Creative Dialogue for Masculine Characters
In creative writing, examples of dialogue can help readers identify a masculine or feminine character.
Consider real-life examples.
When your phone rings, how can you tell if it's a man or a woman speaking? What are the specific examples of their voice and their dialogue that gave you those clues? Sure, Earnest Hemingway did a great job at writing creative dialogue in his novels, but it's important to know that not all masculine protagonists are written by male authors.
Agatha Christie, for example, had formidable knowledge of the male persona.
She wrote excellent and interesting characters of both genders that have delighted, surprised and shocked reads for entire generations.
When writing creative dialogue in your novel, you must really understand and know your character's personality.
To a 40 year old mother, she may look at her 19 year old daughter as a child.
To her 8 year old brother, she may appear to be an adult.
The difference is all within your character's perspective.
Consider this example line of dialogue: "She was blonde, jogging in a tight sleeveless pink shirt, tiny shorts and tennis shoes.
" It's not very descriptive, but consider that a heterosexual male would be most likely to notice her.
He enjoyed seeing her.
He describes her clothes as being tight and tiny rather than using brand names and precise clothing shades.
A woman, however, may know that the color of her shirt is actually magenta and that it's the new line of Prada because she had seen it yesterday in the women's department.
Knowing whom your character is and understanding how they see things will always be different than how anyone else sees things.
Characters, their goals as well as their perspectives are unique.
Unique dialogue that describes the environment, people and situations through a new perspective gives your readers a chance to know your characters on a more intimate level.
Masculine characters will have a masculine way of describing themselves and see things that are attractive to him.
Not all male characters are masculine either.
He may not speak in a distinctly male voice.
Creative writers will sometimes put genderless characters in their science fiction novels.
Romance novels may feature a female protagonist whose best friend is an eccentric gay man.
A woman may possess enough masculine traits that when she goes into a bar, women mistake her for a man.
A dynamic cast of unique characters with varying ranges of masculinity and femininity is the best approach for writing novels and movie scrips.
An action movie where every character is all-man to the extreme is not going to provide a satisfying range for your readers.
Try to come up with realistic characters and a combination of traits that offer a wide spectrum of personalities.
Many manly heroes will have a feminine side: An interest in ballet, a fondness for chocolate or maybe he is a metrosexual stylish dresser like Ryan Phillippe in Cruel Intentions or the character Christian Grey in Fifty Shades of Grey.
Maybe in your spy-novel, the handsome savvy protagonist is competing to be the best sharp-shooter but comes in second only to realize that he was beat by a 24 year old blonde bombshell with a perky attitude, fondness for hot pink and likes baking chocolate cupcakes.
Not only does this provide an antagonist for your character, but also breaks away from stereotypes and still provides a wide spectrum of personalities for your readers to enjoy.
Using interesting and creative dialogue is a great way to give your reader new insight on your character's persona.
Try this: The next time you are in the locker rooms at the gym, listen to the other guy's conversations.
Pay attention to how they say things just as much as what they say.
If you close your eyes, what are those specific examples that remind you that you are in a room full of men? Try this the next time you have a guy's night out too.
Write your character's dialogue remembering these events.
To add that bit of extra tension, add subtext and/or inside jokes that only you, your characters and your readers will understand.
Consider real-life examples.
When your phone rings, how can you tell if it's a man or a woman speaking? What are the specific examples of their voice and their dialogue that gave you those clues? Sure, Earnest Hemingway did a great job at writing creative dialogue in his novels, but it's important to know that not all masculine protagonists are written by male authors.
Agatha Christie, for example, had formidable knowledge of the male persona.
She wrote excellent and interesting characters of both genders that have delighted, surprised and shocked reads for entire generations.
When writing creative dialogue in your novel, you must really understand and know your character's personality.
To a 40 year old mother, she may look at her 19 year old daughter as a child.
To her 8 year old brother, she may appear to be an adult.
The difference is all within your character's perspective.
Consider this example line of dialogue: "She was blonde, jogging in a tight sleeveless pink shirt, tiny shorts and tennis shoes.
" It's not very descriptive, but consider that a heterosexual male would be most likely to notice her.
He enjoyed seeing her.
He describes her clothes as being tight and tiny rather than using brand names and precise clothing shades.
A woman, however, may know that the color of her shirt is actually magenta and that it's the new line of Prada because she had seen it yesterday in the women's department.
Knowing whom your character is and understanding how they see things will always be different than how anyone else sees things.
Characters, their goals as well as their perspectives are unique.
Unique dialogue that describes the environment, people and situations through a new perspective gives your readers a chance to know your characters on a more intimate level.
Masculine characters will have a masculine way of describing themselves and see things that are attractive to him.
Not all male characters are masculine either.
He may not speak in a distinctly male voice.
Creative writers will sometimes put genderless characters in their science fiction novels.
Romance novels may feature a female protagonist whose best friend is an eccentric gay man.
A woman may possess enough masculine traits that when she goes into a bar, women mistake her for a man.
A dynamic cast of unique characters with varying ranges of masculinity and femininity is the best approach for writing novels and movie scrips.
An action movie where every character is all-man to the extreme is not going to provide a satisfying range for your readers.
Try to come up with realistic characters and a combination of traits that offer a wide spectrum of personalities.
Many manly heroes will have a feminine side: An interest in ballet, a fondness for chocolate or maybe he is a metrosexual stylish dresser like Ryan Phillippe in Cruel Intentions or the character Christian Grey in Fifty Shades of Grey.
Maybe in your spy-novel, the handsome savvy protagonist is competing to be the best sharp-shooter but comes in second only to realize that he was beat by a 24 year old blonde bombshell with a perky attitude, fondness for hot pink and likes baking chocolate cupcakes.
Not only does this provide an antagonist for your character, but also breaks away from stereotypes and still provides a wide spectrum of personalities for your readers to enjoy.
Using interesting and creative dialogue is a great way to give your reader new insight on your character's persona.
Try this: The next time you are in the locker rooms at the gym, listen to the other guy's conversations.
Pay attention to how they say things just as much as what they say.
If you close your eyes, what are those specific examples that remind you that you are in a room full of men? Try this the next time you have a guy's night out too.
Write your character's dialogue remembering these events.
To add that bit of extra tension, add subtext and/or inside jokes that only you, your characters and your readers will understand.
