Dialogue – how it works

 

Writers are curious creatures.   A good job too – or they wouldn’t know what to write about. Your curiosity may have prompted you to listen to conversations in cafés, on the bus or at the bus stop or in the shopping queue. This sort of eaves-dropping may provide you with some rich snippets.  It may also clarify that a lot of time is wasted on small talk.

There is no place for small talk in a script or in a piece of fiction. Therefore, dialogue shouldn’t sound too natural.

On the other hand, it should sound like the person who is talking. Would they use those words? Do the words they speak reflect what is in their head?

Dialogue is an important part of narrative balance. But it must earn its keep. Therefore it must:

·         Push the plot forward

·         Represent the person who is speaking

·         Create an atmosphere

·         Preferably do more than one of the above at a time – and in some cases all of the above.

 

What about dialect, accents and swearing?

If you try to replicate an accent completely you may make your text virtually unreadable. Just a few words here and there may be enough to suggest the accent. Dialect words can give a clearer picture but make sure that you give them enough context so that the reader can understand what they mean – particularly the first time they meet them. And does your character swear? Well go ahead and put a few expletives in your text. However, you probably don’t need to make them swear as much as they would in real life.

 

A couple of things to try

 

BBC Writers’ Room

Go to BBC Writers’ Room: https://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/scripts and download a script. Look at the balance between a slightly stylized speech and the words sounding as if they belong to the character.

 

Test out your own dialogue 

Is it true to each character? Take all tags out of your dialogue.  Print you work out in a large font. Cut up the speeches and hand them to a writing friend. Can they work out the order of the speech? Can they work out what each of the characters is like?  

 

Manipulation - prompt

 

We all know about cookies when we visit Internet sites. It’s feels totally uncanny how Amazon and Facebook know what we’re interested in. Advertising in the media influences us enormously. It’s probably highly logical.  

Is AI taking this further?

Here’s a spooky example. A friend died recently and I made a note of his address so that I could send his widow a card. I actually wrote the address down on paper with a pen.  I did have a printed copy of it elsewhere and this had been created as a spreadsheet on the computer of someone with whom I often exchange emails. A few days later, when I was using the newly created Greater Manchester BEE app to find the next bus that would take me home a Google map appeared, showing me the bus route to his house. His house as well as his street was shown.

Perhaps a little more simple and understandable is that I keep getting junk email about investment possibilities. I have recently sold some properties’ and decided to invest the profit. I’ve been using the internet quite a bit to look for possibilities.   

But what happens if this goes to extremes?

Write an article, poem, script or story about someone who falls prey to this and maybe how they get out of it.

 

Character: archetypes

 

Several of the gurus who have come out with story theories have also suggested archetypes that are found in stories.  You may have started with four basic characters: hero, enemy, friend and mentor but you may find looking at these characters useful.

Christopher Booker’s archetypes

Good old man

Innocent young girl

Rival or “shadow”

Temptress

Dark Father

Dark Mother

Dark self

Joseph Campbell’s archetypes

Hero

Ally

Enemy

Trickster

Shapeshifter

Guardian

Shadow

Christopher Vogler’s archetypes  

Hero

Shadow

Mentor

Herald

Shapeshifter

Trickster

Allies 

Vladimir Propp’s archetypes 

Hero

Helper

Villain

False hero

Donor

Dispatcher

Princess

Other fairy-tale familiars (as found by the brothers Grimm)

The Guileless Fool

The Meddlesome Fairy

The Wicked Crone

The Charming Prince

The Beautiful Damsel

As you will see, there is a lot of overlap between the different gurus. I haven’t gone into a lot of explanation here;   let them be what their name suggests. If you are really interested in archetypes you may like to look at Jung and also the work of Carol Pearson and Margaret Mark: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archetype     

Why work with archetypes?

They can give each of your characters a function within the story. It’s important to ask why characters are there at all and this may be especially important for minor characters.  And readers love archetypes, even if they can’t name them. They recognise them as familiar.

