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agents/creative-writer/dialogue-craft.md

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+<!-- Dialogue Craft skill - writing natural, purposeful dialogue -->
+
+dialogue craft mode: SUBTEXT OVER STATEMENT
+
+when this skill is active, you follow dialogue-first discipline.
+this is a comprehensive guide to crafting compelling, natural dialogue.
+
+
+PHASE 0: CONTEXT VERIFICATION
+
+before writing ANY dialogue, verify the writing context is understood.
+
+
+check for existing dialogue samples
+
+  <read><file>context.md</file></read>
+
+if no context file exists:
+  <create>
+  <file>context.md</file>
+  <content>
+  # Dialogue Context
+
+  ## Project Overview
+  [brief description of story]
+
+  ## Character Voices
+  [character name]: [speech pattern notes]
+  [character name]: [speech pattern notes]
+
+  ## Dialogue Samples
+  [existing dialogue to match voice]
+  </content>
+  </create>
+
+
+check character voice consistency
+
+  <terminal>find . -name "*.md" -type f | xargs grep -l "dialogue\|voice" 2>/dev/null | head -5</terminal>
+
+  <terminal>find . -name "*dialogue*" -o -name "*voice*" -type f 2>/dev/null | head -5</terminal>
+
+review existing character dialogue before writing new lines.
+match the established voice patterns.
+
+
+identify dialogue purpose
+
+ask yourself BEFORE writing:
+  [ ] what is this scene trying to accomplish?
+  [ ] what information MUST be conveyed?
+  [ ] what information SHOULD be hidden (subtext)?
+  [ ] what is each character's agenda?
+  [ ] what power dynamic exists between speakers?
+
+never write dialogue without knowing its purpose.
+
+
+verify scene context
+
+  <read><file>scene_outline.md</file></read>
+
+if no scene outline exists, create minimal context:
+  [ ] setting (where are we?)
+  [ ] characters present
+  [ ] scene goal (what must happen?)
+  [ ] emotional state of each character entering
+
+
+PHASE 1: THE FUNDAMENTAL TRUTH OF DIALOGUE
+
+dialogue is NOT conversation.
+
+real conversation:
+  [ ] full of filler words, repetition, dead ends
+  [ ] boring, meandering, pointless
+  [ ] 90% small talk and logistics
+
+good dialogue:
+  [ ] distilled to its essence
+  [ ] every line advances plot, character, or theme
+  [ ] sounds natural without being realistic
+
+the dialogue paradox:
+  to make dialogue feel real, remove everything that makes it real
+
+
+example: real vs good dialogue
+
+real conversation:
+  "hey, how are you doing?"
+  "pretty good, just got here, you know?"
+  "yeah, traffic was bad on the way over too"
+  "tell me about it, i was stuck on the highway for like"
+  "an hour, people driving crazy, you know how it is"
+  "oh totally, same here, but i made it, so"
+  "right, yeah, good to see you"
+  "you too"
+
+good dialogue:
+  "you're late."
+  "traffic on 95. again."
+  "we talked about this."
+  "i know. won't happen again."
+  "it can't. the meeting started ten minutes ago."
+
+the second version:
+  [ ] conveys conflict immediately
+  [ ] establishes history without exposition
+  [ ] shows power dynamic
+  [ ] implies ongoing problem
+  [ ] creates tension
+
+
+PHASE 2: SAID VS OTHER SPEECH TAGS
+
+the golden rule: said is invisible
+
+readers' eyes glide over "said." they pause on other tags.
+
+use said 90% of the time.
+
+  [ok] "i can't believe you did that," she said.
+  [ok] "what do you mean?" he said.
+  [ok] "fine," she said.
+
+these tags call attention to themselves:
+  [x] "i can't believe you did that," she exclaimed.
+  [x] "what do you mean?" he questioned.
+  [x] "fine," she snapped.
+
+every time you use a fancy tag, you pull reader out of story.
+
+
+when to use alternative tags
+
+use only when the manner of speech is NOT clear from context:
+  [ ] whispered - when volume matters
+  [ ] shouted / yelled - when escalation is needed
+  [ ] murmured / mumbled - when clarity is intentionally reduced
+  [ ] grunted - when character is refusing full speech
+
+even then, consider if action beat works better.
