We’re changing tack today: writing in dialogue!
The Prompt
Write a story containing only dialogue
- You can write this in play format if you like, using each speaker’s name at the beginning of the line, but I would discourage you from using stage directions.
- Try to convey everything from emotion to movement the setting in the characters’ words alone.
- If you’re not using play formatting, limit the story to a dialogue between two characters, to keep things straightforward.
- You could use the two characters you’ve been working on for the past two days since you already have their voices and a sense of who they are. Put them in a room together and see what happens!
- As well as conveying setting, emotion and movement through words, concentrate on making each speaker sound different. If one is witty and speaks in one-liners, let the other be long-winded and speak in complex phrases with sub-clauses.
- You can vary these rhythms throughout the story for each character. On character could start relaxed — using relaxed language rhythms — and become gradually more upset — using short choppy language, while the other one goes the other way. Or you could let one character go through a bell curve of these rhythms: starting upset, getting more relaxed, getting upset again; or vice versa.
- A good way into a story like this is to have two characters discussing something, having an argument, or needing to reach a decision about something. Each should have a slightly opposing view. It can be more powerful emotionally if the two characters actually like each other and want there to be no conflicts between them.
- You can resolve the story, or one character can storm off leaving everyone shouting “Where you going?” It’s entirely up to you.
Leave a comment to let us know how this went. Was it easy? Did it feel almost-impossible? Did your dialogue sound realistic?
A day late, but hopefully not a dollar short . . . or better late than never . . . or something like that. The mirror again . . . http://tidbitsbyshannon.blogspot.com/2016/09/broken-mirror.html
I took your advice and used my two characters from the previous two challenges. They fit perfectly together! Thanks so much for this, Julie! https://lindaghillfiction.com/2016/09/07/with-kids-in-the-middle/
Excellent!!
I finished on time today! https://greenembe.rs/2016/09/07/rescue-me-not/
Woohoo!
This was fun, lots of opportunity for surprises.
https://atomicindigo.wordpress.com/2016/05/07/trapped/
Now for a rewrite…! 😀
This was fun: https://storiesin5minutes.wordpress.com/2016/05/07/the-second-aftermath-storyaday-post/
Here’s my very belated post for May 7. Too girls, one knife, questions, and evasions….
https://shanjeniah.com/2016/05/17/questions-stad-kifo-project-for-may-7/
Had a but of non dialogue … but here you go:
https://annieswritingchallenge.wordpress.com/may-2016-story-a-day-challenge/day-7-story-a-day-in-may-the-smell-of-evil-continues/
May 9th, 2016- used this prompt today. Love the Ugly Duckling prompt and story, but too pooped and not enough time to do it justice. Had fun dialoguing with 2 ‘dudes’ – and used the 100 Colorful Words to use in place of said.
After a frantic weekend, I wasn’t sure I’d have anything written. But, here it is.
https://theencouragingscribe.wordpress.com/2016/05/08/story-a-day-day-7-dialogue/
My fear about this story is not that I got the dialogue wrong between the individuals, so much as what I’m trying to get at may not be clear. It is based on something very recent, so…
Anyway, here it is: https://notwhereilive.wordpress.com/2016/05/07/story-a-day-may-day-seven/
Warning: this one is a little wrong!
http://susan-reads.blogspot.com/2016/05/debris.html
Writing only dialogue is my go-to solution when I can’t think of anything. Still, this one was a bit tricky: https://only100words.xyz/2016/05/07/this-is-not-a-chat-up-line/
Today’s offering: https://promptlywritten.wordpress.com/2016/05/07/avoidance-flash-fiction/
I love writing dialogue, I find that once I’ve thought of my two characters and started the dialogue, their characters grow as the conversation hots up. I chose a couple in a car; Anna and Roger driving over to a friend’s party. Things start off a bit shaky and descend from there. I need to revisit it though to make the dialogue more focused towards the conclusion.
Wouldn’t you know it, the day after I wrote a story using practically all dialog, the prompt from Julie is for a story written…you guessed it. All dialog. So I decided to write one that’s all-dialog, just only with the reader hearing one side of it. I hope it works. Drew from my nascent reporter days for the setting and character(s).
http://wp.me/s1AR9N-deadline
https://vickgoodwin.wordpress.com/2016/05/07/story-a-day-day-7-accusations/
My end product. It was fun, made me think about dialogue more.
Here’s my offering. I haven’t written a story with all dialogue in a while. https://thethingsiyell.wordpress.com/2016/05/07/sacrifice/
https://vickgoodwin.wordpress.com/2016/05/07/story-a-day-day-7-accusations/
This one was harder still. What fun!!
I am really bad at writing dialogue, but I gave this a try anyway. Not sure it conveys anything but somebody else can be the judge of that! https://angietrafford.wordpress.com/2016/05/07/story-a-day-day-six-2/