Hey friends! I created this list of dialogue prompts mostly with novelists and short story writers in mind, but they would also be helpful for script writing, for creative writing teachers, and even for improv coaches. I’ve tried to include both funny dialogue prompts, more serious ones, and some that are really open-ended.
No matter what you’re working on, the way you use these writing prompts is basically the same: you pick a line of dialogue and you write a conversation or a scene that includes it. Most of these are geared toward contemporary fiction and screenwriting, but I’ve thrown in a few that go more in the direction of other fiction genres.
Depending on your project, you might also want to check out my lists of romance plot ideas and fantasy story ideas.
It took a long time to come up with these dialogue writing prompts, but it was also pretty fun. If one of them winds up in your finished work, that’s just fine with me. Pin or bookmark it for future use!
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āMaāam, is this your dog?ā
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āNo, itās really not that complicated. Heās a bad person.ā
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āHey… whatās wrong with your face?ā
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āThe king is missing.ā
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āAh yes, come in. Close the door behind you.ā
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āHow could you do this to me?ā
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āUm, sorry. That oneās not for sale.ā
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āYouāve got thirty seconds to explain to me what youāre doing here.ā
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āAināt nobody ever told you who your real daddy is?ā
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āI know this may be hard to believe, but Iām on your side.ā
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āNever heard of that being used as a murder weapon before.ā
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āJust sit around and cry, then. I donāt have that luxury.ā
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āIām sorry. I thought you were someone else.ā
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āThatās the nice thing about telling the truth. You donāt have nearly as much to keep track of.ā
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āOf course weāre best friends. No one else would put up with our shenanigans.ā
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āThatās the least of your worries.ā
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āYou look a lot different from your profile picture.ā
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āDo you trust me?ā
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āYou found it on the beach? You know, when most people take a walk on the beach, they pick up seashells.ā
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āSir. This is for children only.ā
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āI havenāt tried this on a human yet, but it should be very similar.ā
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āWhat? I meant it as a compliment.ā
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āWho put this in my coat pocket?ā
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āI canāt do this any more.ā
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āYou think youāre so good-looking, but deep down, youāre the kind of ugly that PhotoShop canāt fix.ā
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āI know you did your best, but it just wasnāt enough.ā
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āEven if I could stop it, I wouldnāt.ā
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āYou have got to see this.ā
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āGuess who made the evening news?ā
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āI donāt really think of myself as a thief…ā
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āAre you just going to keep walking by my house or are you going to come in?ā
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āWe do things a little differently in the 21st century.ā
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āPlease return to your assigned seat.ā
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āDude. Itās 3 in the morning.ā
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āI canāt believe I used to think he was attractive.ā
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āActually, you are speaking to the manager.ā
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āWhere are your clothes?ā
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āWell, this contest isnāt going to rig itself.ā
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āHi, Iām calling about your ad?ā
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āI canāt believe Iām telling you this.ā
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āI should have told you this a long time ago.ā
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āI am only telling the truth when I say that you have not behaved completely as a gentleman in this matter.ā
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āI thought we were friends!ā
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āThatās not a good look.ā
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āItās a genetic trait, but itās exceptionally rare.ā
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āI love you, but I donāt even think I know who you really are.ā
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āSheās evil, but she does have a point there.ā
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āI didnāt know you could talk.ā
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āSweetie, what were you thinking?ā
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āWhat makes you think it was an accident?ā
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āSorry. Youāre the first person Iāve spoken to in ten years.ā
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āI donāt suppose youāve got a blowtorch around here?ā
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āI know youāre here. You may as well show yourself.ā
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āGet a job!ā
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āThis isnāt going to be a typical best man speech.ā
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āAccording to this, you owe them eighty thousand dollars.ā
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āWe thought at first that it was part of the performance.ā
