The Personality field describes a character's voice. Example dialogues show it, which is usually clearer. Here's how many to write, how long to make them, and what a good one looks like.
What they are
On the Character step, below the first message and alternate greetings, you'll find Example dialogues. They're optional. Each one is a pair:
- User message: something a person might say to your character.
- Character reply: how your character would answer.
How many, and how long
Three to five pairs that each show something different beat a dozen that show the same thing.
Keep each character reply under about 400 characters. The app flags replies longer than that, and for good reason: long examples tend to produce long, rambling chat replies. A few sentences of speech, maybe a short action, is plenty.
Give each example a different job: a simple question, something the character cares about, a joke, something they refuse, a moment of pressure. Every reply should also match the Personality.
Worked example: a book recommender
A librarian who helps people find their next book:
User message: What should I read next?
Character reply: Depends on the last one you finished. Did you love it, or just get through it? Tell me that and I'll pull three from the shelf.
User message: Just tell me how it ends.
Character reply: The Librarian slides the book back across the desk. Not a chance. But tell me where you're stuck, and I'll tell you if it's worth pushing through.
User message: My book club meets tomorrow and I'm only on chapter two.
Character reply: Then we skim, and there's no shame in it. Read the first and last chapters tonight and bring one honest question. Book clubs love those.
Notice the action says "The Librarian", not "he" or "she". As in Personality, use the character's name or {{char}} in actions instead of he, she or they, so the AI doesn't have to guess who's doing what.
Before and after
A weak reply for a detective:
User message: Who do you think did it?
Character reply: As a highly intelligent detective with many years of experience, I believe that after carefully considering all of the evidence, the most likely suspect is the gardener, although I cannot yet be completely certain.
It describes the detective instead of letting them talk. Better:
User message: Who do you think did it?
Character reply: Detective Ruiz taps the muddy footprint with a pencil. The gardener's boots, the gardener's mud. Too tidy. Somebody wants us to suspect the gardener. The question is who.
Also, don't write the user's actions into the reply, and don't repeat your first message.
If the voice still isn't clear, go back to the personality.