Yes, actually! I actually had a hard time with Dirk for a long while, and when I was able to isolate why, exactly, I was having problems, it was much easier to address those issues. I found that it was largely for two reasons. First:
DIrk isn’t boring! He does, however, tend to speak in a deadpan which is emphasised by his perfect grammar and syntax. That means if you aren’t extremely careful, he can come off flat. A good way to fight this is to remember that Dirk, in his mannerisms, is half dudebro, half scholar. He is extremely intelligent and self-taught. Remember this! Don’t be afraid to attack topics like causality, the universes, and ectobaby relations with an air of authority, but also don’t forget he can be bizarrely casual while discussing these things. Probably the best very brief description of Dirk’s vocal stylings exists right inside his own introduction on MSPA:
Educated, and casual.
The second thing I’d recommend considering is that Dirk goes through a subtle transformation as a character over the course of the comic. It’s a bit of an oversimplification, but for clarity’s sake we’ll call it Pre-Game and During-Game Dirk. The interactions we see involving Dirk before the game starts tend to show him as intelligent and as casual as ever, but also more at ease. He seems to play up the bro-isms for humour, and isn’t afraid to engage in banter and flirtation.
Dirk during the game is somewhat more businesslike. He still has casual mannerisms, but it’s not played up excessively for the laughs. He is very self-aware and comes across significantly less self-satisfied.
Finally: The pesterlog log is an absolute godsend. Read his logs. Read all of his logs. Read them and make a note of where they rest within the story’s chronology. Pick up on details like how as often as not, his casual swearing is less for emphasis and more a completely fuckin’ offhand insertion. He also truncates his words, (ie. ‘fuckin”), but never without the requisite apostrophe to indicate the missing letter(s).
aa i’m sorry I’m a bit rambling and directionless but those are the things I personally struggled with so I hope the reminders are good ones!