 Drama: October 11, 2006 Issue [#1312] |
  Drama
This week: Edited by: Turkey DrumStik  
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| No matter how far along you are in writing a piece, you should always keep D.A.D. in mind. No, I'm not talking about your father. I'm referring to the three most effective types of sentences in fiction writing: description, action and dialogue. These three types of sentences work so well because they can multitask, fleshing out two or more elements of a story at a time. Want to make them work for you and make your drama pop? This issue will show you how. |
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We hear the words in many creative writing discussions. A piece could use more description here. The action serves no purpose there. The dialogue wanders around in a circle, confusing the characters and readers alike. So what do they mean? Well, we can consult the dictionary for definitions of each word. In the context of being types of sentences in fiction, though, consulting the dictionary won't get you far. When looking at these words in a fiction writing context, you have to define them by structure and purposes. Yes, I said purposes. The lines of your story can say so many things in a compact space. Compact, rather like my acronym for description, action and dialogue. D.A.D.
I'll start off with the first D in D.A.D., and that is description. When I say description, I'm talking about how you write descriptions of people and setting. Besides serving the main function of characterization and setting, description helps to develop tone, mood and point of view. Here's an example of eye-catching, multipurpose description.
With a permanent grimace, each held a hand of five cards as if what they held were a source of great pain. Their white nurse’s uniforms were splattered with vomit and blood, but what drew my attention was how taut they were. The buttons were nearly popping from bloated bellies, bloated from the gas of bacteria feasting on rotting internal organs.
-from "Invalid Item" [] by A Guest Visitor
Here, the narrator describes a setting, using words such as "rotting" and "splattered" to establish a disgusted yet fascinated tone. Description of a non-action scene requires some care to not drag on for an extended period of time. In The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco, four solid pages are devoted to describing a door in the monastary. Eco desgined that section as a test of reader patience. Realistically, most readers are not going to have the kind of patience required for concentrating on one object or person. If you are going to describe multiple aspects of a scene, four pages could work, since you won't be pounding one specific concept into a reader's head, making him or her reach for an ice pack to quell the headache.
The A in D.A.D. is action. Action is a more specific form of description. Though it serves the main functions of developing the plot and showing a character (or characters) in action, it's the most versatile device in D.A.D. Why? As the old saying goes, actions speak louder than words. Take this excerpt, for example.
As the shadows danced in the light from the chandelier, I again focused on the music, allowing the outside world drift away outside my consciousness. I felt as though I, too, danced; yet, it was my spirit not my feet that made movement.
We finished, the melody slowly fading and the dancers perforce ceased their revolutions. Then, something quite unexpected occurred.
They asked for more.
-from "Invalid Item" [] by A Guest Visitor
In this case, they can help to develop tone, mood, characterization and point of view. Action can also be used to hint at the piece's theme. I once saw a church sign which read "How you behave reflects what you believe." This applies to writing as well. Your characters' actions serve as a vehicle to their beliefs and perhaps the beliefs you'd like to present in your story. Keep in mind that when you use action to develop theme, you have to have the action carried out by a character who genuinely has that belief. Otherwise, the piece could turn preachy and didactic. Such a turn is not appropriate for all audiences.
Finally, there is dialogue. Of the three components of D.A.D., dialogue is the most discussed. Writers also tend to react strongest when it comes to dialogue. I have met an equal number of budding writers who loved dialogue and those who loathed it. Dialogue is great for establishing tone, point of view, characterization and irony. Let's take a look at one example.
Far away, a ringing echoed. She tried to ignore the sound but the more she tried the louder it became. She turned her head; a yellow origami wasp appeared and dipped its stinger into a cup of tea. “She must be a paper wasp.”
“Martha get up. We have shopping to do.”
“I want some tea too.” She said with her mouth and throat dry as hot sand.
The wasp paid no attention, but put three more sugar cubes into its tea. Like most insects, it was partial to sweet things.
“Mar come on.” The words floated in the air like purple smoke. She reached up with one hand and touched the “n” making it dissipate into butterflies. She laughed out. “Re…dick…u…lesssss.”
“What’s ridiculous is laying there like road kill.” Now the words altered in colour and vibrancy. She followed the trail of cotton candy words out of the shower and into the kitchen.
“Elsa, I don’t feel … right.”
“That’s because you're leftovers.” A huge brush cottontail stood holding a spray bottle in its paws.
-from "*Dead Rabbit" [18+] by AliceNgoreland 
However, dialogue can be constricting, especially if you are writing scripts. Unless you are writing a speech, writing a paragraph of one character's turn in a conversation can alienate readers. Focusing on that character's speech for more than four lines can be tiring on the eyes, and some readers will reject it as not following normal speech. Of course, readers will usually describe it as the characters being overly talkative or just not normal. In a sense, those readers are right. Even if someone starts to ramble, the person has to quit talking long enough to breathe. Speaking of breathing, writing the dialogue of a character in the midst of hyperventilating is one case of using dialogue for multiple functions, and all you need is one line.  The other tricky thing with dialogue is discussions involving more than two people. While it can be written, the author has to be careful. More dialogue tags will be needed to clarify who is speaking when. In this case, adding action sentences does wonders for this type of clarification.
