Fragment #6: Dialogue Exercises

A dialogue scene that reveals character and character relationships. Giveaway physical context (time, place, atmosphere) in the physicality of the scene.

The red brick façade of the university dormitory stretched across a  Sunlight danced upon red and gold leaves waving in the wind, prickling. Blue and white banners hung from windowpanes, underlining students at their desks or in the common room.

Fallen leaves crunched under Stefan’s sneakers as he approached the building, shifting the weight of his messenger bag. He found Cassie in her navy blue beanie, sitting on a wooden bench in the shade of a wide oak tree.

“How do you like it?”

“It’s really cool, Stefan. Keeps my head warm. Thanks.”

A monologue scene. One character has most of the spoken lines, the other character is shown mostly in reaction shots. Use the landscape around the characters (via metaphor) to show the growing understanding the reacting character is coming to.

“Now all we can do is wait.

Klacks reached across Milinia and opened the glove compartment. Inside, a manila envelope was wrapped around the barrel of a gun.

A scene of quiet conflict between two major characters. It highlights either a parting of the ways between them, or results in a new understanding.

The underground NeoSteel bunker shuddered in the wake of distant explosions. White light panels flickered along the low ceiling.

Nikolai

“I had no choice, Nikolai.” Adam

 

“You should have thought about that before you

“The weapons

“So that’s it then?” Adam inhaled the cigarette dry and looked at the surveillance monitors: the landscape was scorched and buildings were razed. Rebel sentries stood vigil on smoldering ruins. “You’ll go back to your quiet little farm on Earth and pray this insignificant war out.” Smoke trailed Adam’s words as ashes fell over shell casings.

“God takes no side.” Nikolai replied

“You’ll pray this war out and when somebody comes out on top

A heightened sense of real, deep conflict. This goes to the heart of the story. It may contain a revelatory moment. When writing this, turn down the treble and up the bass.