The Dialogue Tag Test
Here is the gold standard: if someone reads a line of your character's dialogue without any attribution, can they tell who is speaking? If yes, congratulations, your character has a voice. If every character in your RP sounds the same, this guide is for you.
Vocabulary as Identity
A street-smart rogue does not use the same words as a court scholar. Map out your character's education, background, and personality, then let those shape their word choices. A soldier might say "hostile" where a civilian says "bad guy." A scholar might say "I find that assertion dubious" where a merchant says "that is rubbish."
Speech Patterns and Rhythm
Some people speak in short, clipped sentences. Others ramble and trail off mid-thought. Some ask rhetorical questions constantly. Some never ask questions at all. Pick two or three speech habits and apply them consistently.
What They Do Not Say
Equally important: what does your character avoid talking about? A traumatised character might deflect personal questions with humour. A secretive character might answer questions with questions. These conversational gaps reveal character as powerfully as what they do say.
The Eavesdrop Exercise
Listen to real conversations. Notice how people interrupt each other, change subjects abruptly, use filler words, and leave thoughts unfinished. Inject some of this messiness into your dialogue. Perfect grammar and complete sentences are realistic for a professor, not for a teenager in a crisis.
