Dialogue Prompts

Good dialogue is rarely people saying exactly what they mean. These prompts give you a first line or a situation where two characters want different things, so the conversation carries tension and subtext.

Dialogue Prompt

"You kept the receipt? Of course you kept the receipt."

Tip: press N for a new prompt, B to go back.

Write now: 10-minute sprint
10:00

15 dialogue prompts

  1. "You kept the receipt? Of course you kept the receipt."
  2. "I didn't come here to apologise. I came to get my dog back."
  3. Two siblings clear out their late father's garage. Neither mentions the will.
  4. "Is this seat taken?" "Depends who's asking."
  5. A job interview where the candidate realises the interviewer is their ex.
  6. "We need to talk about what happened at the lake."
  7. A couple argues about the dishes. They are really arguing about moving abroad.
  8. "Tell me the truth, and I promise I won't be angry." (They will be.)
  9. Two astronauts, one oxygen tank, twenty minutes.
  10. "You're not supposed to be here. You're supposed to be dead."
  11. A child explains to a grandparent how the internet works.
  12. Two strangers realise they are both at the wrong funeral.
  13. "I read your diary." "Which one?"
  14. A hostage negotiation over a stolen cake.
  15. Write a whole conversation where neither character says the word they both are thinking.

Tips before you start

  • Each character should want something different in the scene.
  • Cut greetings and small talk unless they reveal something.
  • Let silence and action beats do some of the talking.

Forge new ones with AI

Add a topic and get five fresh dialogue prompts written for it.

AI output is generated by openai/gpt-6-luna via Vercel AI Gateway. It can be wrong or odd; the prompt lists on this page work without it.

Questions writers ask

What is subtext in dialogue?

Subtext is the meaning beneath the words: what a character actually wants or feels but does not say directly. Readers infer it from word choice, evasions and actions.

How do I make dialogue sound natural?

Read it aloud, use contractions, let people interrupt and dodge questions, and trim the filler that real speech contains.