How to Write Dialogue

1. How to Write Dialogue By Award-Winning Dialogue Writer John Geary

2. The Writing Process • An Overall Subject • Pre-writing • Writing • Feedback • Editing

3. 1. An Overall Subject • Pick from a list • Be told what to write about • Pick a subject out of thin air • Don’t make subject too broad

4. Pre-Writing • Creating web of ideas • Make a possible timeline • Free Writing

5. Writing Tips Know Your Actors • Keep it appropriate (level, content) • If using difficult language, do it phonetically • Style – narrative, persuasive, descriptive Know Your Audience • Keep it appropriate (level, content) • Keep it interesting

6. Writing • Imagine you are the actors speaking • Don’t write as if you are speaking it, but as if THEY (the actors) are speaking it. • Don’t worry about grammar and mechanics.

7. Feedback Check it Yourself • Read it through for time purposes • Check grammar, spelling, mechanics Run through with Actors • Have actors read in front of you • Get their opinion • Make notes on anything too difficult or too wordy.

8. Editing • Using notes from feedback, re-write dialogue. • Read final draft for time appropriateness. • Make copies for number of actors.

9. Practice Example • San Hu Elementary’s Director comes to John. • “We have a dialogue competition and we would like you to write some dialogue. The subject is beautiful vacation places in Taiwan, so we want you to write about your winter break vacation.” • Two of our sixth grade girls will be reading the dialogue.

10. Important Points/ Timeline

11. DIalogue • The two girls see each other for the first time after winter break back at school. They are very excited to see each other. • Penny: Hey Sally! It’s good to see you! • Sally: It’s good to see you, too, Penny. Where did you go for your break? • Penny: Oh, I just stayed at home. How about you? Where did you go? • Sally: Oh my God, it was so cool. I went down to Kunding. • Penny: I am so jealous. How was it? • Sally: It was beautiful. I took the high speed rail down to Kaoshiung (make a gesture like a rocket), and then I took a taxi to the hotel.

12. Penny: Was the hotel nice? • Sally: It was real nice. It was called the Surf Shack Hotel, Bar and Grill. The restaurant served hamburgers and sandwiches. • Penny: What did you see while you were there? • Sally: First I went and had a picnic in Kunding Park. • I saw some monkeys and a goat. • Penny: That is so neat. • Sally: Yes, but the best part was going swimming at Baisha. • Penny: You went swimming?? Wasn’t it cold?? • Sally: You’d think so, looking at all the people NOT in the water. I don’t understand those silly people. • The temperature in the air was 24 degrees, but the water temperature was 25 degrees. It felt great.

13. Penny: Did you see any sea monsters? • Sally: No, silly, but I did come face to face with a baby sea snake. • Penny: Oh my gosh, Sally, don’t you know the sea snake is the deadliest snake in Taiwan? • Sally: Yes, but I’ve seen enough Animal Planet to know that sea snakes will not attack. Remember, • Look, don’t touch!! • Penny: Well thank you Mrs. Jock Coo-stoe. You’ll have to tell me more about your trip later. We have to get to class. • Sally: You mean, like the giant ball I got in and rolled down the hill? • Penny: I am so jealous. • Sally: Next time we can both go.

14. Feedback and Editing • I am proud to say that the only change the girls wanted me to make was to change the names of the girls (I forget their names). • I am even more proud to announce that these girls won second prize in the contest.

15. Your assignment • Write some dialogue. • For 2-3 people • Time limit for dialogue 2-3 minutes • Topic: the dangers of driving in Taiwan