Comsie Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 Occasionally, when writing a story about two boys in love, an author might look for ways to display a true connection and companionship between the main characters. And one of the most reliable ways of doing this is through their dialogue, and their interactions with one another. Playful conversations can add a few sweet moments between them, or inject a touch of humor, or display affection and trust during hard times. But..how do you know which conversations are really necessary, and which ones aren't? As much as certain dialogues can be enjoyed by your readers, they may turn out to have absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the story or series. In fact, they may be actually slowing the story down, or throwing it off track. And while it shows a level of friendship and comfort with the characters, if it doesn't push the story forward, it may be distracting. So how can you spot a useless conversation? How can an author avoid them? And if you DO use a simple scene of dialogue for the sole purpose of showing companionship...how can you use it to your advantage instead of drawing attention away from the main story? What do you guys think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesSavik Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 Not every conversation is Shakespeare- especially when the parties are two nervous adolescents with a lot of hormones and questions on their minds. Does he like me? Does he like me like that? Will he out me? Will he destroy my social life and make everyone hate me? Will we make love or will he punch me?[/i] Hell they are lucky they don't scream and run away to hide in the woods. They aren't going to be perfect with their grammar or diction. They'll use the wrong words. They'll laugh inappropriately. They won't know what to say. They'll say and do things that are just plain dumb. They will be awkward. They'll make mistakes. They'll put their foot, boot and all up to the knee, in their mouth. They will crash and burn tragically. Or not. That is the beauty of the game because we all play it, know the stakes and on some level- we have too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Arbour Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 Not every conversation is Shakespeare- especially when the parties are two nervous adolescents with a lot of hormones and questions on their minds. Does he like me? Does he like me like that? Will he out me? Will he destroy my social life and make everyone hate me? Will we make love or will he punch me?[/i] Hell they are lucky they don't scream and run away to hide in the woods. They aren't going to be perfect with their grammar or diction. They'll use the wrong words. They'll laugh inappropriately. They won't know what to say. They'll say and do things that are just plain dumb. They will be awkward. They'll make mistakes. They'll put their foot, boot and all up to the knee, in their mouth. They will crash and burn tragically. Or not. That is the beauty of the game because we all play it, know the stakes and on some level- we have too. I think Shakespeare is overrated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Site Administrator Graeme Posted February 24, 2009 Site Administrator Share Posted February 24, 2009 If the purpose of the scene is to show a developing relationship, or the depth of a relationship, then I don't see it as useless. The sort of story you're talking about revolves around relationships, and so that's part of the story. Showing the same thing multiple times may be a waste and drag the story down, but if it's being used to develop the characters, then it has a purpose and there's nothing wrong with it being there. How long the scene should be is a judgement thing -- it should be long enough to show what you want to show, without being filled with so much 'stuff' that the reader can't wait to get to the end of it. In short, there really aren't any guidelines. It's up to the author to decide what they want the scene to show or do, which might be advancing a plot, or maybe developing the characters, or both, and then to write a scene that meets that goal without making the reader fall asleep Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David McLeod Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 ...They aren't going to be perfect with their grammar or diction. They'll use the wrong words. They'll laugh inappropriately. They won't know what to say. They'll say and do things that are just plain dumb.They will be awkward. They'll make mistakes. They'll put their foot, boot and all up to the knee, in their mouth. They will crash and burn tragically. Or not... These are, I think, the key thoughts. Real conversations do not usually flow smoothly; characters' dialogue should sound and feel real. Misunderstandings, answering the wrong question, abrupt changes of topic, verbal pauses ("uh" "um"), incomplete sentences, run-on sentences and comma splices, among other techniques may be used (sparingly, to be sure) to contribute to a sense of reality. ...Showing the same thing multiple times may be a waste and drag the story down, but if it's being used to develop the characters, then it has a purpose and there's nothing wrong with it being there... Amen. Playing a scene more than once when showing two characters' different reactions to the same situation can be very effective in character development. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Schroder Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 If the story, as Comsie says, is about two boys in love then it seems to me that dialog with the purpose of showing companionship would be integral to the story. I suppose narration could describe the hearts and minds of the boys but it becomes much more personal when heard from the characters themselves. But that dialog must be blended into the story so as not to detract from the flow. That, I suppose, is where careful writing comes into play. And these are the sort of things an editor should have his eye out for. (That's why editors keep red crayons in their shirt pockets.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StoriesByCirrus Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 The first person to listen to is your own internal critic. If it's red-flagging something for you, you should probably pay attention. The kind of conversations that Com is talking about should emerge organically from the plot. If the story is grinding to a halt just because two characters want to tell each other how much they love each other, then it probably should be jettisoned. My belief: always keep the story moving forward. There's no reason a conversation has to only fulfill one purpose. For example, you could be demonstrating how much the two theoretical boys like each *while* introducing the complication that threatens to split them apart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Galahad Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 I think Shakespeare is overrated. Well, I guess you wouldn't be alone in thinking that. Though I have to admit that everyone has their own interpretation of his work. For me in places it can be quite beautiful & powerful, whilst in others the language he uses & the way he uses it is almost barbaric. Still if he were alive now, he'd be a extreamly rich man, as well as very old! lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesSavik Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 I think Shakespeare is overrated. While I agree, my senior english teacher would have beaten you to death with a ruler. When I say not every conversation is Shakespeare, I mean it is not in the queen's english, in iambic pentameter or considered to be a masterpiece by many. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Arbour Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 While I agree, my senior english teacher would have beaten you to death with a ruler. When I say not every conversation is Shakespeare, I mean it is not in the queen's english, in iambic pentameter or considered to be a masterpiece by many. Well, I got what you said, I just kidnapped it and used it as an opportunity to vent about Shakespeare. Sorry about that. Someday I'll make it up to you by letting you beat me with your ruler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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