Fiction Writing Workshop #4

Posted by Jennifer Jensen Feb 29, 2008

Dialogue Writing Assignment

I actually had some success with the writing assignment this week. The three-person dialogue was difficult in some ways - I tended to have one person with something to tell and the other two made comments. But usually the two secondary characters would develop their own attitudes in commenting. One supportive, one wise-cracking. One eager, one reluctant.

No Internal Editor!

I tried hard to set aside my internal editor before I started, and to not try to start with particular characters. Instead, I started with one person and one line of dialogue, and let whatever lines wanted to follow, follow.

Revealing Character

Sometimes my main person would say something off the wall and instead of redirecting her, I let it go where it wanted. Sometimes Character Two or Three would add a comment to their mouthing off, and I let the subject turn completely. I found out that one girlfriend really didn’t like the other’s fiancé. And my two sniping siblings turned into a younger brother teasing his sister about her first crush. Not what I expected!

Writing for Fun

It wasn't easy - I had to keep reminding myself. But if I succeeded in letting go, it became downright fun! Which is what Dan was after.

Still turning envelopes in, still don’t know what will happen to them, but I don’t really care. I’m getting it. Next week we start workshopping stories.

To start from the beginning, read Fiction Writing Workshop #1, then #2, then #3.