Dialogue

1. Dialogue 3A1 English

2. TIMETABLE • Today we will be looking at creating our dialogue and writing our stories. You will have time in class to do this. So your characters paragraphs must be completed so you can write up your stories. • Your stories will need to be at least 800 words in length. • Completion date for stories is Monday 28th of Jan 2013 • Tuesday and Friday – we will be looking at script lay-out and how to format our stories into scripts. Maybe even doing some role play. • Monday the 28th – we have the IT centre. As you will have completed writing your stories, this is an opportunity for you to format it and type it into a script. COMPLETED SCRIPTS MUST BE HANDED IN BY THE TUESDAY THE 29th– if need be, we can use Tuesday period to finish scripting. • Friday the 1st of Feb – Performance Day!

3. Learning IntentionI am learning… • I am learning to develop characters and use effective characterisation to enhance the quality of my text.

4. Success CriteriaI can… • I can create a convincing and well rounded background story for my characters by focusing on a few specific areas. (Appearance, Action, Speech and Thought). • I can create convincing relationships, actions and dialogue for my characters.

5. 4 Character Areas • Appearance – Gives your reader visual understanding of the character. • Action – Show the reader what kind of person your character is, by describing actions rather than simply listing adjectives. • Speech – Develop the character as a person – don’t merely have your character announce important storyline details. • Thought – Bring the reader into your character’s mind, to show them your character’s unexpressed memories, fears and hopes.

6. What is Dialogue…? • Writers use dialogue to dramatize important moments in the story. They also use dialogue to make the story more believable, make a scene come to life, seem realistic. • Writers also use dialogue as a technique of characterization.

7. Conventions of Dialogue • Dialogue should sound realistic, as though two people are talking to each other.  • Use dialogue to advance plot, reveal character, create tension, show conflict between characters.

8. Conventions of Dialogue cont. • Use quotations around the words spoken by each character. • Use dialogue tags to show who is speaking. For example ‘he said’ or ‘she said’ OR ‘Dave said’,‘Mary said’ • Use a new paragraph for each new speaker. • Use exclamation marks sparingly in dialogue. Use only for to show extreme emotion.

9. Example… “I was fired today”, Dave said. “That’s awful”, Mary said, starting to cry. “How are we going to pay the rent?” “I will cash in my bond,” Dave said. • If dialogue is long, place the dialogue tag in middle.  “I’m going to start looking for a job”, said Dave. “I’ll create a resume, write a cover letter, start searching online. You’ll see. I’ll have a job in 4 weeks.”

10. Dialogue and Character You can use dialogue as a technique of characterization— Use it as a device to reveal your character to the reader: • To make the dialogue realistic, create a unique voice for each character. How do they sound? Do they have an accent? • Use dialogue to enable characters to speak for themselves. • Before writing dialogue for a character, ask the following: Does the character use slang? Profanity? Incorrect Grammar? Perfect English? Complete sentences?

11. … “I invited you into my home.” Anne went on, needing to express her hurt, feeling again her shock and despair. “And then you attacked my family.” “Why not?” he asked almost offhandedly, but his expression was filled with pain. “I killed mine.” He started closing in on her. “I killed their friends. And their friends’ children” he said. “For a hundred years I offered an ugly death to everyone I met. And I did it with a song in my heart.” She detected the merest hint of self-loathing; she raised her chin slightly and asked, “What changed?” “Fed on a girl,” he told her. “About your age. Beautiful.” He looked off into the distance for a moment. “Dumb as a post. But a favourite among her clan.” “Her clan?” Anne repeated, unsure of his word choice. “Romani,” he explained. “Gypsies. The elders conjured the perfect punishment for me.” He waited a beat. “They restored my soul.”

12. How effective is this dialogue? Does it… • dramatize an important moment in the story? • make the scene come to life? • Seem realistic? • advance plot? • reveal the characters? • create tension? • show conflict between the characters?

13. … Steve opened my door and took my hand, then drew me into the protecting enclosure of his arm. He walked me swiftly towards the house, eyes always roving through the night. “Fifteen minutes,” he warned under his breath. “I can do this.” I sniffled. My tears had given me an inspiration. I stopped on the porch and took hold of his face in my hands. I looked fiercely into his eyes. “I love you,” I said in a low, intense voice. “I will always love you, no matter what happens now.” “Nothing is going to happen to you, Elaine,” he said just as fiercely. “Just follow the plan, ok? Keep Stan safe for me. He’s not going to like me very much after this, and I want to have the chance to apologise later.” “Get inside, Elaine. We have to hurry.” His voice was urgent. “One more thing,” I whispered passionately. “Don’t listen to another word I say tonight!” He was leaning in, and so all I had to do was stretch up on my toes to kiss his surprised, frozen lips with as much force as I was capable of. Then I turned and kicked the door open.

14. Traffic Lights • This is hard, I need help • I think I’ve got it but need more practice. • I understand, I feel confident