(Singing) My voice is dying but I'm gonna get through this!
(Speaking) Hellooo everybody! A
while back, I started a series all about dialogue. We covered voice, tags, and formatting and you guys
have asked for more. So that's what we're doing today! I am breaking down the 10 best
tips for writing angry dialogue. I'm talking about arguments, insults, clap backs, fights,
all that good stuff. Anything that falls into the realm of yelling or shouting.
Anything that is supposed to hurt or burn. Some of you guys really suck at writing vitriol. You
try so hard, but you fall so short. I'm here to fix that! And just a forewarning: the last tip
is the trickiest to maneuver, so pay extra close attention.
(The sound of a pen scratching.) LOGO.
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right now, so definitely check ‘em out! I got ‘em linked below. Now let's dive into
my 10 best tips for writing angry, aggressive, argumentative dialogue! Number One (1): Understand
the motivation. Think about the character delivering the verbal blows. Why are they
doing this? If they're angry, why are they angry? Is it jealousy? Is it frustration? Is it betrayal?
You need to understand where this reaction is coming from because it will dictate the type of
dialogue they deliver. Say your character is fed up. They've been tolerating some bullshit for far
too long and they finally snapped. A character who snaps is gonna be speaking completely differently
than a character who is calm and collected, whose anger is simmering below the surface. A snap is
typically curt and explosive, whereas a calm character may be cruel or calculated. They've
had time to think about and craft exactly what they're going to say. This is why the motivation
behind the argument is key. It gives you an idea of how to perfect their verbal blows. Number
Two (2): Know your characters. Particularly, their baggage. This is pivotal for writing dialogue of
any kind, but it is especially the case when your characters are getting angry. People handle anger
differently based on their personality, their experience, and most of all, their baggage.
Some characters have trust issues; their walls are up, their defenses are on. If that's the case,
they are less likely to show vulnerability in an argument, and they might pull moves that put
them in an offensive position. That means they may deal out low blows or cutting criticism.
Anything that keeps the other person at a distance. Sometimes fighting is triggering for a
person, especially if they grew up in an explosive household. They may clam up in these situations.
They may disassociate. They may go stone-faced, quiet, or numb. And of course, there are people
who get very vulnerable in angry situations. Sometimes they ramble. Sometimes they cry.
Dialogue will always depend on your character’s background and personality. But in this case,
baggage is especially important. Number Three (3): Know your intention. This is when you need to take
a step back from the characters and look at your plot. What is the intention behind this scene?
What are you, the writer, trying to accomplish? Is this scene the character's breaking point?
If that's the case, something needs to be said in this argument that breaks your character.
Think about dialogue that cuts deep. That means tapping into your main character's
deepest insecurities and fears and worries. We will elaborate on this in a later point. What
if your intention is to establish the villain? In that case, lots of bitter, cruel dialogue
will make it clear to the reader that, “Hey, watch out for this guy. They're an asshole.” The
intention of the scene will dictate the kind of dialogue you dish out, and you need to make sure
that the argument you’re writing serves its purpose. On a similar note, Number Four (4): How does it
end? If you're establishing the intention of the scene, you also need to establish where
the scene is headed. How is this argument going to move the characters and the plot forward?
Sometimes an argument instigates a breakup. This is especially relevant in romance novels,
as well as romantic subplots. Sometimes arguments are stepping stones toward betrayal, murder,
or the climax of your novel. Every scene within your story needs to serve a purpose to the plot,
and bitchy dialogue is no different. Knowing where the scene is headed is super important, because it
will dictate how severe the dialogue needs to be. For example, if your characters are breaking up
and you intend for them to get back together, then the dialogue needs to warrant a breakup
but still be forgivable so that readers are still rooting for the ship. Think about fighting words
that are harsh enough for them to take a break from one another, but not too harsh to prevent
a reconciliation. Which brings us to Number Five (5): How bad are we aiming for? Not all angry
dialogue is supposed to evoke rage. Sometimes you want the words to cut deep. Sometimes you
just want readers to go, “Damn, that was good!” It sounds like common sense, but so many writers
do not know where to set the bar. They'll either go way over the top at the wrong moment or barely
scratch the surface when it counts. Know the depth of your character's anger and stick to it. Say
this is a life or death situation. Someone nearly died, and they are pissed the fuck off. This is
gravely serious, so calling someone a turkey head isn't gonna cut it. That's what you call
your kid after they forget to take out the trash! On the other hand, say your characters are simply
auditioning for the same part in the school play. If one tells the other to “Eat shit and die,”
that's a little extreme. Look at the scene and be honest with yourself. Hold back when it calls for
it and go all in when shit gets dire. Number Six (6): Hit the characters where it hurts. You've
gone through step Number Five (5) and you've decided this argument needs to be intense. Your
character is going for the jugular. In order to do this, you need to ask yourself two questions.
