SAY WHAT-WHEN? INTO DIALOGUE

Teaching, discussion and writing prompts for Pens of Praise Christian Writers Group
By Susan Marlene

Why is dialogue important? Some editors will skip to your dialogue before they consider what else is in your proposal. You don’t want your readers to put your book down because of stilted conversations and dialogue.

Subtext – Important to use. We all experience someone talking to us like this. Example saying “I love you!” but it is meant to covey the meaning of “I hate you!” (sarcasm.) Character’s response is to what the speaking character means and not to the actual words spoken. (Actors have to show the intention behind the lines to preform well.)
Books The First 50 Pages by Jeff Gerke, The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman, and How to WRITE Dazzling DIALOGUE BY James Scott Bell

Work this out:
Write several lines of dialogue without action or scenery or description.

Parts of a beat and how to use them effectively:

• Nondialogue reactions and description between dialogue shows what is happening. Paces the scene and brings your reader into the setting at large. Ex. First 50 Pages-- page 25

GUESS THE MISSING PIECES

1. Movement that reveals attitude and scene. What the character is observing, their judgments, and what the experience is.
2. What the characters wonder about
3. Characters offering challenges.
4. Reactions to what was spoken.
5. The beat helps clarify the scene and bring you deeper. Dialogue can be lies, wrong information, misconceptions or truth.
6. The Rhythm of the scene is paced by the beats with the dialogue.
7. Added beats – look at page 28

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT THIS PAGE?
Beat it! Rewrite the dialogue with beats.
 
To Include in dialogue:
Character:

Because of each character’s motivation:
Feelings, Situation & Setting

• Deliberate & Direct
• Manipulation
• Submission
• Humble
• Victorious
• Revenge
• Seeking
• Silence
• Hiding
• Redirecting
• Influential
• Judgments and Opinions
• Moral or not (truth or lie)
• Desire to prove oneself
• Desire to humiliate another
• Defending yourself or another
• Beating around the bush

 

• Courage or lack of courage
• Fear
• Anger
• Joy
• Jealous
• Revengeful
• Victory
• Indifferent
• Brave
• Conflict
• Disappointed hopes
• Health or lack of health
• Most treasured person, object or goal
• Most detestable person, object or goal
• New experience or familiar
• Loved experience or dreaded?
• Comfortable with the person they are speaking with or uncomfortable.

Education & or Intelligence
Personality

• Grade school – university?
• Self-taught
• Family expectations
• Goal to acquire more education
• Putting on airs- acting like you know more than you do.
• Proud
• Embarrassed
• No education

• Shy
• Outgoing
• Meyers & Brigs Personality (16)
• (Muted by abuse?)
• (Muted by poverty?)
• (Muted by tragedy.)
• (Exaggerated by spoiling)
• (Exaggerated by defensiveness.)
• Bold & Brassy
• Flirtatious
• Comfortable in their skin or uncomfortable

 
Think about-- if you want the character’s dialogue to be subtly or obviously spoken.
EXAMPLES:
Anne of Green Gables – Matthew’s silence, Mrs. Cuthbert trying to make sense of keeping Anne instead of a little boy to help Matthew., Mrs. Lynn the controlling neighbor & famous busy body.
 
 
Write an INFORMATION DUMP. Example:
While speaking to their aunt.
My brother, John Gibbon Jr., who graduated in 1990 and attended Harvard for a couple of years just moved to town in Mildred Green’s house on 10th and Elm, is a man to be admired.  
 
Your turn—write your information dump.
 
Now write dialogue that would give or imply most of the information from your information dump in a more excellent and acceptable way.
 
Punctuation with dialogue from How to WRITE Dazzling Dialogue THE FASTEST WAY TO IMPROVE ANY MANUSCRIPT by James Scott Bell  Look at pages  94--104

Here are my notes shared for those who couldn't attend the meeting or for those who desire to learn about writing. I wish you the best. Dialogue either makes or breaks a novel for me. Happy writing to you!

P.S. Pens writing prompt for October was: "If only I had said...." You may write it in any genre you wish.