tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post2039760074972909958..comments2024-03-22T12:11:58.453-06:00Comments on Michael Offutt: An intro to character using only dialogueMichael Offutt, Phantom Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10557969104886174930noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-77904357696546590192012-02-11T13:06:24.296-07:002012-02-11T13:06:24.296-07:00Awkward was certainly the right expression :) Thi...Awkward was certainly the right expression :) This was a nice introduction of two characters. I learned a lot about them from this exchange.<br /><br />I know what you mean about needing some tags for direction. I had a tough time not putting them in myself. And, I wasn't sure that was the point of this exercise until I saw so many others without the tags.<br /><br />This blogfest kinda hurt my head :)<br /><br />.......dholedolorahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08715849844092553699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-56926045515305264402012-02-09T22:01:58.745-07:002012-02-09T22:01:58.745-07:00Love the punch in the gut line! Apparently I'...Love the punch in the gut line! Apparently I'm not the only one. :)<br /><br />Have you seen that clip with the floating heads and they sing about not having a body to the 'If you want my body' song? Oh my gosh! It's freakin' hilarious!<br /><br />And ya, this exercise was for fun. Like really, you wouldn't do just dialog in a real book, right? This was just to get to know the characters through what they say. Purely a voice thing. (And to drive everyone crazy. mwhahahaha!)Cassie Maehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17706774393186819619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-78662153136985496372012-02-09T14:57:53.493-07:002012-02-09T14:57:53.493-07:00You cheated!
A lot of people recommend the exer...You cheated! <br /><br />A lot of people recommend the exercise so we get used to how powerful the words can be, rather than relying on tags to give tone and visual clues. But I know what you mean about talking heads. <br /><br />Did you read Jess's entry? She did a great job!Theresa Milsteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03477761307315565259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-65065798652428627482012-02-09T08:07:25.591-07:002012-02-09T08:07:25.591-07:00I read this one AFTER your subsequent post about t...I read this one AFTER your subsequent post about the piano. I liked the dialogue better. As for the "rule" about dialogue, only, don't worry. The only rule that matter is, does the audience get the story?<br /><br />This exchange tells the audience much more about the characters and moves the story ahead much further than the piano scene.Scott Buryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05061034006121401082noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-42348051080381987112012-02-09T08:03:09.418-07:002012-02-09T08:03:09.418-07:00Meh, tags, no tags, whatever. I loved this. I'...Meh, tags, no tags, whatever. I loved this. I've been where Brianna is - except I didn't ask for the phone number :-)Sarah Tokeleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13273148070092101085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-50308755529513323072012-02-09T07:42:50.738-07:002012-02-09T07:42:50.738-07:00Fortunately the non-dialogue police are taking a b...Fortunately the non-dialogue police are taking a break at the donut shop. Tags are hard to get rid of even in an exercise like this. I liked it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-40381045624468854772012-02-09T04:16:29.320-07:002012-02-09T04:16:29.320-07:00Hi Michael. I so agree about talking heads.The tag...Hi Michael. I so agree about talking heads.The tags do help it flow. I wrote in my entry that disemboided voices in a white washed room can seem weird, unless the conversation sets the scene (without being chunks of exposition). I enjoyed your dialogue.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-17066573189737549042012-02-08T22:08:45.055-07:002012-02-08T22:08:45.055-07:00I liked it! :)I liked it! :)Alyson Burdettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16916059117572619004noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-27490480906129343222012-02-08T21:18:33.980-07:002012-02-08T21:18:33.980-07:00I love the "You have a boyfriend" line. ...I love the "You have a boyfriend" line. It was a great twist on things. I feel like I got a good sense of the characters too.Sarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10444784814793987285noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-65666151666155634252012-02-08T21:15:42.714-07:002012-02-08T21:15:42.714-07:00superb info. thanks for postingsuperb info. thanks for postingJeremy Bateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00877532315856151843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-224101415501836982012-02-08T19:37:08.044-07:002012-02-08T19:37:08.044-07:00Awkward! LOLAwkward! LOLNicole Zoltackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07464800543376449290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-97698369107657482012-02-08T18:01:48.369-07:002012-02-08T18:01:48.369-07:00I just read the dialogue and you can gleam so much...I just read the dialogue and you can gleam so much just from that. Sure, in a novel you need all that stuff but if your dialogue is standalone, you know it's good.