How did you get on yesterday? Did you write a story?
Remember, set your own rules, and stick to them. If you miss a day, don’t try to catch up. Just keep moving forward!
The Prompt
Write A story centered on dialogue
This is an antidote to yesterday’s description-heavy story.
Make sure to make your characters sound like real people, not actors on a stage reading soliloquies.
Go!
Check back every day for more prompts, and don’t forget to come back and leave a comment to celebrate your writing successes, every day!
I finished up my dialogue this morning. I couldnât figure out an ending. I had listened to the podcast from Saturday and was trying to figure out how I wanted the readers to feel at the end and I wasnât sure. And then it hit me this morning that I should leave them with questions and feeling uncertain. So I was able to put an ending on it that isnât all neat and tidy, but leaves some uncertainty, but brings the story a bit of closure. Itâs about a policeman who gets more than he ever expected when he stops to help a motorist who is broken down on the side of the highway.
I wrote a 900 word dialogue between a mother and daughter to showcase how gender discrimination takes place when the mother is supportive of her daughterâs complaints of her in laws but is quick to judge her own daughter in law who is in a similar situation
Today’s challenge continued my rough draft about two successful black queens who attend their 20 year high school reunion albeit with lots of reservations and anxieties. The dialogue begins with their arrival at the registration table and a name tag debacle. It includes them trying to “pretend” enjoy the event but their former classmates make it difficult. Dancing together becomes a big issue to the other attendees who begin with verbal abuse until they eventually escalate to physically pelting them with food and other items until the jock who used to be their main high school bully tries to put a stop to it. In doing so, he reveals something about himself that makes both the black men pleased that they attended the event although they have no desire to ever do it again.
About half dialogue and half exposition. It needs work, but I am enjoying my efforts.
Willi
Okay, I wrote a nice three-page scene for one of the follow-up novellas to my cozy mystery series that did well. When Julie suggested I work on something new because I was “stuck” on the new novel, I immediately thought of Penelope and Sam. Dialogue was a strong tool in the series being that Penelope was/is a talker. A scene here, a scene there…who knows? Maybe something will develop!
September Day 12. Dialogue
I have only written brief notes because I couldn’t write today. I have created a story based on dialogue in my head. I will expand it later. It’s about a conversation between a brother and sister whose parents have just told them they are going to get divorced. I feel it’s full of possibilities.
I had no idea what to write at the beginning of today. But I ended up writing a conversation between Alice and the Door mouse, from ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ about a mysterious door and includes a really important life lesson. I have no idea where this conversation came from, I haven’t read the book in years. It’s funny how ideas or characters pop into your head when you’re not even thinking about writing!
The dialogue I wrote happens between Janie and Pete after Ellen, the cleaner tells Janie that if there is no work for her to do she is not willing to work for them and Pete flippantly asks whether there might be a 12-step program for cleaning fanatics like Janie. Ellen leaves and the conversation quickly becomes heated, Janie defensive that housework is being taken from her and Pete frustrated that she wants help but doesnât want help, then the real reason emerges.
Iâm getting intrigued by these characters.
Curious about the real reason she doesnât want help, because honestly Janie sounds a bit like me.
We may never know. Iâm glad you are intrigued by the characters. Thanks.
I was not pleased with my story centred on dialogue. The characters seemed flat and obvious, so I got online to get some help. I spent a lot of time making sure I had a clear picture of my characters using some prompts. I now have two characters I know well and I have learned a great deal. I will come back to this challenge again in the future. Thank you Julie for highlighting a weakness I needed to address.
Not one of my stronger ones, but it’s better than a blank page. (smile) Can’t wait to lose this cold so I can find my focus soon.
I wasn’t able to finish my story yesterday, just the first scene, though it was a bit over 1,000 words. Today, I added a challenge to the prompt and continued the story from yesterday, this time focusing on dialogue. It still isn’t a complete story, but I like where it is heading. I guess if another prompt works for this story, or I get stuck, I will revisit it and finish it. It’s actually turning into a sweet romance, which is a good change of pace for me. Most of my other stories this month have taken a bit of a darker turn when it comes to any romance (a divorce, a break-up, a murder, an unplanned pregnancy and another unplanned pregnancy announcement that interrupted a planned break-up).
Another good day of writing. Iâm kind of surprising myself with the genre. I wrote a bit of mystery for flash fiction the other day and now I keep coming back to those characters and the mystery. I love to read mystery but have never tried writing it and Iâm really enjoying it.
Today I think I managed to write my first complete story. Handwritten so need to check the word count. Sat in the shopping centre Starbucks for over an hour and used the prompt…willed the story to come. Really enjoyed the podcast shared yesterday. Was very encouraging and lacking pressure. I think I’ve missed 5 days… But wrote 7. Not always complete stories. Trying not to beat myself up.
Today my story was 17 year old Kitty encouraging her best friend Jimmy to come out to his parents. She insisted on a roleplay so he could practice as there was a lot of fear. It was quite meaningful and I hope realistic.
Thatâs fantastic! And Iâm glad youâre focusing on the positives (after all, when was the last time you wrote 5 stories in 12 days? Even five partial drafts?)
Fiona,
My handwriting is atrocious, kudos to you for hand writing, I take notes, make scraps at best. Else heavily rely on typing. Typing I do not always finish a story every day, for me itâs about getting the idea, thatâs the hard part, so well done on that to.
Cheers
Andrew
It’s Sunday, so Holly Jahangiri had a couple of conversations. http://marianallen.com/2019/05/help-wanted-samplesunday-storyadaymay-hollyjahangiri/
Marian,
The subtleties of your world are very well done, the way you have conveyed the new traditions, ankle bracelets etc is good, also how you have conveyed that society has lost the skill to write in fact seeing it as an item in history. Well done.
OK, there is a bit of dialogue in here today. It is approximately 860 words.
I will be honest I relied heavily on today’s prompt to get anything out. Challenge being I have a few different ideas; I simply did not know what to run with.
Note this was not one of my ideas at first http://afstoryaday.blogspot.com/2019/05/day-12-back-to-school-for-bumchin.html
Lots of conflicts and tensions in that little piece! I love it that he came to her when she braved the dark. And I love that naughty Nutmeg! đ