weak dialogue
Flat character speech
Weak dialogue is speech in fiction or drama that fails to sound natural, reveal character, or advance the story.
The term appears in writing criticism and editorial feedback: The plot works, but the weak dialogue undermines the characters.
Common symptoms include characters explaining things they already know, speeches that all sound alike, or exchanges that exist only to dump information on the reader.
- stiltedUnnaturally formal in expression
- woodenMade from timber
- clunkyAwkward and cumbersome
- awkwardLacking grace or ease
- flatLacking vertical variation
exposition · as you know · info dump · unnatural · forced · on the nose · cringeworthy · stiff · melodramatic · cheesy · corny · hammy · overwrought · screenplay · draft · rewrite · script doctor · punch up
weak, weakly, weaken, weakened, weakening, weakness, weaknesses, weaker, weakest