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Q&A Is a novel less credible if the dialogues are too perfect?

People should talk as people talk. If the flow is in character with, well, your character, then it's ok, it won't be less credible. But if, say, a street though is talking like a Duke... well, that...

posted 13y ago by iajrz‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T01:32:48Z (about 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/2580
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by user avatar iajrz‭ · 2019-12-08T01:32:48Z (about 5 years ago)
People should talk as people talk. If the flow is in character with, well, your character, then it's ok, it won't be less credible. But if, say, a street though is talking like a Duke... well, that'd not happen in real life, would it?

It can be _always perfect_ for a character that is that kind of person; it would add to the story, let people know about the characters. It can be occasionally perfect for someone who has the right level of education, the right personality. Could be mock perfection, or ironic perfection.

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2011-04-21T13:16:14Z (over 13 years ago)
Original score: 5