First, look at the character on the receiving end. What is their greatest insecurity or fear? In The
Savior's Champion, Tobias prides himself on his integrity and he begins to question that element
of himself. So if you really wanna cut deep, you would probably call out his morality or humanity.
Second, look at the character delivering the blow. What is their greatest insecurity or fear?
Flynn is a character with a fragile ego, so for him, emasculation is the biggest blow.
This means that if Flynn and Tobias were in a heated argument, Flynn would likely insult
Tobias’ masculinity. It's a big blow to him, so he assumes it’ll be a big blow to Tobias. However, as
we already covered, that probably wouldn't matter much to Tobias. That means if we wanted Flynn to
hit Tobias where it hurt, he would have to insult Tobias’ integrity. That would be a crushing blow.
Number Seven (7): Keep it brief. Not all fights end quickly, but I guarantee that if you go on
for pages and pages, you will lose the reader. The best blows are quick and to the point.
That's why the phrase is “Go to hell,” and not “Be gone to the darkest lairs of the fierce and
maddening underworld.” A lot of newbies find long, rambly rants fun and cathartic. They think readers
are going to eat ‘em up, but they usually come off as cheesy and self indulgent. Plus, they're not
that realistic. People don't regularly go off on long diatribes. They usually stick with a good ole
“Fuck you.” Plus these long rants lack impact. What hurts more? A single heavy blow to the gut,
or a bunch of teeny tiny pokes in rapid succession? Go for the blow and learn when to
shut the fuck up. On a related note, Number Eight (8): Calm down on the descriptors. “You good for
nothing, yellow belly, pea brained mama's boy!” “You soft, fragile, sissy, blubbering mess of a
princess!” This shit doesn't work. No one is hurt by a laundry list of adjectives. Writers go this
route because they think the more descriptors, the bigger the impact. And descriptors do help,
to a point. When you go on and on, it doesn't make the burn harsher. It just makes it cheesier,
and a little embarrassing. A general rule is to choose one effective descriptor, maybe two,
and leave it at that. For example, “You dumb fuck.” Or, “You miserable, worthless shit.”
Those statements pack power. They sound angry. But if you extend it on and on, it loses its oomph.
Number Nine (9): Curse. I'm gonna preface this with the fact that not all people curse. I mean,
I've never said a swear word in my life. It’s just not classy at all. If you have a character who
would absolutely never swear in any situation, by all means, honor that trait. You also have to take
your target audience into consideration. If you're writing a children's book or a Middle Grade book,
maybe don't use cuss words. But for a majority of Adult, New Adult, and Young Adult fiction,
it's realistic for people to swear from time to time, especially if they're pissed
off. No one is gonna say “Fudge!” when they're battling their lifelong nemesis.
“But Jenna, what if my mom reads this book?” She knows swear words exist, I promise. Also,
you're not writing this book for your mom, you're writing it for your audience. Sorry, mom! Cursing
is realistic, especially in anger. Utilize it where it fits. And Number Ten (10): Punch down
with caution! This is by far the trickiest part about writing anger and cruelty, particularly if
you're writing a villain. One of the easiest ways to showcase an evil character is for them to punch
down. This is basically when someone in a more powerful position insults a character that is
in a more repressed position. For example, if a rich person makes fun of someone for being poor,
that is considered punching down. As I said, this is a very easy way to establish a villain
or showcase that a character is an asshole. However, it gets messy when writers take it too
far, especially if they're writing insults about a group of people they do not belong to. Sure,
the character is the one ‘saying’ these things, but you–the writer–are writing them. And if you
get excessive, it can come across as gratuitous and self indulgent. A few words of advice. First,
never write slurs about a real world group of people that you do not belong to. Readers
are gonna be uncomfortable and rightfully pissed. Second, ask yourself if the punching
down is necessary. Can you create conflict in a different way? For example, does your character
have to say something racist, or can they instead say something classist? Which is still terrible
and still considered punching down, but it's going to make your readers less uncomfortable. And third,
have you created a completely fictional world? If yes, you can create your own unique hierarchies.
You can create your own version of punching down that does not alienate or offend your readers.
If Elves are more powerful than Pixies, you can create a ton of really powerful insults that will
absolutely showcase how awful your characters are. So that's all I got for you today! Thank you so
much to Skillshare for sponsoring today's video! As you guys know, I'm a big fan. I am a student
there as well as a teacher. If you're interested in growing your craft or taking any of my amazing
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