Phroombas

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How to Write Dialogue for (most) Dream SMP Characters

A few months ago, I remembered seeing a lot of posts giving advice on how to write dialogue for DSMP Characters. And while those posts contained numerous helpful pointers, overall, they fall just short of capturing what it means to write in a character’s Voice.

Unique character Voices, while tricky to get right, are usually achieved by giving each character a distinct set of words to say, in a manner that distinguishes them from the rest of the cast. 

With this in mind, I’ve spent the past few days combing through almost Thirty Hours of VOD footage to collect nearly all of the unique words, phrases, and speaking habits of every major and minor character on the Dream SMP (involved in 2+ story arcs.)

Before Reading:

Sentence-Starters are single words or phrases which begin a sentence. (ie. “Y’know, maybe you should try something different.”) 

Sentence Paddings are reoccurring words added to the middle of sentences. (ie. “It’s like he just can’t cry.”) 

Sentence Endings are single words or phrases which end a sentence. (ie. “There’s no need to fight, I hope.”)

All three of these types can be combined with one another to create more natural-sounding sentences. For instance, if a character has the two Sentence-Starters “Okay” and “So,” they can be used like this; “Okay, so, I’m a bit worried.”

(Note: When certain traits or phrases aren’t obvious with how they should be applied to dialogue, an (ie.) will be added below to illustrate them.)

Wilbur

General Traits:

Repeats himself for emphasis. Sometimes these repetitions will add additional information. More often, this repetition is focused around a specific word with the circumstance of the sentence being changed each time.

ie. “I’m living in an eternal limbo again. I’ve been through limbo, I’m out of limbo, and socially, I’m still in this limbo.”

Highly eloquent in language, bordering on poetic.

Highly introspective; significantly less so after Eret’s betrayal and onward.

Occasionally makes literary analogies and references, sometimes breaking the Fourth Wall to do so.

Curses semi-frequently. Wilbur is the only known character to use the word “cunt,” although rare.

Common Go-To Swears - Fuck, Shit, Prick, Bastard, Hell, Ass (Including all variations and combinations.)

Tends to hum when he thinks to himself.

Stutters most often when offended, shocked, or surprised.

Generally addresses characters semi-formally, often by title or role.

Often slips into long-form monologues when self-reflecting.

Usually defaults to being the head of a conversation; introducing, managing, and elaborating on topics throughout, especially when speaking to three or more people.

Circumstantial Phrases:

You and I, we’re ━ (To connect positively with someone.)

ie. “You and I, we’re used to seeing the good in people.”

I wanna pick your brain / Can I pick your brain? (To ask about someone else.)

Don’t say that, I’ll cry (Affectionate banter, only to Tommy.)

I’m afraid ━ (When hopeless or delivering bad news.)

ie. “I’m afraid there’s no getting out of this now.”

There’s no reason to ━ / There’s no reason for ━ / There’s no need for ━  (When being threatened or breaking up a fight.)

ie. “There’s no need for violence, gentlemen.”

Keep reading

we do NOT see enough c!ranboo positivity. can we talk about just how much he loves his husband and his son and his friends and his pets and his particles and his grass blocks and his ugly ass house and how he didn’t understand fully what c!tommy was going through in exile but by god did he try, and how he doesn’t understand c!tubbo’s past and his trauma but he tries his best to support him, and just how he TRIES. he tries so hard and while he makes mistakes he hasn’t intentionally tried to hurt anyone. he just wants everyone to be okay. i love c!ranboo so much.

thanks to this workplace harassment training video my coworkers and I now say this to each other on a near-daily basis

shout out to the literal fan fiction happening a few blocks from my apartment. there has been this halal meat market on the corner for like 19 years that the owner’s son just inherited and directly across the street this woman opened a kosher grocery store and since day one they’ve had this very friendly fake rivalry, playing it up for the customers, it’s always been super goofy and light hearted. so turns out last night she proposed in the middle of the afternoon rush in the meat market and he said YES and she’s moving her store to the adjacent empty storefront on the left so they can have a JOINT GROCERY STORE it is so fucking cute I wish them the happiest marriage ever

wait is wilbus soot a mcyt or artist? Im confused

he’s a minecraft streamer, but he also plays the washboard for a folk band called the smeeglewomps. check ‘em out if you’ve got the time.

captain silly? is he silly?

Band member who doesn't play any instruments or sing, he's just There (They're a lovejoy cover band.)

To be clear: Ranboo is NOT a manager, songwriter, or tech. He is on stage for every performance. Sometimes he drinks 7up through the mask directly into the microphone.

you know that post where people were suggesting grian could babysit benchtrio for mcc… yeah

It’s less of an au and more if a 1:1 of what happened in the show to think about dean as an 1800s merchant whose wife dies in childbirth and then says no when the doctor asks if he wants to hold the baby and closes off so severely the governess is afraid to talk to him about things that need done for the child’s care and there’s a lot of dean standing in the doorway while the baby wails with a tumbler of whiskey in hand and within five days he’s decided to send the baby off to live with his uncle and when Sam is like dean he’s the only thing you have left of cas now And more than that he’s YOUR SON Dean just stares at him blankly until Sam agrees to take him