90 Dialogue Prompts Creative Writing to Spark Ideas

This post is all about dialogue prompts creative writing.

​Whether you’re trying to get better at writing dialogue OR are just struggling with some serious writer’s block, in this post I’m sharing 90 dialogue prompts creative writing exercises that make a great tool to get your creative process flowing!

These dialogue prompts are divided into several different categories so you can find exactly what you’re looking for. 

Whether you’re looking for a simple prompt to give you ideas of the type of dialogue to write, or you want a bunch of dialogue prompts that you could actually use to start your story, you’ll find it all in this post.

How to write better dialogue

The best way to learn to write better dialogue is honestly just to KEEP WRITING. The more you write, the more you’ll uncover your personal style and improve your dialogue writing skills until every piece of dialogue you write feels natural and authentic to your characters.

That said, here are a few tips if you really want to dive into improving your dialogue:

• Avoid info dumping: trying to include too much description or context about the story within dialogue, that wouldn’t actually be natural for the character to say.
• Think about subtext: People don’t always say exactly what they mean. There’s usually more under the surface. Think about what can be shown in the scene, not just said!
• Avoid overusing cliches: Cliches are part of real-life dialogue sometimes, so you don’t need to avoid them entirely. But make sure you’re not using too many cliches that would normally be unnatural in dialogue.
• Avoid making direct statements about emotion: Unless you’ve built to a point of confession or a declaration of someone’s feelings, think about how the dialogue points to a character’s emotions rather than stating it directly. People don’t often state their direct emotions mid-conversation.

I have a much more in-depth post on how to write better dialogue (can be applied to various different genres!) in this post on dialogue.

Aside from that, dialogue prompts creative writing exercises can be a really helpful way to improve your dialogue writing skills!

90 DIALOGUE PROMPTS FOR WRITERS:

Lines of dialogue to start a story or scene

If you’re in need of fresh ideas, either to start writing a new story or you just need some good dialogue to start off a scene in the story you’re working on, here’s a long list of dialogue writing prompts you can apply to different situations to start off your story!

1. “Have we met?”
2. “Watch where you’re going!”
3. “Excuse me, you dropped something!”
4. “I know this isn’t where you expected to find me.”
5. “What time will you be getting home tonight?
6. “You’re late. Again.”
7. “Before you freak out, let me explain.”
8. “I’m here for my appointment.”
9. “Walk through that door and you’ll never see me again.”
10. “I’ll tell you what’s going on, but first, I really need you to give me your emergency contact.”
11. “Someone’s following me. Please help.”
12. “Can we just… start over?”
13. “Just say the word and I’ll leave.”
14. “It wasn’t me. I swear.”
15. “I have SO much to tell you.”
16. “I’m freaking out over here.”
17. “What, I don’t get a hello?”
18. “Hey, watch where you’re going!”

Dialogue that’s not face-to-face

Not all dialogue happens face to face. There are different ways your characters might communicate, and adding various forms of communication even helps establish a more complex narrative or a deeper story. Here are some prompts to help you add scenes of dialogue that are not face-to-face.

1. Write about a phone conversation that gets abruptly cut off at the worst possible moment.
2. Two characters are texting, but one keeps deleting what they really want to say before sending it.
3. Someone leaves a life-changing voicemail that the intended recipient never actually listens to.
4. Write about two best friends giving life updates through voice memos.
5. Two long-distance best friends or sisters send each other letters.
6. A character opens their front door to find an anonymous note.
7. Write about communication that happens through someone giving instructions to another person.
8. A character receives a message from an unknown number that claims to know them and is blackmailing them.
9. Someone accidentally reads a letter that was never meant for them.
10. The protagonist misses a very important call they’ve been waiting for and starts panicking.
11. A character sends an incriminating message to the wrong number.
12. Write about a phone conversation that grows heated.
13. Two characters are having a casual conversation over the phone when something suddenly happens to one character, leaving the other in a panic and unsure what is going on.
14. A character writes an emotionally loaded letter to someone they haven’t talked to in a long time.
15. Write a cryptic text that a character receives, followed by their reaction to it.
16. Write about a professional call that turns sour.
17. One character calls another to tell them something serious or confess, but can’t bring themself to actually say it.
18. Two characters are yelling at each other through a wall or across the house.

