|
|
IWW
Practice-W Exercise Archives
Exercise: Let's Talk!
These exercises were written
by IWW members
and administrators to provide structured practice opportunities for its
members.
You are welcome to use them for practice as well. Please mention that
you found
them at the Internet Writers Workshop
(http://www.internetwritingwor
kshop.org/).
Prepared by: Carter Jefferson
Posted on: January 14, 2007
-------------------------
Exercise: In 400 words or less, write a scene in which dialogue plays a
significant
part in showing the reader what kinds of persons the characters are.
-------------------------
One of the marks of top-flight writing is believable dialogue that
delineates
characters and moves the plot forward.
In casual conversation we 'uh' and 'oh' and toss out fragments of
sentences our
interlocutors understand easily--most of the time. When we're very
serious, or
speaking to a superior or someone we don't know well, we may be more
careful. If
we're under stress, some of us will snap while others become extremely
deliberate.
But a character's occupation and personality matter, too. Educated
people speak
differently from the untutored. The overbearing father will not sound
like his sullen
son. Cops talk "cop talk." The shy young introvert probably won't talk
like a
boisterous party girl. Teenagers often speak their own lingo.
Each of us has a distinct voice, so writers can show readers a great
deal about a
character by letting the person speak. Conversely, badly constructed
dialogue can
give the wrong idea.
Remember, written dialogue is quite unlike recorded conversation.
Making dialogue
sound real is an art. Some writers can "hear" dialogue as they write,
but others lack
that ability. They need to read their work aloud to see whether the
dialogue sounds
true to life. It pays to know which kind you are.
In this exercise, focus on using dialogue to give us insight into your
characters.
-------------------------
Exercise: In 400 words or less, write a scene in which dialogue plays a
significant
part in showing the reader what kinds of persons the characters are.
-------------------------
In your critiques, be as specific as you can in describing what you
have learned
about the characters from their speech. As always, critique the writing
in general.
Web site created by
Rhéal Nadeau and
the administrators of the Internet Writing Workshop.
Modified by Gayle Surrette.
| | |