Writer's Corner Creative Dialogue Dialogue is conversation between characters. Outer dialogue refers to the conversation said aloud between characters and inner dialogue is the character's thoughts. (Inner dialogue is sometimes denoted with the use of italics rather than quotation marks.) Both types of dialogues are equally important because working together, they reveal the whole - character. | Using a picture or painting as your inspiration, you will be writing a creative dialogue 2 using the four steps of the writing process. PLAN OF study the picture oF painting, j Sample: Mr and Mrs. Phllp Wase a painting by George Bellows | & Develop the framework. | a. Your characters should be distinct individuals. Just as no two people are alike, no two | characters are alike. People behave, talk, react, and think differently. What makes your character a unique individual? (1) How does your character look? What is your character's age? Gender? Distinguishing features? (2) How does your character think? Is he smart? Uneducated? Does he display common sense? (3) How does your character act and react? Is your character thoughtful? Loving? Generous? Uncaring? Selfish? Forgiving? Patient? (4) How does your character talk? The Bible tells us in Matthew 12:34 that “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” What your character says should reflect his heart. Does his word choice and dialect reflect where he lives and his culture? (5) What motivates your character? What does he really want? What is he willing to do in order to get what he really wants? b. Your setting needs to be clear and precise. (1) What is the time? Place? Weather? (2) Does the setting have a bearing on the story line or characters? Sample: The setting is the front room of the Wase family’s house. It is around 1895. It is late afternoon i the fall. The sun has just seb, and it is dark outside. The chores are done for the day, and the old couple is sitting together quietly. ¢. Decide the overall tone for your dialogue—serious, funny, cheerful, critical, etc. Tone is the attitude of the writer toward his subject. What attitude do you want to convey to your readers? . Sample: Tone is serious. & t E 5 eae peta tn Seed wns 48 |Ss _ Writer's Corner Ni Creative Dialogue con, | Make a list of ideas. a. List the characters and their characteristics. Be as specific as possible. Note the things that will make each character unique. | Sample: l Woman Husband old, gray, frail weather-beaten features had been-erying concerned, but trusting | worried _going-to-take-a-nap-soon Hl clutching her Bible calm loves their only son desperately common sense and experience rather | repetitive than education \ wants to have ith, but wavering bnowledgeable ofthe Bible f “of the land” has great faith i “of the sea” b. Plot the story line. i (1) List the events in chronological order. i (2) Note the conflict. Interesting writing will have some sort of conflict, crisis, or problem that needs to be solved. The three basic types of conflict are man vs. man (a person having conflict with another person), man vs. nature (a person facing conflict in the elements or in survival), and man vs. himself (a person having an internal conflict with his choices, desires, fears, or dreams.) } (3) Decide the dénouement (the conclusion or final resolution of the story). Sample: (a) The woman closes her Bible, too agitated to read anymore. (b) The man tries to reassure her, (©) She fears their son is last at sea. (Conflict —the woman vs. her fears) | (d) He again assures her that God controls the waves. } (c) She still frets \ (0) He tells the difference in their outlook because of what they love—the land (her) z and the sea (him). i (g) He reassures her with a verse about God being Master of the sea. (h) The woman finaly eaves tin God's hands. (Dénouemert) WRITE CY write the first draft of your dialogue. Though you are only writing a creative dialogue rather , than a full short story, your writing will still have three parts: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. a. The introduction introduces the setting, characters, and general tone. (1) Get the reader's attention at the very beginning. (2) Introduce the characters, setting, and conflict. (3) Set the tone. 4G + Grammar & Composition I aT isWriter's Corner: Creative Dialogue bb. The body follows the plot outline and develops the characters. (1) Don't tell the readers the plot, but rather let your characters reveal the plot by their words and actions. Use a minimal amount of explanatory text outside the dialogue. The bulk of the plot will be the words of your characters. {a) Dialect and word choice should be universal (understood by any English speaker anywhere). (b) Beware of “creative” dialogue taglines. (Dialogue tags or taglines are the he said and she said part of the dialogue.) Exclaimed, remarked, and shouted draw attention to themselves and distract from the actual dialogue. Stick to the taglines that easily blend in the sentence—tell, said, asked. A writer will make the dialogue strong by using vivid verbs and nouns. The taglines should not carry the emotion or strength of the characters or dialogue. (©) You can occasionally exclude taglines altogether if the speaker is ol She asked Matt, “Are you joining us for church?” “Yes.” (2) Use exact and vivid nouns and verbs rather than many adjectives and adverbs. 