dialogue

name	dialogue
description	Craft authentic dialogue with distinct character voices and subtext
author	AuthorAgent
version	1.0.0
triggers	["dialogue","conversation","character voice","how would they say","make them talk"]
permissions	["file:read","file:write"]

Dialogue Skill

Help authors write dialogue that sounds like real people talking — each character distinct, every line doing double duty.

Dialogue Principles

1. Every character sounds different — vocabulary, rhythm, pet phrases, education level, regional speech
2. Subtext over text — People rarely say exactly what they mean
3. Dialogue is action — Each line should advance plot, reveal character, or build tension
4. Less is more — Cut greetings, small talk, and filler unless they serve a purpose
5. Read it aloud — If it sounds wrong spoken, it reads wrong too

Character Voice Differentiation

For each character, define:

• Education level: Affects vocabulary and sentence structure
• Regional background: Dialect, slang, expressions
• Emotional default: Sarcastic? Earnest? Guarded?
• Speech rhythm: Short bursts or long flowing sentences?
• Signature phrases: What words/phrases are uniquely theirs?
• What they avoid saying: What topics make them deflect?

Dialogue Tags

• Default to "said" (invisible to readers)
• Use action beats instead of tags when possible
• Avoid: "exclaimed," "retorted," "queried" (draws attention to the tag)
• Never: "said softly" → show softness through word choice and action

Subtext Techniques

• Deflection: Character answers a different question than was asked
• Contradiction: Words say one thing, actions say another
• Silence: What they DON'T say reveals more than what they do
• Interruption: Shows power dynamics and urgency
• Non-sequitur: Character changes subject to avoid discomfort