Balancing Dialogue and Action in Scenes

Dialogue is a critical component of stories.  Today we look at how to use dialogue without overusing it or - worse still - using incorrect attribution.

<--Week 2 - Week 3 - Week 4-->
Scene - Human Nature - Dialogue's Purpose

Announcement: Readings This Week
Grad Reading - Tonight (Monday), 8pm, Gilman 388
Turnbull Lecture - Tomorrow (Tuesday), 6:30pm, Mudd 26

Dialogue

An extension of voice and action - not a replacement.

Dialogue Tags

Refer to the Article on 12Writing regarding effective dialogue tags.  See also the PDF on the student portal.

Today's Readings

For "Everything That Rises Must Converge," do a quick survey.  How much of the dialogue has tags?  How often is the speaker revealed through action instead?  Repeat this for "In the Garden of the North American Martyrs."

Both of these stories feature characters who are nearly diametrically opposed.  As these characters interact, notice how dialogue and physical action are used together to convey one character's attempt to influence the other.

Question: Why do these characters want to manipulate one another?  Is this grounded in the character of the individual or the specifics of the situation?

<--Week 2 - Week 3 - Week 4-->
Scene - Human Nature - Dialogue's Purpose

Introduction to Fiction and Poetry
 Poetry - Fiction - Essays

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