How Does Your Character Talk?

How Does Your Character Talk?

With their mouth, obviously. Stupid question. Although perhaps they have a machine or another person do it for them - this is Star Trek after all o.O

Seriously though, think about how you speak and what you say. Have a listen to people around you when they talk and their word choice. Teenagers these days seem to say 'like' multiple times in a sentence, some people say 'sweet as' or 'cool'. What about how people greet each other? It ranges from 'hello' to 'howdy' or 'hi' perhaps even 'sup?' or if you're working class English you might use 'wotcher?'. People from different regions or countries and even age groups will use different words or sayings when they communicate with each other. Take this into account when you're writing your character conversing with others, or even their internal monologues.

Have you noticed what you say changes depending on who you are talking to or what the situation is? You're probably very informal with your friends but much more polite and formal to your grandparents, teachers or employer. The same is true for your character.

If your character is talking to the Captain that would be a formal conversation calling him 'sir' and being quite respectful. But when your character gets to the Lounge and hangs out with they're mates things will get pretty informal again calling each other by nicknames or first names, joking and laughing with each other.

Think very carefully about what your character would say and their choice of words (how they would say it) to different characters on the sim you are on.