Character Voice 101: Writing Dialogue That Pops

In picture books, dialogue is often sparse—but every word counts. The way your characters speak should reflect their personality, age, and emotions. And each character’s voice should be distinct. If we’ve done our job right, a reader should be able to tell who’s talking without needing dialogue tags. (To be clear, I’m not suggesting eliminating all attributions – unless you are writing a script-style/dialogue only picture book – just that the voicing shouldn’t be dependent on them. But more on dialogue tags next week!)

So how do you make your characters’ dialogue reflect their unique voice and pop off the page?

Voice is influenced by a variety of elements: age, education, experience, influences. A five-year old child’s limited vocabulary and world-view might make their description of a house very different than, say, an architect’s or a world traveler’s. Consider how each character’s unique background and experience might inform their vocabulary and syntax. Small details—word choice, sentence length, even repetition—can really bring a voice to life.

A great way to strengthen your dialogue chops is to eavesdrop. When you’re listening to a kid, notice the rhythms, the unexpected word choices, the way they mix logic with imagination. With adults, listen for clues to background, education, and subtext. Specificity is key. What are the specific word choices that reveal the most information about who they are?

Then, cut the fluff. Picture book dialogue should be sharp and essential—not totally realistic. Avoid unnecessary “ums”, “wells,” greetings, throat-clearing, explanations, or overlong exchanges. If it’s not moving the action of the story forward, it doesn’t belong.

Remember, dialogue isn’t just about what’s said—it’s about how it’s said. Make it vibrant, true to character, and fun to read aloud, and your readers will stay hooked.