  Drama
This week: Edited by: Elisa: Snowman Stik  
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| Talk is cheap, or at least that's how the saying goes. In truth, talk can be valuable in a writing when it is in the form of dialogue. Dialogue shows readers a cornucopia of facets to a story, from plots to characters' traits. Some people may find dialogue to be a challenge to write, but dialogue is a wonderful method for heightening drama if you have the tools to make the lines speak volumes. |
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Continuing with Nikola~Asked Santa for a Pony!  's dialogue tangent, I'd like to start off with a note I received from ftrinta:
Hi Elisa
I also like to write dialogues but sometimes I get lost in the explanations, like "he said", "she said" and so on... Can you talk about this in your next newsletter?
Well, Nanda, I'm going to devote this newsletter to the particulars of writing dialogue, something that intrigues and confounds many authors. Though there are more particulars for dialogue than I care to count, I'm going to focus on two major forces in dialogue: structure and diction.
Structuring dialogue intimidates some authors, especially if the author plans to have the dialogue extend for many lines. In truth, setting up dialogue is simple on a structural level, particularly if you're limiting the speaking between two characters. Since each line of dialogue is treated like a paragraph, the lines are indented when alternating speakers. The first two lines should include clauses such as "so-and-so asked" and "Mr. Schmo replied" to indicate who the speakers are. These clauses can also establish the tone for the dialogue when specific verbs are used. These verbs include 'shriek', 'whine', 'bellowed', 'sob', 'squeal' and 'grumble' (among others). After those first two lines, those clauses are no longer necessary, as the indentation of each line indicates a change in the speaker. Example:
"Look, Jake," Alicia growled. "I don't know what you did to reduce him to tears, but you will apologize to him for it."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Jake replied. "That little baby started crying on his own. You know it doesn't take much to provoke that little whiner."
"Don't you dare call Ian a whiner, and wipe that look off your face."
"What look?"
"Do you really think I see that as a look of bliss? You're pressing your lips as you smile at me."
"And how does that make me the bad guy?"
"All I know is you're malicious and a horrible liar, and knowing that is enough.
When constructing dialogue, consider adding an occassional physical action amidst the characters' lines. You can add these actions in the middle of the exchange and/or at the end to conclude the characters' conversation. Such physical actions can also be used to introduce more characters into the conversation, although if you find yourself trying to juggle seven different characters in an exchange, you should slam on the breaks and cut three or four characters from the conversation. Though the prefix "di-" in dialogue means two parties, having three or even four characters engaged in conversation is feasible.
Another crucial element of dialogue is diction. Diction helps us construct imagery in narration. In dialogue, it helps us construct characters. That said, before you sit down to put the words into a character's mouth, you should ask yourself a few questions about the character:
 How old is the character?
Where was the character born and/or raised?
What physical traits may affect the character's speech (i.e. deafness, lisp)?
How much education has the character received?
In what kind of environment is the character speaking? What kind of audience will the character have?
Is the character male or female?
By answering these questions, you have a starting point for developing your character's voice and what types of words he or she may use. A 56 year old male dishwasher who dropped out of high school will have a different vocabulary and voice from a partially deaf twentysomething working to earn her Master of Arts in history. As you find your character's voice, you can add some elements to shape the voice in the dialogue. Some possible elements:
 local color (regionalisms)
figures of speech (hyperbole, understatement, etc.)
sarcasm
incorrect grammar usage
malapropisms (mixed up words; this device was actually first used in a play, which is constructed on dialogue)
use of punctuation to illustrate stuttering or loss of concentration
While dialogue itself is an art form, it is a great way to explore your characters and boost the tension in your drama writings. So,have fun with it, and don't be afraid to revisit the lines you have written to tweak them. Dialogue is developed in a different manner fom narration, so it takes practice to make it work. Still, in spite of the technique and work involved, it can be...fun! So go out and write some dialogue today. 
Until next time,
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(sig by Jax: Not here.  ) |
This week, I mixed it up a little by mixing writings containing substantial dialogue with activities involving dialogue. I imagine there will be something for everyone this week!
