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| Hello, Wilson, are you having a ball or what!? |
The end.
Just joking.
Here's my problem: in my current novel, my main character spend a great deal of time alone. It's sad really because I love writing dialog. Although it's nothing like the Tom Hanks film - how can we add our own dialog volleyball?
1) Have the character talk to herself. You can do this two ways:
- internal dialog
- talking to herself aloud
2) Mini flashbacks - I've been putting little snippets of conversation from the past in the chapter. And people, little snippets, it's not an excuse to add long sections of backstory. Each snippet of conversation should be relevent to what's going on in the chapter... and did I say small?
3) Imaginary friends. I have them, you have them, why can't your character have one? What, you don't have any imaginary friends? How sad for you. My imaginary friend feels sorry for you too.
4) Okay Mr. Wilson, you can join too. If the character has pets or plants or a volleyball with a creepy-looking face (Oh, don't get so offended, Wilson. You know, you're one overly-sensitive volleyball. What is that, red tears? Cry me a river.) they could talk to them. I talk to my dog and my plants. Then again, that could be why my plants are dying...
You guys have any other suggestions? No, not you, imaginary friends, I mean the blog readers.
13 comments:
Great post. I've used all these techniques and I think they all work really well.
Thanks. I'm glad they worked for you because I'm gonna have to use them - lots.
CD
I totally agree on imaginary friends for dialogue, it's something I do daily! ;)
Internal dialogue via journal/letter writing (very Austen).
:)
Either talking to himself (as everybody does it) or talking to an inanimate object. (Do pets count?)
I think I end up having my characters talking to themselves - though sometimes they talk to various inanimate objects. Thanks for sharing these and getting us all thinking about revealing our characters inner thoughts when there is no one around to hear them.
Wilson!!
I have a handful of scenes I've worked on with a ten year old boy and...well, his thoughts. He's at times ventured a question at the neighborhood tomcat, but for the most part, questions his struggles aloud, and sometimes his thoughts are described, sometimes acted out in order for the reader to figure it out on their own. Not a bad gig once you decide on how to approach it.
That's a tough question, and I don't envy you in this. It sounds like you're on the right track though with your ideas so far. Oh, and I've tagged you for a badge. I hope you don't mind, and I hope you go through with it. It was really fun for me.
http://workingmymuse.blogspot.com/2010/06/i-cannot-tell-lieor-can-i.html
What about putting character 'thoughts' into quotations? It worked for Margaret Mitchell. :)
- Corra
the victorian heroine
I like the idea of internal dialogue. I use quite a bit in some of my projects involving limited character interaction. Only thing is: I can never seem to write out internal dialogue just right. Should it be it parentheses or italics? Hey, that would be a great blog post subject!
Anyway, I like your idea of have a pet or animal to talk to. I had not considered that before. A character might even be able to converse with a plant. Why not? it could work.
Talei - exactly, why not!? Glad you liked it.
clutterbug - it is Austen, isn't it? I like the idea of letter writing to. As long as the paragraphs are not long.
Alex J. Cavanaugh- I think pets count. I also think she could have a phone conversation or talk to herself in front of the mirror.
cassandrajade- Glad you liked it. Happy writing!
Elliot Grace - it's good for the writer to use various methods. I think it helps with the creativity of the writer.
Eric - Oh, a badge. Sounds like fun. I'll check it out as soon as I finish this comment.
Corra McFeydon- Hey, if it work for a great like Mitchell, we can all do it. Great idea.
J.L. Stratton - as for internal dialog, I know that various writers do it differently and so I think it's what your editor or publisher will allow.
Thanks everyone for your great comments!
CD
A little talking to oneself, muttering in front of the mirror, intrnal dialogue... All depends on the character. Not much for flashbacks though.
L. Diane. I'm not either for flashbacks... most people can't do it right.
CD
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