ENG: 3217 Creative Nonfiction Week 13: Dialogue ENG: 3217 Creative Nonfiction

Letting Characters Speak Dialogue in CNF is particularly challenging bc we have to abide the contract and it must either reveal character or move the narrative forward. Dialogue does not mirror real-life speech. It distills the speaker’s meaning and enhances the reader’s understanding.

Letting Characters Speak It’s possible to write a good story without dialogue, but nothing builds character better or connects readers to a persona better than hearing a character speak, esp in historical settings. You have options: Letters Memoirs Diaries/Journals Speeches Newspaper articles Recordings Dictionaries/Idiomatic expressions of era

The purpose of dialogue Reveal character Move the narrative forward Dialogue tells us about who people are, their intentions, frustrations, convictions, obsessions, secrets… Dialogue must be in context meaning it must be used to show how character responds to the conflict driving the story.

Dialogue is not conversation Dialogue is strategic If you can’t tell me what purpose the dialogue serves, then cut it or rework it until you can.

Writing Dialogue Well Interesting dialogue is constructed dialogue Leave out the parts that do not serve a function If you’re taking material out, use ellipses to signal the missing elements. You cannot take out words that change the fundamental meaning without breaking the CNF contract.

Writing Dialogue Well Less is almost always more—no soliloquies Correct punctuation and grammar errors; make a note in the notes section. Identify regional accents through description and move on; do not write dialogue in dialect. Use tags (he said/she said) in the beginning to orient the reader, then sparingly. If the reader can’t follow the conversation without tags, rewrite it.

The Ethics of Dialogue If you’re writing a memoir and want to recreate a situation of dialogue but only have your memory to rely on, what do you do? Keep copious notes, e-mails, journal reflections etc. Do not rely on memory. Ethics says that so long as you report as confidently/accurately as you can, you’re safe. Legally, however, the rules of liability are different.

Dialogue Example John came into the room and slung his briefcase in the corner. All he could see were the dishes everywhere. The kitchen was a disaster. For crying out loud, why was it always like this when he came home from a hard day of work anyhow? “Janet,” he said harshly. “What’s goin’ on.” “What’s going on?” she said. “Yes, what’s goin’ on,” he said. “I’m. … ” “I don’t care watcha doing,” he said. “I’m tired of this. You’re always doin’ this.” “I … ” Janet tried to say.

So, is this dialogue good?

Dialogue Example 2 from Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast “A gentleman, Ford explained, “will always cut a cad.” I took a quick drink of the brandy. “Would he cut a bounder?” I asked. “It would be impossible for a gentleman to have known a bounder.” “Then you can only cut someone you have known on terms of equality?” I pursued. “Naturally.” … “It’s very complicated,” I said. “Am I a gentleman?” “Absolutely not,” Ford said. “Then why are you drinking with me?” “I’m drinking with you as a promising young writer. As a fellow writer, in fact.” “Good of you,” I said. “You might be considered a gentleman in Italy,” Ford said magnanimously.

Dialogue Example 2 from Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast Hemingway deftly established Ford’s character, and established himself as a witty tease and a sarcastic and confident speaker. The tags are brief, and best of all, the speakers are speaking to each other, not to us.

In Class Exercise Call your writing sample up. Exchange your work with a peer. Identify where you have each used dialogue. Offer insight and critique to make the dialogue stronger. Be prepared to share your insights and edits with the class and defend them with examples and stronger re-writes.

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