xucroyuri Dialogue Subtext
Use this skill to improve what characters mean, hide, and try to get from each other.
Workflow
- Identify surface speech versus real objective.
- Cut explanation and restore strategy.
- Rewrite with voice separation and subtext.
- If the draft still feels samey or writerly, derive a compact expression guide before line editing.
Output Contract
- Dialogue should reveal intent indirectly when possible.
- Each speaker should sound distinct enough to identify without attribution.
- If the line only repeats information, it is probably not earning its place.
- If IP continuity or register control matters, voice anchors outrank generic polish.
Posture-Adaptive Guidance
When certainty = lost:
Ask: "What does this character want from the other person in this scene — what are they actually trying to get?" One clear objective unlocks every line. Do not start with subtext theory.
When source = discover:
Start from the character's hidden objective and let the surface language follow. Ask: "If this character could never say what they really mean, what would they say instead?"
When source = generate:
Primary activation context for generate mode. Ask the character to respond without any planning: write the line they would say if caught off-guard, then work backwards to the version they would actually say.
When focus = language:
Primary activation context. Load ka.dialogue-subtext, ka.verbal-rhythm, and ka.exposition-control first. Voice separation and register control belong in the mandatory bundle.
When focus = character:
Subtext is character psychology made audible. Rewrite from the character's wound and lie: what can they not afford to say directly, and why?
References
wp.dialogue-polishrb.dialogueka.conflict-pressureka.cross-protocol-referral-edgeska.dialogue-subtextka.exposition-control