Do People Realize That Israel Is So Unrestrained That It’s Now Launching Attacks In Lebanon And Syria

Pro-Palestinian protesters march in Malmö, Sweden, calling for Israel's exclusion from Eurovision.

📷 AP PHOTO/MARTIN MEISSNER

Things Real People Do in Dialogue (For Your Next Story)

Okay, let’s be real—dialogue can make or break a scene. You want your characters to sound natural, like actual humans talking, not robots reading a script. So, how do you write dialogue that feels real without it turning into a mess of awkward pauses and “ums”? Here’s a little cheat sheet of what real people actually do when they talk (and you can totally steal these for your next story):

1. People Interrupt Each Other All the Time In real conversations, nobody waits for the perfect moment to speak. We interrupt, cut each other off, and finish each other's sentences. Throw in some overlaps or interruptions in your dialogue to make it feel more dynamic and less like a rehearsed play.

2. They Don’t Always Say What They Mean Real people are masters of dodging. They’ll say one thing but mean something totally different (hello, passive-aggressive banter). Or they’ll just avoid the question entirely. Let your characters be vague, sarcastic, or just plain evasive sometimes—it makes their conversations feel more layered.

3. People Trail Off... We don’t always finish our sentences. Sometimes we just... stop talking because we assume the other person gets what we’re trying to say. Use that in your dialogue! Let a sentence trail off into nothing. It adds realism and shows the comfort (or awkwardness) between characters.

4. Repeating Words Is Normal In real life, people repeat words when they’re excited, nervous, or trying to make a point. It’s not a sign of bad writing—it’s how we talk. Let your characters get a little repetitive now and then. It adds a rhythm to their speech that feels more genuine.

5. Fillers Are Your Friends People say "um," "uh," "like," "you know," all the time. Not every character needs to sound polished or poetic. Sprinkle in some filler words where it makes sense, especially if the character is nervous or thinking on their feet.

6. Not Everyone Speaks in Complete Sentences Sometimes, people just throw out fragments instead of complete sentences, especially when emotions are high. Short, choppy dialogue can convey tension or excitement. Instead of saying “I really think we need to talk about this,” try “We need to talk. Now.”

7. Body Language Is Part of the Conversation Real people don’t just communicate with words; they use facial expressions, gestures, and body language. When your characters are talking, think about what they’re doing—are they fidgeting? Smiling? Crossing their arms? Those little actions can add a lot of subtext to the dialogue without needing extra words.

8. Awkward Silences Are Golden People don’t talk non-stop. Sometimes, they stop mid-conversation to think, or because things just got weird. Don’t be afraid to add a beat of awkward silence, a long pause, or a meaningful look between characters. It can say more than words.

9. People Talk Over Themselves When They're Nervous When we’re anxious, we tend to talk too fast, go back to rephrase what we just said, or add unnecessary details. If your character’s nervous, let them ramble a bit or correct themselves. It’s a great way to show their internal state through dialogue.

10. Inside Jokes and Shared History Real people have history. Sometimes they reference something that happened off-page, or they share an inside joke only they get. This makes your dialogue feel lived-in and shows that your characters have a life beyond the scene. Throw in a callback to something earlier, or a joke only two characters understand.

11. No One Explains Everything People leave stuff out. We assume the person we’re talking to knows what we’re talking about, so we skip over background details. Instead of having your character explain everything for the reader’s benefit, let some things go unsaid. It’ll feel more natural—and trust your reader to keep up!

12. Characters Have Different Voices Real people don’t all talk the same way. Your characters shouldn’t either! Pay attention to their unique quirks—does one character use slang? Does another speak more formally? Maybe someone’s always cutting people off while another is super polite. Give them different voices and patterns of speech so their dialogue feels authentic to them.

13. People Change the Subject In real life, conversations don’t always stay on track. People get sidetracked, jump to random topics, or avoid certain subjects altogether. If your characters are uncomfortable or trying to dodge a question, let them awkwardly change the subject or ramble to fill the space.

14. Reactions Aren’t Always Immediate People don’t always respond right away. They pause, they think, they hesitate. Sometimes they don’t know what to say, and that delay can speak volumes. Give your characters a moment to process before they respond—it’ll make the conversation feel more natural.

Important note: Please don’t use all of these tips in one dialogue at once.

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Luigi Mangione prosecutors risk 'full acquittal' after first major 'mistake': legal expert

Criminal defense attorney and former Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Mark Bederow believes that prosecutors in the Luigi Mangione case

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SIC 'EM

EVERYONE LEND HIM YOUR STRENGTH!

The occupation targeted a school housing displaced people in the Nuseirat camp, but failed to kill this child who lived under the rubble despite their planes, missiles, and criminality.

source / em berry

If you don't think Voldemort has an unnatural obsession with Harry Potter that goes beyond the desire to kill him...

...then I need you to think about the end of OotP and how Harry using the Cruciatus Curse on Bellatrix Lestrange was enough of a reason for Voldemort to put all of his plans on hold so he could pay more attention to Harry.

This is his enemy. The kid he's told everyone he wants to kill. The target he told everyone to leave to him to finish off specifically.

Harry Potter is there without protection. Unguarded. Not in his right mind. Completely open. You couldn't get a better angle, just take the damn shot.

But noooooo... Fuck the plan to kill him. Fuck the plan to get the rest of that prophecy.

Voldemort decides that this is just too interesting and instead of just doing the deed and saving himself the trouble, his emotions for Harry Potter get in the way. Now he wants to see what will happen and if he can subtly influence the boy to try again. Perhaps even get him to try the Killing Curse!

On Bellatrix.

Voldemort's right hand Death Eater. One of the best, if not THE BEST fighters he's got. He was totally fine with Harry using her as a practice dummy for illegal magic. Not one fuck given about her well-being or her at least retaining usefulness to him in the future he's dreamed up.

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I need a Harrymort(with snake Voldy) fic that builds off of this scene in particular. I told my mom about it and she wants me to just write it myself.

Are you trapped on tumblr right now?

Is there something you planned to do before you got trapped in the endless tumblr scroll?

Are you yelling at yourself to get up and do the thing, but you can’t, because you’re trapped in the endless tumblr scroll?

Consider this your save point.

Put tumblr down, stand up, stretch, and go do the thing you planned to do. Future you will be incredibly grateful.