+
+
+speech tag frequency
+
+not every line needs a tag.
+
+once established, readers know who's talking.
+
+  "i can't do this."
+  "yes you can."
+  "you don't understand."
+  "try me."
+
+short exchanges without tags create rhythm and tension.
+
+
+PHASE 3: ACTION BEATS
+
+action beats replace speech tags while adding movement and character.
+
+  [ok] "i don't know." she picked at her cuticles. "maybe i left it at home."
+
+  [ok] "you think this is funny?" he slammed his hand on the table. the
+       silverware rattled. "because i don't."
+
+  [ok] "sure." he wouldn't meet her eyes. "whatever you say."
+
+beats do triple duty:
+  [ ] identify speaker
+  [ ] add physical action
+  [ ] reveal emotional state
+
+
+effective beats vs ineffective beats
+
+effective beats:
+  [ ] character-specific gestures
+  [ ] meaningful interactions with environment
+  [ ] actions that reveal subtext
+  [ ] pacing changes (long beat = pause)
+
+ineffective beats:
+  [x] generic body parts (he nodded, she shrugged)
+  [x] meaningless movement (he walked, she turned)
+  [x] repetitive actions (he smiled for the tenth time)
+
+combine beat with dialogue purpose:
+  "i'm not angry." she smiled, teeth gritted. "why would you think that?"
+
+the smile contradicts the words. that's good dialogue.
+
+
+beat placement
+
+beats can come before, during, or after dialogue.
+
+before:
+  she poured herself another drink. "you going to answer me?"
+
+during (for pacing):
+  "i told you" - she slammed the drawer - "i wasn't going to do it."
+
+after:
+  "whatever." he turned back to the tv.
+
+
+PHASE 4: SUBTEXT - WHAT'S NOT SAID
+
+subtext is the meaning beneath the words.
+
+characters rarely say what they mean. they:
+  [ ] protect themselves
+  [ ] protect others
+  [ ] maintain social masks
+  [ ] pursue hidden agendas
+  [ ] avoid vulnerability
+
+on-the-nose dialogue (bad):
+  "i am angry at you because you betrayed my trust and now i don't know
+   if i can ever forgive you."
+
+subtext-heavy dialogue (good):
+  "pass the salt."
+  "here."
+  "thanks."
+  "anytime."
+  "that's it?"
+  "what did you want, a speech?"
+
+the second version says everything through:
+  [ ] mundane request (salt)
+  [ ] minimal response
+  [ ] expectation of something more
+  [ ] deflection
+
+
+creating subtext: the gap technique
+
+gap between words and meaning = subtext
+
+example: character wants to leave but doesn't want to say it
+
+on-the-nose:
+  "i want to go home now."
+
+subtext version:
+  "what time is it?"
+  "almost ten."
+  "huh. didn't realize it was so late."
+  "we can stay longer if you want."
+  "no, i should probably..."
+
+the real message is conveyed through:
+  [ ] checking time (looking for exit)
+  [ ] noticing lateness (seeking justification)
+  [ ] trailing off (leaving door open for other to decide)
+
+
+emotional subtext through misdirection
+
+characters deflect emotion with:
+  [ ] logistics ("did you lock the door?")
+  [ ] humor ("that's one way to look at it")
+  [ ] deflection ("i'm fine, just tired")
+  [ ] anger (easier than sadness)
+  [ ] silence
+
+
+exercise: subtext conversion
+
+take these direct statements and rewrite with subtext:
+
+direct: "i love you but i'm scared you'll hurt me."
+
+subtext version:
+  "you're leaving again?"
+  "just for the weekend."
+  "right. the weekend."
+  "i'll call."
+  "you always say that."
+
+direct: "i stole the money and i feel guilty."
+
+subtext version:
+  "you hear about the break-in?"
+  "yeah. sad."
+  "people these days, right?"
+  "yeah. desperate times."
+  "guess so."
+
+notice how neither character admits guilt outright.
+
+
+PHASE 5: VOICE DIFFERENTIATION
+
+every character needs a distinct voice.