Prompts to build tension through dialogue

Building tension is one of the most important parts of writing any story. Tension helps the reader understand character development and keeps them hooked on the story as they get to know different characters.

The following dialogue prompts creative writing ideas will help you build tension in your story to encourage your reader to feel the full spectrum of human emotion along with your characters. Write:

1. about a moment a character accidentally reveals something they shouldn’t have.
2. a conversation where one character realizes the other knows more than they should.
3. a scene of dialogue that starts off civil but slowly becomes tense.
4. about two characters who are stubborn and can’t agree on something
5. about two characters negotiating something high-stakes
6. a tense conversation in public where one character causes a scene
7. a tense conversation in public where the characters are doing their best to keep their voices low
8. about a character confronting someone for lying to them
9. a conversation where one character falsely accuses another
10. a scene where one character inadvertently says something that offends or scares the other
11. an argument that escalates because the characters refuse to say what they really mean and grow increasingly frustrated with each other
12. a conversation where past tension or history surfaces
13. about a character who finally confesses something to another that they’ve never admitted before
14. dialogue where a character realizes midway through the conversation that they’re in danger
15. a tense interrogation where the power keeps shifting
16. a conversation interrupted by a sudden and mysterious noise
17. about two characters having a conversation in an uncomfortable environment (either physically uncomfortable because of the weather, or emotionally uncomfortable because they know they’re not safe)
18. about two characters making small talk despite having major unspoken issues with each other

Dialogue prompts that build intrigue

There are several ways to build intrigue into your writing project, and dialogue is just one of them. Dialogue helps your reader understand the characters’ personalities, and reading different characters’ conversations also helps your reader better understand the world of your story and why they should care. 

The following collection of dialogue prompts will give you ideas of ways to build intrigue into your story through dialogue.

Write:

1. about a character who asks questions nobody else would dare to ask
2. dialogue where one character alludes to a secret but won’t say more
3. about a conversation the protagonist overhears
4. a conversation where one character insists something is wrong, but the other doesn’t believe them
5. about two characters meeting, but one character is being secretive about who they are
6. dialogue where a character hints they’ve been watching someone closely
7. about two character discussing a strange coincidence that doesn’t feel like a coincidence
8. about a character explaining a clue they found while leaving out some crucial information
9. a conversation where a character reveals something sinister or suspicious about their past without going into all the details
10. a conversation that a character keeps trying to interrupt because they’re scared of what might be revealed.
11. dialogue where someone is warning another person to be careful around a certain character
12. dialogue that feels like an everyday conversation, but there’s lots of emotion and subtext under the surface shown through the characters’ body language
13. about a character that asks an innocent question, not realizing it would hit a soft spot for the other character.
14. about a character who is desperately trying to end a conversation, but the other character is not getting the message.
15. dialogue where two characters meet each other for the first time and each get a bad impression of the other.
16. a reflective conversation where two characters reflect on their days in middle school, high school, or college.
17. a conversation where two characters are trying to piece clues together but can’t seem to figure it out.
18. about an exchange of dialogue where one characters’ words end up getting them in trouble.

Lines of dialogue to jumpstart your writing

If you’re really stuck and need some dialogue examples to help jumpstart your writing process, this list is for you! Each of these lines of dialogue would be a great way to start a story OR you can simply find a creative way to insert it into a scene of a short story or a scene in an existing novel you’re writing.

Having a starting point can be so helpful to get past writer’s block or get over the hump of being stuck on a particular scene.

1. “What are you wearing?”
2. “You look tired.”
3. “He started it!”
4. “What is wrong with you?”
5. “I’m not sure how to tell you this, but…”
6. “Okay, I’m not defending her… I’m just saying she might have a point.”
7. “Can I have everyone’s attention?”
8. “Where did all the money go?”
9. “I have a funny feeling we’re not alone.”
10. “Sometimes it feels like she never left.”
11. “Where were you last night?”
12. “How could you say that to me?”
13. “That’s not what he told me.”
14. “Where are the kids?”
15. “Please just leave me alone.”
16. “It wasn’t that big a deal.”
17. “Put it back before anyone sees!”
18. “How did you know where I live?”

This post was all about dialogue prompts creative writing.