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The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > Creative Convention > Fiction Writing Advice and Discussion: Read. Write. Crit. Repeat.
 
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Abundant Atrophy
Nov 3, 2012
 Monologue is keeping yourself talking and interested.
Dialogue is keeping the other person talking and interested. What do you say to get the other person to explain XYZ about ABC? What do you say to not bore the other person, if you care? This and believing people only talk to get a reaction from what they're saying or to pry information out of someone.

But then I just come back to this, actual advice.

Dr. Kloctopussy posted:

DIALOGUE

There are two (four?) main things to think about when writing dialogue:
1a) What are people saying
1b) Why are they saying it?
2a) How do they say it?
2b) Why do they say it that way?

Don’t just write what your characters thing or want and put it in quotes!

People don’t always say what they mean. They prevaricate, they flatter, they fish. Moments of direct honesty are rare and dramatic. The ways that characters go about all this depends on who they are, who they are talking to (and in front of), and what they want.

You've got your character and know how they'll behave after modeling them off someone's behavior, so presumably you know how they'd go about boasting about themselves or interrogating the people close to them.

* # ¿ Mar 10, 2017 04:46
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# ¿ May 5, 2024 09:34
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Abundant Atrophy
Nov 3, 2012

Doctor Zero posted:

Agreed. Telling people your story idea is like telling someone about your dreams. Nobody gives a poo poo unless it’s catchy and short and even then probably not because it only has meaning to you. They only get that meaning when you write it out.

Having said that I think you have some interesting ideas in there. Being completely honest the anime connections make me roll my eyes a bit (and I watch anime) but as long as you hide the fingerprints well so it won’t end up reading like fanfic you should be good.




But I want to hear about this story theory involving cats...

Likely,
It's only okay, but good for plot shorthand terms like Dark Night of the Soul

* # ¿ Sep 16, 2019 15:46
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Abundant Atrophy
Nov 3, 2012

bigperm posted:

I have a problem with being too nice to my characters. All of my stories just sort of fade into this really boring situation where only good things are happening. I just really struggle putting a character through any sort of lasting trauma. Does anyone have any advice on getting over this?

What if the characters realize what's happening. Only good and positive things are flooding their lives despite their own work, intent, perceived self value. No matter what they do, they're embedded in a world where trauma, conflict, unhappiness has been snuffed out. Your character steps in front of a bus only for the vehicle to putter on empty, harmlessly stopping without collision.

* # ¿ Oct 4, 2019 16:32
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The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > Creative Convention > Fiction Writing Advice and Discussion: Read. Write. Crit. Repeat.