+
+voice elements:
+  [ ] sentence length
+  [ ] vocabulary level
+  [ ] use of slang or jargon
+  [ ] speech patterns (pauses, repetitions)
+  [ ] metaphors they use
+  [ ] what they DON'T say
+  [ ] formality level
+
+
+voice differentiation example
+
+same situation, three characters:
+
+character A (educated, formal, precise):
+  "i believe there's been a misunderstanding. i never agreed to those
+   terms. perhaps we should review the original agreement."
+
+character B (casual, colloquial, direct):
+  "nah, that ain't right. we never said nothing about that. you're
+   mixing stuff up."
+
+character C (guarded, minimal, reactive):
+  "that's not what i remember."
+  "you remember wrong."
+  "do i?"
+
+three distinct voices in the same scene.
+
+
+voice consistency exercises
+
+before writing a character, create voice profile:
+
+  [ ] education level: [affects vocabulary, sentence complexity]
+  [ ] regional background: [affects idioms, pronunciation]
+  [ ] profession: [affects jargon, worldview]
+  [ ] age: [affects slang references, formality]
+  [ ] secret: [affects what they avoid saying]
+  [ ] default emotion: [affects tone]
+  [ ] speech habit: [affects pattern]
+
+example voice profile:
+
+  character: marcus
+  education: high school dropout, well-read autodidact
+  background: south side chicago, former mechanic
+  age: 42
+  secret: feels inadequate around educated people
+  default emotion: defensive skepticism
+  speech habit: repeats questions when processing, uses "look" as
+                transition, short sentences, mechanical metaphors
+
+sample dialogue based on profile:
+  "look, i'm saying it doesn't fit. the pieces, they don't match.
+   you follow? like an engine with wrong-size pistons. looks okay on
+   the outside, but inside? grinding. you hear what i'm saying?"
+
+
+PHASE 6: DIALOGUE PACING AND RHYTHM
+
+dialogue has musicality. vary the rhythm.
+
+fast-paced dialogue:
+  [ ] short sentences
+  [ ] interruptions
+  [ ] overlaps (--)
+  [ ] minimal tags
+  [ ] action beats only for emphasis
+
+slow-paced dialogue:
+  [ ] longer sentences
+  [ ] pauses (indicated by beats)
+  [ ] internal thoughts
+  [ ] more detailed action beats
+  [ ] reflection
+
+
+example: pacing shift
+
+fast (argument):
+  "you said--"
+  "i know what i said."
+  "then explain--"
+  "there's nothing to explain."
+  "bullshit."
+  "watch your mouth."
+
+slow (aftermath):
+  he stood by the window, not turning. the room felt very quiet.
+  "i didn't mean to," she said.
+  "you never do."
+  "that's unfair."
+  he turned finally. "is it?"
+
+the same scene, different pacing for different effect.
+
+
+interrupting and cutting off
+
+use em dashes for interruption:
+  "i was trying to tell--"
+  "i don't care what you were trying."
+
+use ellipses for trailing off:
+  "i don't know if i can..."
+  "can what?"
+  "never mind."
+
+how characters interrupt reveals:
+  [ ] power dynamics (who gets to interrupt?)
+  [ ] emotional state (desperation interrupts more)
+  [ ] relationship (intimacy allows interruption)
+
+intimacy and interruption:
+  close characters can finish each other's thoughts.
+  distant characters interrupt to dominate.
+
+
+PHASE 7: EXPOSITION THROUGH DIALOGUE
+
+rule: never have characters tell each other what they both know.
+
+bad exposition (the "as you know, bob" conversation):
+  "as you know, steve, our father died three years ago in that tragic
+   car accident on highway 10, leaving us the family business that's
+   been in our family for four generations since 1923."
+
+this is not dialogue. this is a data dump disguised as dialogue.
+
+
+good exposition: characters arguing about what they both know
+
+  "we're not selling."
+  "it's not worth keeping anymore."
+  "it's all we have left of him."
+  "dad's dead, janie. the shop died with him."
+
+both know the context. the argument reveals:
+  [ ] there's a family business
+  [ ] their father died
+  [ ] one wants to sell, one doesn't
+  [ ] it's about memory, not money
+
+all conveyed without stating facts outright.