Your turn

Use a work in progress and see if you can fit one of these characters in or build up one that you already have to become one of them. Can you pinpoint the role of any other characters you have there?  Or maybe in something you’re currently reading?       

Embers of Pain: Navigating the Flames of Living Through a Fire by Erin M Fischer

In the darkest corners of our existence, there are moments when life thrusts us into the crucible of fire[GJ1] . A fire that engulfs not only the physical world around us but also the very essence of our being[GJ2] . It is in these harrowing experiences that we taste the bitter anguish [GJ3] of living through a fire, where pain becomes an all-consuming force that tests our resilience, alters our perceptions, and leaves indelible scars upon our souls.

 

1. Ignition:

In the beginning, there is the spark—a catalyst that ignites [GJ4] the inferno. The flames lick at our hopes and dreams, reducing them to ashes. The pain of witnessing everything we hold dear [GJ5] succumb to the merciless fire engulfs us, leaving us gasping for air amidst the suffocating smoke of loss and despair.[GJ6] 

 

2. Conflagration:

As the fire rages, it consumes our sense of security, devouring the familiar and replacing it with chaos. Our once-sturdy foundations crumble, leaving us exposed and vulnerable. The pain intensifies as we grapple with the overwhelming uncertainty, desperately seeking solace amidst the relentless heat that threatens to consume us entirely[GJ7] .

 

3. Scorching Transformation:

Yet, amidst the pain, we find a crucible [GJ8] of transformation. Like phoenixes rising from the ashes, we discover newfound strength within ourselves. The fire becomes a catalyst for growth, forcing us to confront our deepest fears and summon courage we never knew existed. The pain becomes a teacher, sculpting our character, and granting us the resilience to endure even the most searing trials.

 

4. Lingering Ashes:

Even as the flames recede, their imprints remain etched upon our hearts. We are left to sift through the charred remnants of our past, navigating the landscape of pain and loss. Memories linger like smoldering embers, reminding us of the wounds we carry, but also serving as a testament to our survival and capacity for renewal[GJ9] .

 

5. Rebirth:

In the aftermath of the fire, there is a flicker of hope. The pain, once all-consuming, becomes a catalyst for rebirth. We rise from the ashes, not unscathed but wiser, more compassionate, and resilient. We learn to cherish the beauty of life with newfound appreciation, embracing the fragile moments of joy and connection that emerge from the ruins[GJ10] [GJ11] .

 

Living through [GJ12] a fire is a harrowing journey through the depths of pain and anguish. It tests our very existence, challenging our spirit and reshaping our perceptions. Yet, in the crucible of fire[GJ13] , we discover our strength, our capacity to endure, and the profound resilience of the human spirit. It is through the flames that we learn to rise, renewed, and forever changed by the raw and transformative power of pain.

---

 [GJ1]Does a fire have a crucible?  Are you mixing metaphors here?

 [GJ2]A bit of a cliché Could you say this another way.   

 [GJ3]Can we taste anguish? Experience it? Feel it, perhaps.

 [GJ4]Would it be worth mentioning the stages in between?  

 [GJ5]A bit  of a cliché again

 [GJ6]Complex  construction;   it is hard  for the reader to follow that.

 [GJ7]This paragraph is clearer though you include another image, of a building crumbling.

 [GJ8]“crucible” again though here it is used correctly. However, this weakens the earlier use of it  even more.  

 [GJ9]Yes this stage works,  In fact the cycle is sound. You just need to be a little more careful with the content each stage.

 [GJ10]Good images here.  

 [GJ11]An interesting piece and the analogy to the life cycle of a fire could be really effective. There needs to be some tightening, though.  

 [GJ12]An implication here that one might not survive?

 [GJ13]Crucible doesn’t  work here. 

Despite my notes here I would say that this piece works well. it has  a strong voice and overall it;s an interesting analogy. However, it needs considerable tightening. 

About the author

 Erin M Fischer is a writer, tutor, speaker, activist, and artist. Erin is also a graduate student, studying Political Psychology at Arizona State University. She enjoys painting, cooking, jewelry making, exploring, learning, and educating the masses on the merits of President Lyndon B. Johnson.