Do you guys remember those old James Bond movies, or hell...even the new ones, where our hero has finally been captured and somehow strapped into some super convoluted contraption that is sure to bring about his very slow, very painful, demise? A laser aimed at his penis or whatever...hehehe, something that looks like it took longer to build and test than anything else that our villain had been working on in his dastardly plan to take over the world. You know the ones. Now, of course, Bond villains are mostly narcissists beyond repair...so they can’t just kill him off and succeed where so many others have failed. So, when most authors think of writing a monologue into their story they always picture it as a long, drawn out, detailed description of the villain’s ultimate plan and a braggadocious way of putting their high level of genius on display. But there are other effective ways of using a character monologue in your fiction than as just an info dump for your readers. Monologues that can create a real bond between your audience and your work that really sticks with them and with the characters that you attach them to. And that’s what I want to focus on today. It really does come in handy, after all.

Monologues can really be used for a variety of different functions when it comes to crafting a story. And I’m not just talking about using it for the sake of exposition. Not every monologue has to be thought of some easy to deliver an explanation to clue your readers on what’s going on. Many times, they’re pretty clued in on what’s happening already if your ‘show not tell’ skills are up to par and they don’t need the extra help to figure things out. And one thing that can slow down your pacing and bore your audience is giving an even longer explanation of something that they already know. However, monologues can be used to define and expose character. They can be used to set tone, or change tone if necessary. They can also be added to your project in a way that draws your audience in even closer than before and further invest their time and energy into a story that wasn’t really there before. It can be a bit difficult to explain, but it isn’t just a massive delivery of information all at once. It has a different vibe all its own, and I hope that the following examples will give you guys a better feeling of what I’m talking about so you can feel the difference too.

First of all...when it comes to the kind of monologues that I’m describing are meant to be more for the story and the interaction between fictional characters than it is for the reader. I think that’s the biggest highlight of using this particular method in your story. It’s not like I’m trying to find a sneaky way to talk to my audience. It’s more about using the monologue to uncover the traits, flaws, and emotional position within the rest of the of the story. It’s a monologue, sure...but it’s not for giving any extra information in a static way. Remember...’show’, don’t ‘tell. It puts the character delivering the monologue in the spotlight all alone, but the purpose is to expose the character and allow my audience to grab all of their inferences and knowledge they need on their own. Not because I told them so, but because they can see it in my words. In my tone. In the actions and reactions of everyone in the scene. Does that make sense?

For example, this is a really amazing monologue from Ben Affleck in the movie, “Boiler Room”. (Awesome movie! Check it out when you get a chance!) It’s a film about someone who decides to try to get hired and work for a stock brocking firm, and while Ben Affleck has a pretty small role in the movie as a whole, he KILLS this scene! He marches in, he commands the entire room with confidence and power, and you are immediately glued to the screen and perked up to hear every word that he says.

Now, he’s not really hitting us, the audience, over the head with an info dump. This monologue isn’t about giving us extra details or treading over any of the previous information that we already know. It’s a very minimal part of what’s being accomplished here. Give it a look, and see how it’s more about him as a character, how other people respond to him, and how it heightens the level of intensity in the story just by having him there.

One of the things I love most about this is the very simple line, “Don’t waste my time.” That fits in perfectly with what he’s doing with this monologue. There’s no back and forth going on here...this is what I’m telling you, and that’s all there is to it. Period.

How does he get the opportunity to deliver his monologue, uninterrupted? Because this speech immediately commands a sense of authority. Who in that scene would dare to cut him off or ask a question? They sit back, almost in shocked silence, and attempt to absorb all that they can without missing anything. And that is part two of this process...authority.

If your characters are going to suddenly lock themselves in and become a highly interested spectator in this scene, then the character ‘preaching at the pulpit’ should make it clear to anyone who might be reading your scene that they are deserving of their attention. It should be evident that this is someone who is in control and will be the centerpiece of that moment.

It doesn’t take any yelling or aggression on their part either. Allow the scene to reveal your character and give off this vibe of someone who is in charge. Not just by giving readers a hefty dose of new information or by repeating or rephrasing old information. Even with most gentle voice and calm demeanor, you can create the same feel. Watch this scene from Patrick Swayze’s movie, “Road House”. (Also a great movie! Hehehe, I love it!) Very cool, very calm, but it still inspires a sense of authority and control. You want to hear what he has to say, and it’s not because you’d be lost or confused without whatever information it’s giving you. But because you’re now being brought in as a part of this world and being given a solid sense of character and tone through the monologue.

For a monologue like this to work, the character speaking has to create an illusion of complete control. They know what they’re talking about, they’ve been through it all before, and if everyone else keeps their yap shut and pays attention...they just might learn something important. That’s the beauty of non-expositional monologues. It’s not really mean for you as a reader. You’re not there. At best, you’re a fly on the wall, taking a look behind the scenes at the interactions between your characters. Not a whole lot more.

This doesn’t mean that the conversations have to be meaningless or disconnected from the rest of the plot. No, not at all. At the end of the day, you’re still attempted to concentrate on a fixed plot and move things forward in a certain direction without too many offshoots or distractions. But where exposition is using a character to push the plot forward...these monologues are meant to be closely connected to eveloping the character themselves.

This scene from “The Rock” contains a bit more information for the sake of the plot, but more than anything...it reveals a lot more about the character himself, all while revealing his goals and motivations from that point on. Intimidating and threatening in its subtext, but delivered with the same calm and collected authority that says a lot about the villain that they’re dealing with here. And yet, it’s like there’s this underlying fury in his demeanor that he seems to be doing his very best to keep a hold on. Very well done, in my opinion.

I hope that, when you watch these clips, you can get a sense of the difference between plot mechanics and character development. Between adding these monologues for the reader’s benefit and keeping them informed...and adding them to present a feeling of in your story that builds upon the feelings and tones that you want your story to have without just coming right out and flatly saying it with written text alone. There’s a big shift from one to the other, and they can work to paint a very different picture, depending on how you use them.

I’m just adding this one last clip because it’s one of my all time favorite monologues in movie history. And it’s just a conversation between a troubled college kid and his therapist from the movie, “Good Will Hunting”. It has so much heart, so much meaning, delivers a bit of extra info that the audience didn’t have before (through hints and subtle language alone), and this is how you can really make an effective use of a great monologue between two people and really have it hit home. One of the most amazing examples that I can think of when it comes to plot, tone, and character. Again...the authoritative voice, the stunned silence in his response, and an expert delivery.

This one monologue alone could be an article in itself.

Alight, ladies and gentlemen...that’s it for now. When you get some quiet time, give it a little bit more thought, and maybe think about how you could create a meaningful monologue of your very own. In dialogue, I mean. Not in narration. Hehehe, that’s a whole other ball of wax, and much easier to explain.

As always, I hope this helps! And fel free to share any thoughts or comments down below. K?

Best of luck! And there will be more to come soon!