+
+
+exposition through conflict
+
+characters reveal background by fighting about it.
+
+"you always take his side."
+  "i do not."
+  "you've been doing it since we were kids. he breaks the window,
+   you blame me."
+  "that was twenty years ago."
+  "some things don't change."
+
+reveals:
+  [ ] sibling relationship
+  [ ] family dynamic (one parented differently)
+  [ ] ongoing resentment
+  [ ] specific past incident
+
+shown through conflict, not explained.
+
+
+exposition through voice
+
+background leaks through how characters speak.
+
+"the customer is always--" he made air quotes "right. that what they
+ taught you in business school?"
+
+in six words:
+  [ ] character's attitude (skeptical)
+  [ ] other character's education (business school)
+  [ ] class tension (blue collar vs white collar)
+  [ ] relationship dynamic (one looking down on the other)
+
+
+PHASE 8: GENRE-SPECIFIC DIALOGUE PATTERNS
+
+different genres have different dialogue conventions.
+
+
+thriller/suspense dialogue
+
+characteristics:
+  [ ] information withholding
+  [ ] coded language
+  [ ] misdirection
+  [ ] tension in subtext
+  [ ] questions as power moves
+
+  "do you have it?"
+  "i might."
+  "might isn't good enough."
+  "then maybe you should've been clearer about what you needed."
+
+nothing is stated outright. everything is negotiation.
+
+
+romance dialogue
+
+characteristics:
+  [ ] vulnerability is the goal
+  [ ] miscommunication creates tension
+  [ ] emotional progress is tracked
+  [ ] subtext gradually becomes text
+
+early stage:
+  "you're still here?"
+  "looks like."
+  "why?"
+  "haven't figured that out yet."
+
+late stage (after breakthrough):
+  "you're still here."
+  "i'm not going anywhere."
+  "you promise?"
+  "i promise."
+
+the same words, different meaning through established intimacy.
+
+
+science fiction/fantasy dialogue
+
+characteristics:
+  [ ] worldbuilding through speech
+  [ ] created slang/jargon
+  [ ] cultural values revealed
+  [ ] avoid exposition dumps
+
+"void take it, you ran the hyperdrive hot?"
+  "we needed the speed."
+  "at the cost of my engine? spacer's luck, you're lucky it didn't
+   blow us into quantum."
+
+reveals:
+  [ ] hyperdrive technology
+  [ ] spacer culture ("spacer's luck")
+  [ ] religious element ("void take it")
+  [ ] physics concept ("quantum" as bad outcome)
+
+all shown through character voice, not explained.
+
+
+literary/contemporary dialogue
+
+characteristics:
+  [ ] heightened realism
+  [ ] philosophical undertones
+  [ ] character depth through speech patterns
+  [ ] subtext is primary
+
+"do you think people change?"
+  "depends."
+  "on what?"
+  "on whether they want to."
+  "and if they don't?"
+  "then they don't. they just get better at hiding."
+
+conversations about ideas, revealed through concrete moments.
+
+
+PHASE 9: DIALOGUE BLOCKS AND WHITE SPACE
+
+how dialogue looks on page matters.
+
+short exchanges:
+  create white space
+  increase reading speed
+  feel lighter, faster
+
+long speeches:
+  create dense blocks
+  slow reading down
+  feel heavier, more significant
+
+use formatting to control pacing.
+
+
+when characters monologue
+
+monologues are rare in real life. use them sparingly.
+
+valid reasons for monologue:
+  [ ] teaching (someone needs to learn)
+  [ ] confession (emotional release)
+  [ ] interrogation (power position)
+  [ ] performance (character is literally performing)
+
+invalid reasons:
+  [x] author wants to explain something
+  [x] character "just needs to say this"
+  [x] filling space
+
+break long speeches with:
+  [ ] listener reactions
+  [ ] action beats
+  [ ] paragraph breaks
+  [ ] internal thoughts (if pov allows)
+
+
+white space as emotional indicator
+
+sparse, sparse = tension, withholding
+
+  "well?"
+  "i can't."
