Exercise:Dialogue

Dialogueisoneofthemostimmediateelementsinfiction.Whenwehearsomeones
voice,thatpersonispresentforushere,now.Wereinphysicalcontact,andrealtime
andnarrativetimefallintostepwitheachother.Nothingreadsasfastorasinterestingly
aswellwrittendialogue.Gooddialogueisdrivenbythepeculiaritiesofcharacterand
situationthewayacertaincharacterturnsaphrase,thepausethatfollowsashocking
statement,astutteringreply.
Developingagoodearfordialogueisimportant.Thisweek,startlisteningtohow
peoplesaythings.Developthehabitofeavesdroppingonconversationsatwork,in
restaurants,onbuses.Quietlywritethingsdownthatstrikeyouasstrangeorrevealing.

Herearesomecharacteristicsofeffectivedialogue:

Soundsnaturalsoundslikepeopletalking.Thisisanillusionachievedlargely
byrelaxingtheholdthatrulesofgrammarandsyntaxhaveonyourwriting,and
byavoidingcomplex,gracefullybalancedstructures.

Feelsmotivatedbycharacterandsituation,ratherthanseemingcontrivedto
deliverplotinformationtothereader.

Reflectssetting.Theparticularenvironmentintrudesinvariousways,
interrupting,distracting,encouragingordiscouragingbluntness,etc.(For
example:ifthesceneisbasedonamarriedcouplediscussingthewifesaffair
withtheneighbor,thehusbandisnotgoingtothrowhischairacrosstheroom,if
theyare,say,inacaf,orataparty.Theywillhavetoargueinwhispers.Setting
canaddasecondarylayeroftensiontoscenesofdialoguebysettinglimits).

Includesgestureandotherbodylanguage

Involvestensionofsomesort

Isparticularandsurprising

Option1:
Writeanoriginalsceneofdialoguebetweentwocharactersbasedonthecriteria
above.Thissceneshouldbebasedonsometension,togiveitshapeandpurpose.This
tensioncanbeanything.
Trynottogointodetailedcharacterdescription.Thissceneshouldbecomprised
ofdialogue,andbrief,conciselinesofphysicaldescription.Trynottoqualifyeveryline
ofdialoguewithanadverb.Forexample,noteverysentenceshouldbefollowedby:
shesaidhesitantly,or,hesaidaccusingly,orquietly,orangrily.Trytoinsinuate
theemotionsinthelinesofdialoguethemselves,orinthesubsequentreactions.
Option2:
Writeascenethatplaysonthefamiliartropeofthegirltellingtheboythatshes
pregnant,inwhichAisthegirlfriendandBisaboyfriend.ImplythatBishappily
expectingthenews,butthatA,unhappily,feelscompelledtoadmitthatchildmaynotbe
Bsafterall.Dontleteithercharactermentionpregnancy.Leteachcharacterguessatthe
nextstatementoftheotherandfinisheachotherssentences.
Thissameexercisecanalsoworkwithonecharactertryingtoconfesstohaving
anaffair.Inthisscene,theaffairitselfisneveractuallymentioned,butdancedaround,
implied,cruellysuggested.

Option3:
Writeadialogueaboutgiftgiving,inwhichAisaparentandBisachild.Onthe
tableisawrappedgift.Perhapsitisnotthegiftthatwasexpected.Perhapsitwas.

Option4:
Twofriends,AandB,arewalkingintothefarcountry.Theyareovertakenby
extremeweatherheavyrain,intenseheat,anicestorm,etc.ItwasAsideatotakethe
walkinthefirstplace.

Option5:
Writeasceneinwhichayoungsoldier,A,hasjustreturnedfromawar.Bisthe
soldiersloverandcanthelpbuturgeAtotalkaboutthewar.ArespondstoBs
questions,butindirectly,focusingonthingslikethemusicandlanguageandfoodinstead
ofthehorrorsofbattle.