Thursday, November 13, 2014

Dialogue: The Art of Conversation

When you talk with someone, what do you pay attention to? Most people listen to the words being said ONLY so that they can understand the conversation. That is all fine and dandy, but as writers we must go above and beyond. When talking with people, it is good to listen, not only to understand, but to see the words they use, how long their sentences are, if they use gestures, if they stammer, their vocabulary, and so on. The key in creating beautiful characters is by always watching the people around you and taking mental notes.
Today we will talk about conversations, how to write ones that work, what to do, and what NOT to do.
In stories, it seems as though we've strayed from reality. Characters always talk in complete sentences, with words that make perfect sense, no one interrupts anyone, and everything is crystal clear. That's not how it is in real life. When people talk we might not be clear, we can't think of the word we are looking for, and the other person interrupts.
Now, like I've said a thousand times, there is a balance. Do not write EXSACTUALLY how people talk. If we did that, it would take ten pages to get to the point. However, there should be at least five to seven sentences of random conversation to remind the readers the characters aren't made up people, but living, breathing human beings (somewhere in the writer cosmos). At the beginning of a scene, I have my characters end a random, useless conversation; such as about their cold, how they don't like their boss, why they should have a vacation and where they would go, and so on. Throughout the dialogue, when you get to the main point of the conversation, don't forget to keep reminding the readers that the characters are real. I do this by having the main point of the conversation remind a side character of a tangent. Such as the point's about what to do with grandma's ashes, and someone mentions a pottery bowl she always liked, and that reminds a side character of the flowers they hadn't watered yet. Make it short and simple so that the scene can go back to the main point. Tangents are good, but not all the time. Don't to more than three of them. I usually just do one. It's good to make the conversation realistic, however, if overdone, it can annoy the reader. A lot.
Talking
Characters should have an individual speech pattern, their own filler word, and communication style. It's not as difficult as it sounds. What are filler words you hear every day? Um, ah, er, well, you know, dude, and stuff, etc. What kind of motions do you see? People put their hands on their hips, point this way and that, cross their arms over their chest, wave their hands to and fro, etc. What type of words do people use? Do they use simple words ("Look over there! That's real cool, isn't it?"), or do they sound sophisticated ("How interesting, take a look at that!"). What kind of vocabularies do you hear every day? There's limited ("That's a nice sub shop place. Real good place to eat."), average ("My boss needs to take a hike! He's demanding and unreasonable!"), and the vast vocabulary ("I conquer, one must contemplate the necessary steps before proceeding."). You can make several different combinations of these dialogue techniques to create a fresh character. Mind you, don't make a character's speech patter too far out there, the purpose is to make them sound realistic. 
One last point: think before you speak (or before you write your character speaking). 
A doctor's way of communicating should differ GREATLY from a farm boy's style. A girl from a rich family in a big city will talk differently from a girl her own age, but who was raised in the country by her father. When decided a characters means of communicating, don't forget to factor in their past, who raised them, what type of atmosphere they grow up in, what shaped them to be how they are in your story, what career do they have, what type of friends they hand out with, and so forth. All these things effect how a character, and people in real life, communicate. 
I know, I know, there's a lot that goes into dialogue and character communication. That's okay! It’s what makes a good story great!

Exercise:
Throughout today, pay attention to your own communication style. What words do you use and don't use? What gestures do you make? When do you stammer/speak clearly? What do you talk about at work, with your friends, or in school?
After you have a good understanding of your own communication style, get to a quiet place. Write down your style and WHY you have the style you do. Do you say "rats!" because your mom did? Do you wave your hands in the air, like your best friend? Do you talk about sports or the latest fad, because that's all you know/were raised with?
Evaluate yourself. Discover why you communicate the way you do.
Once you know the origin of your communication style, read everything over. Select a character and, based on what you found about yourself, give them their own speech patterns/gestures with a source, just as you had done for yourself. Your evaluation of your own communication style is an anchor for the character’s style.


Happy writing!        

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