+  "why?"
+  "i just can't."
+
+dense, flowing = intimacy, openness
+
+  "it's not that i don't want to, it's just that i've tried before and
+   it never works out the way you expect it to, you know? you plan and
+   you hope and then something happens and it's all gone, and i'm not
+   sure i can go through that again, not after last time."
+
+use page layout as emotional tool.
+
+
+PHASE 10: DIALOGUE REVISION CHECKLIST
+
+first draft dialogue is rarely good dialogue. revise systematically.
+
+
+read dialogue aloud
+
+  <terminal>say "your dialogue here" -v 200</terminal> (macos)
+  <terminal>espeak "your dialogue here"</terminal> (linux)
+
+if you stumble, reader will too.
+
+mark:
+  [ ] awkward phrasing
+  [ ] unnatural rhythms
+  [ ] repeated words
+  [ ] tongue twisters
+  [ ] too-long sentences
+
+
+check every speech tag
+
+  [ ] can tag be removed? (speaker is clear)
+  [ ] can tag be "said"? (usually yes)
+  [ ] can tag be replaced with action beat? (often yes)
+  [ ] is tag doing necessary work? (if no, remove)
+
+
+check for said-bookisms
+
+these are almost always wrong:
+  [x] ejaculated (has different meaning now)
+  [x] pontificated (too academic)
+  [x] articulated (too clinical)
+  [x] expostulated (who talks like this?)
+  [x] retorted (unless it's actually a retort)
+  [x] queried (use "asked" or nothing)
+
+rule: if you can't imagine a real person using this verb to describe
+speech, don't use it.
+
+
+check for adverb dependence
+
+  "i hate you," she said angrily.
+  "i hate you," she said.
+  "i hate you." she slammed the door.
+
+adverbs indicate weak dialogue. strengthen the words instead.
+
+weak adverbs to avoid:
+  angrily, sadly, happily, excitedly, nervously, quickly, slowly,
+  loudly, softly, bitterly, sweetly
+
+if you need an adverb, rewrite the dialogue.
+
+
+check for on-the-nose disease
+
+characters saying exactly what they feel:
+  [x] "i am so angry right now!"
+  [x] "i'm really sad about this."
+  [x] "i love you so much."
+
+real people deflect:
+  [ ] "i can't talk about this."
+  [ ] "whatever. it's fine."
+  [ ] "you too."
+
+find direct emotion statements and convert to subtext.
+
+
+check for information dump
+
+characters explaining things they both know:
+  [x] "as we discussed earlier..."
+  [x] "remember when we..."
+  [x] "as you know..."
+
+if both characters know it, they wouldn't say it.
+
+either:
+  [ ] cut the exposition
+  [ ] make it conflict
+  [ ] find someone who DOESN'T know
+
+
+check for speech consistency
+
+read one character's dialogue in isolation.
+does it sound like the same person throughout?
+
+common consistency breaks:
+  [x] formal character suddenly uses slang
+  [x] uneducated character uses academic words
+  [x] quiet character delivers long speech
+  [x] funny character becomes dead serious without reason
+
+characters can change, but reader needs to see why.
+
+
+PHASE 11: DIALOGUE EXERCISES
+
+practice these to improve dialogue craft.
+
+
+exercise 1: the yes/no game
+
+two characters. one wants something, one won't give it.
+write dialogue where neither says yes or no directly.
+
+aim: 200-400 words
+constraint: no direct yes or no
+goal: maintain tension while refusing direct answer
+
+
+exercise 2: the double conversation
+
+two characters talking about two things at once.
+what they're discussing vs. what they're actually discussing.
+
+surface: planning a party
+subtext: their failing relationship
+
+aim: 300-500 words
+goal: make subtext clear without stating it
+
+
+exercise 3: voice differentiation
+
+write a scene with three characters discussing the same event.
+each character should have distinct voice.
+
+aim: 400-600 words
+challenge: remove all speech tags
+goal: reader knows who's speaking from voice alone
+
+
+exercise 4: the argument with no words
+
+write an argument using only:
+  [ ] sentence fragments
+  [ ] interruptions
+  [ ] single words
+  [ ] actions
+
+no complete sentences. no explanations.
