them to act the way they do? What were the customs and traditions of their civilazation? Does the character follow these traditions? If not, why? Once you truly understand the character you are trying to potray then you can accurately write for them. Pro Tip: Something I learned from a creative writing course, you do not have to write dialect, instead challenge yourself to demonstrate your character through description and action. Additionally, don't skimp out on full descriptions. Writing that your character is in a good mood may seem bountiful but its not, instead tell the reader why your character is in a good mood and then allow the reader to draw the conclusion.
