Sometimes writers get into the habits of making their characters sound a bit too cheesy when writing romantic love interests in books, plays, films, etc. Now, I’m not saying this amazing line is cheesy because it’s not, but if you met a man/woman/guy/girl on the street had some coffee with them and then they said this to you, you’d be running for the hills, right? Er…I hope you would be.
Make your dialogue real.
Look I love Hallmark movies. I do, I love them. Especially at Christmas time. I can’t wait to watch them because they make me happy. They don’t even have the cheesy dialogue I am talking about. If they can do it, you can too.
My best advice is think about your own life. What did someone say to you that swept you off your feet? What is a cheesy line or was it sincere?
I find that the best way to be sincere in dialogue is to continue to always be thinking about what the character wants in every scene. Everything comes back to character–notice this theme. It’s important.
You can also read books that you love and look for the dialogue.
One love story that I read every year is the YA The Fault in Our Stars—Gus never drops a line on Hazel Grace–he is a real person. He isn’t cheesy in the least. Sure John Green could have loaded up the cheese factor but he kept it real and that’s why teens (and adults) all over the world fell in love with their story.
*Speaking of Gus—he has a very unique way of speaking (back to an earlier post)
In films.. Star Wars…
“I love you.”
“I know.”
No magical line was needed.
It is all real and the love story works.
This is important and I read work all the time from writers who make the mistake of trying too hard to be clever and it just comes off cheesy.
If you haven’t been in love like this yet or can’t honestly remember the dialogue you and yours exchanged read, read tons and watch films and TV.
You can do it. I know it!
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Steph Olivieri Bourbon ~ Writing Coach 