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IWW
Practice-W Exercise Archives
Exercise: Overheard (Version 2)
These exercises were written
by IWW members
and administrators to provide structured practice opportunities for its
members.
You are welcome to use them for practice as well. Please mention that
you found
them at the Internet Writers Workshop
(http://www.internetwritingwor
kshop.org/).
Prepared by: Ruth Douillette
Posted May 28, 2006
Reposted, revised on August 12, 2007
_____________________
Exercise: In 300 words or less, write a scene using the dialogue that
is provided
so we understand the characters, where they are and why the
conversation is
taking place.
_____________________
Writers are always on the lookout for good story ideas. An overheard
conversation often produces a spark upon which a plot can be built.
Perhaps it's
the cell phone conversation in the grocery store that provides fodder
for a
mystery plot.
This exercise focuses on dialogue enhancement. Read the snippet of
dialogue
below and imagine a setting in which this conversation might take
place, and the
characters who might speak these lines. Write a scene around the given
dialogue
so that we understand the characters, where they are and why the
conversation
is taking place.
Your "enhancement" might make the conversation humorous, angry,
heartbreaking, or just an ordinary dinner table chat. Through your
addition of
narrative and dialogue tags, the reader should be able to clearly see
two
characters in a particular setting having this particular conversation.
Here are
the lines you overheard:
"I can't believe you just said that."
"Why? What's wrong with that?"
"You're kidding me, right?"
"Hey, it's the truth. I call it like I see it."
"But, under the circumstances . . . "
This dialogue is a framework; feel free to use it creatively.
_____________________
In 300 words or less, write a scene using the above dialogue so we
understand the
characters, where they are and why the conversation is taking place.
_____________________
When critiquing, let writers know if the dialogue makes sense for the
characters
and setting chosen. Do you know where the action takes place? Are
personalities
revealed? Are the dialogue tags helpful in enhancing the story without
being
stilted? How could the writers have made scenes better?
Web site created by
Rhéal Nadeau and
the administrators of the Internet Writing Workshop.
Modified by Gayle Surrette.
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