D.A.D. might be a compact description, but the concept is anything but minimal. Whether you sit down to read or write drama, consider the description, action and dialogue of the piece. These three types of sentences do most of the work in keeping readers interested in the story. If your mind starts wandering, D.A.D. is one crucial factor to consider, whether in draft, revision or simply browsing a written work.
Until next time,
(sig courtesy of Cat-Claws is 23 WDC Years Old! |
A few slices of description...
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| |  | Limelight (18+)
This is a sadly realistic story about friends, and about tolerance. Enjoy.
#1150611 by Rniss |
action...
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and dialogue.
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I also found a few drama items worth mentioning just because. 
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#1161788 by Not Available. |
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#974537 by Not Available. |
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#1153743 by Not Available. |
| | | Invalid Item
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#928655 by Not Available. |
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It's been quiet in the comment box as of late, but I've still heard from some people on D.A.D. and the newsletter in general. Let's see what people have had to say.
From salliemoffitt: Great newsletter, Elisa.  I like the idea of using a logline to keep the plot focused. This allows the writer to be more creative with the other story elements.
Sallie
Hey, Garden! I'm glad you enjoyed the newsletter. I admit I'm not sure what creative writing classes have emphasized in the past. However, the reaction I have gotten to the use of loglines suggests there's been a shift in teaching methods. The shift seems to be on the plot's priority. From my experiences in creative writing classes, instructors favor teaching character development. So, somewhere along the line you have to find ways to save time and space when it comes to organizing prewriting. The logline happens to be an economical strategy in this field, and I'm glad it's helping people.
By the way, if anyone has different experiences with creative writing classes (either as a student or teacher), feel free to share your stories. I'd like to read some other thoughts on the subject.
From E E Coder  : Thank you so much for listing my story in your newsletter, it was both a surprise and an honor.
E.E. Coder
You're very welcome! Finding good pieces like yours is one of my favorite aspects of hosting a contest. I also feel your piece was (and still is) a piece that deserves to be read by all members, both for observing a particular writing style and the exploration of universal principles regardless of race and culture.
From Ronis brain tumor is gone! : Well to answer your question...
You have to have the description of the scene and setting you are in to set up the action that will go along with the characters that described and participating in the action along with the setting.
Hey there, CW! Your comment reflects where a lot of people love to go when planning their stories: setting. Some teachers shuffle setting in the back end of their classes because it's one of the easier components of a story to develop and plan. Still, you do raise an important point. Setting and character are connected. The setting can either show how the character came to be or cause great conflict for the character. Thanks for your contribution!
From bobneH .. aka.. just bob : DESCRIPTION: Keep it to a minimum...only what the reader 'needs' to know. Endless description is booring and distracts the reader.....
DIALOGUE: Keep it 'real'. Ask yourself.."Would he/she say that?"
Avoid tag-lines...he 'said/she said'. Let the reader know who, and how,
'before' they read the line.
(Ken looked at the two as they argued, then shouted, "Enough... Stick to the
problem and quit bickering.")
See? You can almoast 'see' his rage...and you 'heard' the shout 'as' you read
the line...You didn't find out later... (, he shouted angrily...also we know
'who' is shouting. Only necessary if there is more than two in the
conversation. With two, the reader already knows who they are; and after the
opening line... (Lisa looked shocked. She'd never seen Ken this mad.
Whispering to calm him, she asked,
"Did you really hear him say that?"
When he answers, the reader 'knows' who. no need to say Ken... just 'he'.
ACTION: Have them doing something...avoid 'talking heads'.
( Ken paced the room as he considered an answer, then turned to her and
admitted, "No... but I was told all about it." )
Without being told, the reader knows he's calmed doun a bit and is no longer
shouting.
Well said, DuraH. Your description comment is one reason I brought up Eco's book. I read it in high school, and if I had a fireplace, it would make great kindling. If I had to guess, more half of the description is mind-numbing description. Wish I had been mindless in high school so I could have spared myself a headache.  As for the comments about using action to describe the character's tone of voice, I feel that device is sometimes ignored. Glad someone besides me likes to see such actions.
For the next few newsletters, I'm going to be discussing characterization. Characterization can be exciting and frustrating since there are infinite possibilities for characters. Some writers may also be alienated by the existing archetypes found in many dramatic works. I'll be looking at ways to develop characters that, whether archetypical or not, will make readers care about your work. So tell me about characters you love, loathe or perhaps felt were poorly developed. The sky's the limit!
And if you happen to miss or misplace a newsletter, feel free to stop by "The Drama Box" [13+]. |
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