1. Pages 119-123

2.  What the people in a story say to one another  Not mandatory, but can bring a story to life Contributes to characterization Introduces backstory Advances plot  Adds an immediacy to fiction What does that mean: “immediacy?” Why is that important?

3.  Allen: “It may be acceptable to use bad grammar or sentence fragments”  “you’d do best to give your reader the flavor of the words without using lengthy sentences. Dialogue must reveal something that the reader needs to know”  Again: Something the reader needs to know.

4.  Dialogue should be brief.  It should add to present knowledge.  It should eliminate the routine exchanges of ordinary conversation.  It should convey a sense of spontaneity but eliminate the repetitiveness of real talk.  It should keep the story moving forward.  It should be revelatory to the speaker’s character, both directly and indirectly.  It should show relationships among people.

5.  Americans are natural dialogue writers. To what author might we credit for this “gift”?  Consider a dialogue Journal: Due 12.21 10 pages, numbered or bulleted, of overheard conversation: Significant grade.  Amy Bloom: “Dialogue is conversation’s greatest hits”  “What people say reveals who they are”

6.  “language must fit the character”  Write within reason: If you must use it to be “true” to a character, that is fine. However, we would all like to see your work published in the literary magazine. The school will NOT publish anything.  Context dictates dialogue: Who is talking to whom? Older to younger? Powerful to the weak?

7.  Jerome Stern: “what your characters don’t say and the way they don’t [say it] is a vital, if often ignored, consideration”  Like poetry: what you leave out is as important as what you leave in Let’s look at example on page 120  “My wife said that maybe we were being…”  REPORTED DIALOGUE

8.  Different speaker: Indent that person’s speech and start and new paragraph.  NEW SPEAKER = NEW PARAGRAPH Avoid tagging if only two speakers (like your assignment) But occasionally tag for clarity  Exercise in notebook:  Copy four sentences on page 121

9.  Commas and periods go inside quotation marks when you are punctuating dialogue. Jim said, “Hi.” Or: “Hi,” Jim said.  When one character addresses another, you need a comma before, or after, or before and after the name of the who is being addressed. “What are you doing, Lindy?” OR: “Lindy, you’re making me sick!” OR: “Hey, Lindy, what’s up?”  Indent paragraphs ½ inch (one tab). The beginning of sentences are always capitalized.  Check your CHECKLIST on page 122 BEFORE submitting assignment.