<br /><br />Another thing that helps is only to have a conversation between two people.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12160669603997465454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-70128407744444092002012-02-08T17:52:25.841-07:002012-02-08T17:52:25.841-07:00The end totally caught me off guard. I felt just l...The end totally caught me off guard. I felt just like Brianna. Not a fail at all! Great job, Michael :)Angela Cothranhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09243582290698922119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-81696679362696797042012-02-08T17:46:11.717-07:002012-02-08T17:46:11.717-07:00As in, after she learns he's got a boyfriend. ...As in, after she learns he's got a boyfriend. yeah :PTrishahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16927558937796802496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-86208020368573780912012-02-08T17:45:57.183-07:002012-02-08T17:45:57.183-07:00My immediate thought was that if I was Brianna I w...My immediate thought was that if I was Brianna I would've been like, "Damn it, I really needed that sandwich money to pay rent!" ;)Trishahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16927558937796802496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-37735147270778304782012-02-08T17:42:08.093-07:002012-02-08T17:42:08.093-07:00Nice dialogue. A whole scene with no tags or narra...Nice dialogue. A whole scene with no tags or narrative action would be dang hard to write.Julie Daineshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08350205936357263571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-55768861543878218522012-02-08T16:26:54.048-07:002012-02-08T16:26:54.048-07:00hey, I thought it was pretty good. I can't sta...hey, I thought it was pretty good. I can't stand talking heads either, but for an exercise it might be fun to try.Angela Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12488555961691093024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-701708370196237612012-02-08T16:00:42.572-07:002012-02-08T16:00:42.572-07:00I thought it was great and it made me want to know...I thought it was great and it made me want to know what kind of friends they will be.Bellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14175778756449339363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-79464435045859479872012-02-08T15:36:05.135-07:002012-02-08T15:36:05.135-07:00I like that she wants to give him her phone number...I like that she wants to give him her phone number anyway at the end. It speaks volumes about her. It was an informative exchange. I like some action, etc ... with the words, too. I liked it.M Paxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14096697282530998519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-4284766804488476182012-02-08T15:29:42.002-07:002012-02-08T15:29:42.002-07:00I think Grumpy just goes around trying to get firs...I think Grumpy just goes around trying to get first comment on every blog. That's his goal in life.<br /><br />And I think Pagel isn't limited to the written word. He is, after all, a lawyer. He gets topaid to talk in front of people.<br /><br />That's good little bit of interaction there. I'm guessing you don't like Hemingway? He would go for pages without any sort of dialogue tags. I hated that crap.Andrew Leonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13964775673414653644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-23767588206221574432012-02-08T15:21:27.461-07:002012-02-08T15:21:27.461-07:00I liked this dialogue exchange. The "You--hav...I liked this dialogue exchange. The "You--have--a--boyfriend?" It felt natural with an unexpected twist. I actually prefer non dialouge tags. Good job.Melissa Sugarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16268333458796847721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-42443717173583038882012-02-08T15:01:41.879-07:002012-02-08T15:01:41.879-07:00You did a good job... the tags were few and short....You did a good job... the tags were few and short... worked for me. I got a feel for the characters:)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-84113556124874270762012-02-08T14:39:30.673-07:002012-02-08T14:39:30.673-07:00I enjoyed it! I totally wanted to read on. :)I enjoyed it! I totally wanted to read on. :)Mina Burrowshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14483363743530076604noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-6791058867576799342012-02-08T14:32:15.758-07:002012-02-08T14:32:15.758-07:00You did a great job! Don't worry!You did a great job! Don't worry!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00503400522084515874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-53865676363391285612012-02-08T13:54:35.980-07:002012-02-08T13:54:35.980-07:00Didn't fail at all Micheal. I love it. Those f...Didn't fail at all Micheal. I love it. Those fun, awkward moments reveal so much. Great job.Leigh Covingtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16377634002477171615noreply@blogger.com