3) Good writing will have a crisis or problem that needs to be solved. c. The conclusion (dénouement) brings the writing to a resolution. (1) Resolve the crisis or problem. (2) Bring your characters to a satisfying ending. (3) Show any changes in your characters or consequences resulting from the crisis. REWRITE evaluate your composi Rewrite your paper accor EDIT $F tedit your creative dialogue. Write the final draft. Choose an appropriate title for your paper that indicates your subject and purpose. g to your evaluation. ‘© mma Pensacola Christian College Ine. Not tobe reproduced. unir4 + 47a Creative Dialogue (on) Sample Creative Dialogue + Introduction + Introduces + Introduces her husband + Sets the tone Introduction ‘of actual problem font The woman identifies wth the things of| the land, Inner dialogue identifies wth the things of these, Those Who Wait Based on the painting Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Wase by George Bellows After she closed her Bible, her withered hand shock as she rested it lightly on the cover. An uneven sigh escaped her lips. “the Lord is my Shepherd,” she whispered. “I shall not want.” Her breath caught, cutting off the prayer. “God has him in His hands,” said her husband unwaveringly, resolutely staring out the large picture window facing his beloved ecean and the waves breaking along the rocky New England coast. “His ship is a month overdue,” she whispered as her hand convulsively stroked the familiar worn cover. “Wye.” “But how can you be sure? Forty years you sailed around the world, but you were never overdue a whole month.” A ragged breath escaped from her burning throat. “He's lost. know he’s lest.” ‘She drew a sharp breath, realizing she had finally spoken aloud her deepest fear. The old mother tried to comfort herselfin a world reeling with uncertainty. The Lord is my Shepherd. The Lord is my Shepherd. The Lord is my Shepherd, she tld herself over and over. With his eyes set on the restless waves, the old captain's voice remained calm and steady. "God has not lost him. He does not slumber or sleep. The Good Captain who walked on water to save a sinking fisherman holds our son's hand, too.” She whispered again like the summer wind through the seagrass: “The Lord is my Shepherd. | shall not want. The Lord is my Shapherd.” Finally, the captain turned his cyes away from his beloved sea and into the eyes of his bride of almost fifty years. His weathered hand reached over to still the restlessness of the wrinkled one stroking the cover of God's Promises. “You love the land, my dear. The Lord is your Shepherd.” His eyes went back to the crashing waves. “But | have salt water in my veins. The same Book that comforts your soul because He is the Shepherd in Jour valley, comforts my soul because He is the Captain of my wind and waves.” 48 + Grammar & Composition IT SD te Ce pam Introduces that there confit that rity in ‘he eader + Her disbelief Convrasted 20 with his Neadast beter + Dialogue Highiights the characters “diferences 30a Creative Dialogue (on) Sample Creative Dialogue + Introduction + Introduces + Introduces her husband + Sets the tone Introduction ‘of actual problem font The woman identifies wth the things of| the land, Inner dialogue identifies wth the things of these, Those Who Wait Based on the painting Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Wase by George Bellows After she closed her Bible, her withered hand shock as she rested it lightly on the cover. An uneven sigh escaped her lips. “the Lord is my Shepherd,” she whispered. “I shall not want.” Her breath caught, cutting off the prayer. “God has him in His hands,” said her husband unwaveringly, resolutely staring out the large picture window facing his beloved ecean and the waves breaking along the rocky New England coast. “His ship is a month overdue,” she whispered as her hand convulsively stroked the familiar worn cover. “Wye.” “But how can you be sure? Forty years you sailed around the world, but you were never overdue a whole month.” A ragged breath escaped from her burning throat. “He's lost. know he’s lest.” ‘She drew a sharp breath, realizing she had finally spoken aloud her deepest fear. The old mother tried to comfort herselfin a world reeling with uncertainty. The Lord is my Shepherd. The Lord is my Shepherd. The Lord is my Shepherd, she tld herself over and over. With his eyes set on the restless waves, the old captain's voice remained calm and steady. "God has not lost him. He does not slumber or sleep. The Good Captain who walked on water to save a sinking fisherman holds our son's hand, too.” She whispered again like the summer wind through the seagrass: “The Lord is my Shepherd. | shall not want. The Lord is my Shapherd.” Finally, the captain turned his cyes away from his beloved sea and into the eyes of his bride of almost fifty years. His weathered hand reached over to still the restlessness of the wrinkled one stroking the cover of God's Promises. “You love the land, my dear. The Lord is your Shepherd.” His eyes went back to the crashing waves. “But | have salt water in my veins. The same Book that comforts your soul because He is the Shepherd in Jour valley, comforts my soul because He is the Captain of my wind and waves.” 48 + Grammar & Composition IT SD te Ce pam Introduces that there confit that rity in ‘he eader + Her disbelief Convrasted 20 with his Neadast beter + Dialogue Highiights the characters “diferences 30Wr ter's Corn reative Dialogue The old man’s words sounded from the depths of his soul. “They... that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters,” — Nehlishisthe 35, he quoted from Psalms, “These see the works of the Lord: and His ierences wonders in the deep.”” “These see the works of the Lord: and His wonders in the deep,” the old mother slowly tasted the words and found them good. eer The father kept his eyes fixed on his beloved sea, “These sce the works of the Lord.” A trusting smile shone from the depths of his ever-watchfiel eyes. “And His wonders in the deep.” Change in the ‘womans atude 40 Reinforcement of the man’s attitude ire JA. Having something to use for inspiration is often helpful. Using a painting or picture or another source of inspiration, make a list of ideas and character descriptions, note the setting, crisis, and tone, and create an outline for the dialogue. DieriveB Write the first draft of the creative dialogue. This composition should be 400- 500 words. Creative Dialogue is continued on p. 59. ‘© mmavili Pensacola Chistian College, Inc. Not to be reproduced. unir4 + 49