What to prepare for next class: February 3, 2011

1,
Hope some of the story-generating ideas helped. I'd love to know where you get your ideas from or how you get inspired to write. Post a blog about it if you want to share.

2, DIALOGUE
Listen to dialogue in your every day life. Hear how it sounds, and the particulars of word choice, repetition of certain words, the way questions aren't asked or answered direectly.

* Did hearing your story read aloud help??? Hope your listening partner was kind and constructive? asked questions? etc. We'll discuss the process of Thursday.

Dialogue is very difficult to write well, the hardest I think, so don't get too freaked out about it.

Read your work aloud again. Think about every line, does it need to be there, is it adding to the story and also shaping the character?

* Note: This is how to use quotes, gramatically speaking:
"What should we drink?" the girl asked.
"It's pretty hot," the man said.

* Look at good dialogue. Read, "Hills Like White Elephants."
Study the line, "And if I do it you'll be happy and things will be like they were and you'll love me?"
Listen to the desperation in the voice, the emotion, and the uncertainty about what it seems she needs to do in order for him to love her, to keep things going as before, as if she were not pregnant.

* I will post other examples of stories with good dialogue under stories at left.

REWRITE YOUR DIALOGUE and hand them in on Thursday.


3, Read "Nativity, Caucasion," and post comments in regard to character, style, plot, etc. We'll discuss the story on Thursday.