ACTIVITIES
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(the quintessential interactive dialogue around )
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WRITINGS
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This time I got a wonderful variety of feedback from you. Hooray! Dialogue is pretty popular with site members, and many of you enjoy it.
From concrete_angel: Excellent newsletter! You aren't in a minority about writing dialogue, though. Or...if you are, I'm right there with you! I really enjoy it. I think that dialogue is a great way to let readers in on who your characters are, how they talk, and a lot of other stuff.
I guess that one of my biggest challenges when writing dialogue is making each different character's dialogue have a certain tone and mood that is unique to the character.
Dialogue is so cool, though! You can show mood and character, and further the plot as well. It's hard, but maybe that's why it's so fun.
I think the chance to flesh out our characters and get to know them in a more intimate matter draws some of us to writing dialogue. True, bringing out different moods in each character can be tricky, but between describing body language and apt diction, you can create distinguishing moods for your characters at any given point in the story.
From Vivian  : Dialogue is the component of any story that moves the reader through the plot. It gives interest and reveals information without the reader having to plow through "acres" of boring explanation. Dialogue helps the author "show" rather than "tell." ~~ Viv
Indeed it does, Viv, and in my learning of the "show don't tell" lesson I found dialogue to be a great step in fulfilling that aspect of a story.
From scribbler : I have never written a what if story, bgut I think I just might after that wonderful newsletter. And I'm really excited for the next issue. I think dialogue it so important to a story and personally I love writing it. And even though most writers don't think the reader can handle too much dialogue, many famous authors (like tolkien) could go on for a page with just dialogue and readers still loved it. Thanks again!
Well, scribbler, now that you mention the page full of dialogue, I recall an instance in which a reviewer enjoyed the dialogue in one of my stories, and I wrote a lot of dialogue in this particular work. I think well-constructed dialogue can hold readers for a page or two, but if you're afraid of rambling, feel free to restrain your wayward dialogue tendencies, as it's easy to get carried away when writing dialogue. And best of luck with your 'what-if' story!
From merlin  : Dear Elisa,
Dialogue makes or breaks drama ask Shakespeare.
Personally, I love accents in dialogue even if it does send the spell checker crazy. It is a huge fund for comedy, misunderstanding and hidden clues to plots. As well as making it seem more real of course. Look forward to the next newsletter. Best Wishes, Wyvernz
I agree, merlin. Accents, local color and other linguistic variations shape the dialogue in many wonderful ways, even if spellchecker disagrees. That's when you add it to the spellchecker's dictionary.  Still, I've read pieces where the author fleshes out Australian accents, and I couldn't stop reading the piece because I started hearing the exchange in my head. It was great fun, and when done right without resorting to stereotypes or cliches, linguistic variations give dialogue an extra punch.
From essence of thought : These 'what if' questions can open the way for many new thoughts and even new plots in writing. This is a very useful issue you brought up here.
As to dialogue, I think that what is most important and what is hard at the same time is to give a special voice to each character interfering in a certain dialogue.
Glad you liked the 'what-if' topic, essence! I may revisit it later on. And shaping the voice of a character can be tricky in the early drafts, as dialogue in early drafts serves as a way for authors to learn more about their characters. Finding the voice of your characters will take some edits to the lines of dialogue and even outside feedback to help you identify specific points in which a character's voice may change. In the end, though, it can be a rewarding experience.
From Thomas : Thank you so much for featuring my story, "Full Contact Government" . It was nice to see one of my older pieces get a bit of recognition.
You're welcome, and having close ties to people in Minnesota, the (former) Viking references cracked me up. It was also an inventive and freaky story that I couldn't help but jump into reading.
For the next couple newsletters, I'll be discussing drama as a form: scripts. The first newsletter will cover stage plays. What is your experience with stage plays? Have you ever wanted to write for the stage? I'd like to know.
And if you happen to miss or misplace a newsletter, feel free to stop by "The Drama Box" [13+]. |
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Drama: March 08, 2006 Issue [#916]
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