Thursday, March 17, 2011

My Character Said What?

Dialogue is an important part of every story.  It adds to the momentum, sets the tone, and allows the reader to step inside the character.  Writers joke about having voices in their head who never shut up.  It's true.  If it weren't, we wouldn't be able to write believeable dialogue.  It's actually one of my favorite parts of writing - probably because it comes the most naturally.  I knew those voices would help me one day!!!  Before I write a scene, I like to close my eyes and imagine it playing out in front of me.  Okay, maybe I don't close my eyes, more like stare off into space as I barely miss a squirrel because I'm not paying attention to the road.  I put myself right into the scene and listen to the voices of the characters.  Once I've got a good grasp on how they'll interact with each other, I'm ready to write.  Now, that's my ideal situation.  It doesn't always happen that way.  Sometimes, I'm pressed for time and am only able to write in the moment.  It's at these times when strange things happen.  When my characters take me in a direction I hadn't thought of before.  They may say "yes" when they'd usually say "no."  Then I'll push myself back from the computer, my finger hovering over the delete key, and ask myself, "Can I work with this or should I ditch it?"  My gut always sides with the character in these instances.  I think I've only deleted something once.    

How do you write your dialogue?  Do you go with the flow, letting the characters speak through your fingers?  Or do you imagine the scene in advance so there are no unexpected surprises?  It's funny because as writers, we have absolute control over everything our characters say and do.  But then why does it seem like half the time they're controlling us?  It truly makes me question my sanity.         

3 comments:

  1. This is the only thing that's made you question your sanity? We're trying to make it in a business that rejects more than it accepts. And only pays you fifteen percent if you do make it. We're freaking crazy. But I like crazy. Keeps life interesting.

    Back to your true topic. Someone once told me that I needed more dialog in my own story. I listened to them and decided to concentrate on that a little more. They were were right. It makes a huge difference when you can tell your story more through dialog rather than back story. While I've been doing this, it's amazed me at the times the conversation goes in a different direction, but that's good. Like realistically good. Because that happens in real life all the time. I've never once had a conversation begin and end the way I planned it. We should never underestimate our characters, their own passion, or whatever they might say in those moments. I've been trying to just roll with it and its been a great experience. Great post!

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  2. I usually just create the dialogue as I go along. It's one of my favoriate parts of writing Sometimes a line or two will come to me in advance, and I frequently rewrite in revisions, but often it just unfolds.

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  3. Writing is an occupation in which you have to keep proving your talent to people who have none.

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