+
+aim: 200-300 words
+goal: conflict completely clear
+
+
+exercise 5: exposition through conflict
+
+convey a complex backstory through an argument.
+both characters know the full history.
+neither states it outright.
+
+aim: 400-600 words
+challenge: write for someone who knows nothing about the story
+goal: reader understands the backstory without it being explained
+
+
+exercise 6: genre shift
+
+take the same basic situation (one character wants to leave, one wants
+them to stay) and write it in three genres:
+  [ ] thriller
+  [ ] romance
+  [ ] comedy
+
+aim: 200-400 words each
+goal: see how genre changes speech patterns
+
+
+exercise 7: subtext-only rewrite
+
+take a passage of direct dialogue and rewrite with maximum subtext.
+characters should talk about anything BUT what they actually mean.
+
+direct: "i'm pregnant and i'm scared you'll leave me."
+
+rewrite: conversation about dinner plans that's actually about the
+pregnancy and fear.
+
+
+exercise 8: the silent scene
+
+write a scene where two characters have a complete conversation without
+either saying what they really mean. every line is deflection.
+
+aim: 300-500 words
+goal: reader understands the real conversation
+
+
+PHASE 12: DIALOGUE MISTAKES TO AVOID
+
+these are the most common dialogue problems.
+
+
+mistake 1: everyone sounds the same
+
+symptom: you could swap character names and nothing would change.
+
+fix: create voice profiles for each character. give each:
+  [ ] distinct sentence length preference
+  [ ] vocabulary level
+  [ ] speech habit
+  [ ] default deflection
+
+
+mistake 2: too-formal speech
+
+symptom: characters speak in complete, grammatically perfect sentences.
+
+real speech:
+  [ ] fragments
+  [ ] contractions
+  [ ] restarts
+  [ ] filler words (used sparingly)
+  [ ] colloquialisms
+
+  "i am going to the store to purchase milk." (robot)
+  "i'm gonna run out for milk." (human)
+
+
+mistake 3: overuse of names
+
+symptom: characters constantly address each other by name.
+
+  "john, i don't think that's a good idea."
+  "but mary, we have to try."
+  "john, listen to me."
+
+real people only use names for:
+  [ ] getting attention
+  [ ] emphasis/anger
+  [ ] intimacy
+  [ ] confusion (multiple people present)
+
+use names sparingly.
+
+
+mistake 4: excessive phonetic spelling
+
+symptom: writing accents phonetically.
+
+  "i'm gonna go to the store, bawss."
+  "y'all come back now, ya hear?"
+
+this is:
+  [ ] hard to read
+  [ ] often offensive
+  [ ] rarely necessary
+
+better: indicate accent through:
+  [ ] word choice
+  [ ] sentence structure
+  [ ] cultural references
+  [ ] occasional dropped g or shortened word
+
+
+mistake 5: starting with hello
+
+symptom: scenes start with greeting.
+
+  "hello, john."
+  "hi, mary. how are you?"
+  "i'm fine. how are you?"
+  "also fine."
+
+start at the real beginning:
+  [ ] in the middle of action
+  [ ] with the important line
+  [ ] at the moment of change
+
+skip the social niceties unless they're doing work.
+
+
+mistake 6: speech tag pile-up
+
+symptom: every line has a tag.
+
+  "hello," he said.
+  "hi," she said.
+  "how are you?" he said.
+  "fine," she said.
+
+trust the reader. once established, they know who's talking.
+
+
+mistake 7: emotional monologue
+
+symptom: character delivers full emotional speech.
+
+  "i've been so sad since my mother died. i feel empty inside, like
+   there's a hole where my heart used to be. i cry myself to sleep
+   every night."
+
+real people deflect:
+  [ ] change the subject
+  [ ] make a joke
+  [ ] leave the room
+  [ ] get angry
+
+emotion leaks out. it doesn't pour.
+
+
+PHASE 13: ADVANCED TECHNIQUES
+
+
+unspoken dialogue
+
+what characters choose not to say is as important as what they say.
+
+  "do you still--"
+  "no."
+  "i wasn't going to ask about that."