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āItās been a while since Iāve seen yāall in church.ā
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āI would break his thumbs right now if I could.ā
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āWhy are you helping me?ā
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āThatās the worst reason Iāve ever heard to have a baby.ā
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āI didnāt even recognize you!ā
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āIs it worth breaking your vows over?ā
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āI told you not to read that.ā
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āPut the turkey down.ā
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āI didnāt ask to be abducted.ā
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āThatās the most disgusting thing Iāve ever heard.ā
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āWhere did you learn how to do that?ā
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āAre you banned from all Taco Bells, or just that Taco Bell?ā
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āI thought you had him!ā
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āHumility is not one of my many virtues.ā
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āHow can you stand living here?ā
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āSheās young, fertile, and from a good family. What more do you need to know?ā
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āSometimes being a total geek pays off.ā
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āYou donāt have the correct paperwork.ā
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āCareful not to break theāoh.ā
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āI wasnāt going to say anything, but yeah.ā
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āIād love to help, but I want to keep all of my money in case I want to spend it on other things.ā
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āWell arenāt you the cutest little thing?ā
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āWhy is that your password?ā
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āPlease donāt use sarcasm. It confuses me.ā
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āAfter we lost you, things just werenāt the same.ā
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āIf you were logical you wouldāve killed me already.ā
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āWell, that couldāve gone better.ā
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āSometimes I feel like sheās still at my side.ā
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āWeāve been waiting two hours.ā
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āYour services are no longer required.ā
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āI feel like weāve met before…ā
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āDoes he hit you?ā
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āYes, itās a questionable line of work, but Iām good at it.ā
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āSheās in the building.ā
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āWow! Itās an honor to meet you.ā
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āYou were in a crash. Can you tell me your name?ā
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āThis used to be a great country, but people like you are destroying it.ā
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āIām cured. I swear.ā
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āMy chances of living to a ripe old age are unfortunately excellent.ā
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āLetās face it, you donāt exactly blend in.ā
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āForgive me if Iām misreading things, but do you want to make out?ā
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āThe next time you shoot a guy, donāt do it on national television.ā
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āWeāll need to take a blood sample to be sure.ā
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I hope you liked this post! If you don’t want to miss any posts like this for writers, follow the blog if you aren’t already doing so — there’s a place you can sign up below.
Please also check out my big book of writing prompts. Whether you’re starting a new story or trying to figure out where a story goes next, it can give you fresh inspiration.
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Thanks for stopping by, and happy writing!
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Hi Bryn,
I’ve finally discovered where you hide your Sumome plugin!
May I suggest you relocate it to the left side of your posts so it’s more visible for folks like me to find and share your great posts
Chris š
Chris! Thanks for the feedback — I really appreciate any advice from a master blogger like you. š I only added it because you suggested it, but I kinda don’t understand it. š I’ll look into this!
Hi again Bryn – I just noticed I’d got my email address wrong in the last comment š
These are fantastic! You had me at “dog”. Thank you for your blog. It’s gives me motivation to continue writing when nothing else appeals to my writer- brain.
Aww Delilah, that is so nice of you to say! I’m glad you like them. (The “dog” one was my favorite. š )
I am so totally stealing 21, 47 and 69!
I love these. š
Hahaha. Thank you Paige!
Yeah! This is awesome!! Thanks for posting!
Thanks Jennifer, so glad you like them! Thanks for reading š
OMG!! #25 had me laughing so hard I think I peed myself just a little. ROFLOL
Aside from that, I may be stealing a few (only a dozen or 3) of these, but may need to change a word or two here and there to make them fit whatever story they go into. These are Priceless!! š
Haha, thanks Robin! Yes, please steal away, that’s what they are here for! (So, not actually stealing!) š
Another list, Bryn. Thank you!
second try – that should have read ‘Another really useful list, Bryn. Thank you!’
the first comment just stated the obvious š
I knew what you meant actually! š
Thanks, Bryn for the great prompts. š — Suzanne
Glad you like them Suzanne! š
If I said #81 to my girlfriend, she’d respond with #22. And then I’d say #47 to myself. š
Hahahaha! I love this! Thanks for the laugh, Robert š
These prompts are great. Unusually excellent. Thank you!
I don’t know about this maybe I’ll be sued for copyright but I really love that dialogue from Game of thrones “You know nothing Jon Snow”.
Thank you so much for these. You saved a struggling script writer! SO excited to start writing now