People have written stories that tell of an event by having two people talk to each other. I want to write a story like that, but lack the ettiquette of dialogue. Cote said something about hating bad dialogue, I want to know what he means by "bad dialogue". This is the second best example I can give of a story told by just dialogue-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1kQ4KLZ5l0
"... Yes, yes I see that. Well, I'll just be going then."
"I mean that it is not 'were vacant.' You should have said 'I thought this room was vacant.' Or at least, you might have employed the purpose-oriented 'to be.'"
"Ah."
"Ah-ha."
"... Well then. Would you ah, would you like to come back to my place?"
The second to last line belongs everywhere. I'm pretty sure that bit is how Anna Karenina ends (Cote: we are referring to the former, so we use "that," rather than "this").
The thing about dialogue is that the best dialogue is natural to whoever is speaking... Otherwise it's just cheesy. For instance say you're reading a Nancy Drew or a Hardy Boys and the line goes something like this: "Hypers, Nancy! It's a clue!" Well, out of context, that's awful. But the line's campiness fits within "The Secret of the Old Clock" or what have you.
Dialogue, in my humble opinion, needs to fit character. If you completely flesh out your character, then any situation you put him/her/it in, then you'll know how he/she/it would react. Dialogue doesn't, in fact, shouldn't be stiff and formal, if the person speaking is limp and informal.
Could you be much more specific? What do you want to improve in your own writing? What are do you want to emulate?
ReplyDeletePeople have written stories that tell of an event by having two people talk to each other. I want to write a story like that, but lack the ettiquette of dialogue. Cote said something about hating bad dialogue, I want to know what he means by "bad dialogue". This is the second best example I can give of a story told by just dialogue-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1kQ4KLZ5l0
ReplyDelete"Ah. I'm sorry. I thought this room were vacant."
ReplyDelete"It is not."
"... Yes, yes I see that. Well, I'll just be going then."
"I mean that it is not 'were vacant.' You should have said 'I thought this room was vacant.' Or at least, you might have employed the purpose-oriented 'to be.'"
"Ah."
"Ah-ha."
"... Well then. Would you ah, would you like to come back to my place?"
"That sounds agreeable. Let me get my coat."
The second to last line belongs everywhere. I'm pretty sure that bit is how Anna Karenina ends (Cote: we are referring to the former, so we use "that," rather than "this").
ReplyDeleteso....is this proper dialogue?
ReplyDeleteThe thing about dialogue is that the best dialogue is natural to whoever is speaking... Otherwise it's just cheesy. For instance say you're reading a Nancy Drew or a Hardy Boys and the line goes something like this: "Hypers, Nancy! It's a clue!" Well, out of context, that's awful. But the line's campiness fits within "The Secret of the Old Clock" or what have you.
ReplyDeleteDialogue, in my humble opinion, needs to fit character. If you completely flesh out your character, then any situation you put him/her/it in, then you'll know how he/she/it would react. Dialogue doesn't, in fact, shouldn't be stiff and formal, if the person speaking is limp and informal.
I'm limp and informal. That is, my ____. SRSLY.
ReplyDelete