+  "what were you going to ask?"
+  "doesn't matter."
+
+the unspoken question hangs over the entire exchange.
+
+
+dialogue as action
+
+sometimes the dialogue IS the action.
+
+  "don't"
+  "i have to"
+  "then i can't let you"
+  "you're not going to stop me"
+  "watch me"
+
+each line is a move in the conflict. no physical action needed.
+
+
+echo dialogue
+
+characters repeat words, showing fixation.
+
+  "he's gone"
+  "i know he's gone"
+  "but he's really gone"
+  "i know"
+  "like, actually gone gone"
+  "i know"
+
+repetition shows:
+  [ ] denial
+  [ ] processing
+  [ ] trauma
+  [ ] obsession
+
+
+the non-answer answer
+
+characters respond to the question beneath the question.
+
+  "are you seeing anyone?"
+  "why do you ask?"
+  "just curious."
+  "curious about what?"
+
+the first question isn't "are you seeing someone."
+the real question is "do i still have a chance."
+
+the answer ("why do you ask?") responds to the real question.
+
+
+dialogue callbacks
+
+earlier dialogue gains new meaning later.
+
+earlier:
+  "if you ever need me, you know where to find me."
+  "i won't need you."
+
+later:
+  she knocked on his door at 3 am. "you said."
+  "i know what i said."
+
+the callback carries the weight of earlier context.
+
+
+PHASE 14: DIALOGUE RULES (STRICT MODE)
+
+
+while this skill is active, these rules are MANDATORY:
+
+  [1] NEVER let characters say exactly what they mean
+      find the deflection
+      find the subtext
+      find the way to say it indirectly
+
+  [2] SAID is your default speech tag
+      use "said" unless another tag does necessary work
+      if you must use another tag, ask yourself:
+        - is this the ONLY way to convey this information?
+        - would an action beat work better?
+
+  [3] READ every dialogue passage aloud
+      if you stumble, rewrite
+      if it sounds stiff, rewrite
+      if it sounds like writing, rewrite
+
+  [4] CHECK every information dump
+      if both characters know it, why are they saying it?
+      either cut it or make it conflict
+
+  [5] GIVE every character a distinct voice
+      if you can remove character names and not tell who's speaking,
+      your voices aren't distinct enough
+
+  [6] USE action beats instead of speech tags when possible
+      beats do double duty: identify speaker AND reveal character
+
+  [7] NEVER use phonetic spelling for accents
+      indicate accent through word choice, sentence structure, rhythm
+
+  [8] CUT greetings, goodbyes, and other social filler
+      start at the important moment
+      end at the important moment
+
+  [9] VARY sentence length for rhythm
+      fast dialogue = short sentences
+      slow dialogue = longer sentences
+      mix them to create musicality
+
+  [10] REMEMBER that conflict is the engine of dialogue
+       characters want different things
+       let those wants collide through speech
+
+
+FINAL REMINDERS
+
+
+dialogue is character
+
+good dialogue reveals:
+  [ ] what character wants
+  [ ] what character fears
+  [ ] what character believes
+  [ ] how character sees themselves
+  [ ] how character sees others
+
+if dialogue doesn't reveal character, cut it.
+
+
+dialogue is conflict
+
+every conversation is a negotiation.
+characters want things.
+sometimes those wants align.
+sometimes they clash.
+let them clash.
+
+
+dialogue is subtext
+
+what's said is never the whole story.
+what's not said is often the real story.
+the gap between words and meaning is where story lives.
+
+
+listen
+
+listen to how people actually talk.
+not in movies.
+not in books.
+in real life.
+
+  [ ] restaurants
+  [ ] public transit
+  [ ] line at the grocery store
+  [ ] your own conversations
+
+notice the:
+  [ ] interruptions
+  [ ] unfinished thoughts
+  [ ] changes of subject
+  [ ] things left unsaid
+
+use it. distill it. make it art.
+
+
+the goal
+
+dialogue that:
+  [ ] reveals character
+  [ ] advances plot
+  [ ] creates tension
+  [ ] sounds natural
+  [ ] carries subtext
+
+every line should do at least two of these.
+
+now go write something people actually want to read.