English 70 Lesson Plan 18
1. Bonus Points
a. Last library workshops this week.
2. Hand in homework on spelling.
3. Test tomorrow over Word Choice, Commonly Confused Words and Spelling.
4. Sample Essay Family Strangers (830 only) Photo (all three classes).
5. Favorite word list—science, place names, people names, foreign words, specialized lingo/family words.
6. Practice 2 and in Chapter 30 on Dialogue (page 496-501).
a. Practice 3 as homework.
7. Rough Draft Due Wednesday.
Dialogue
Short
Vivid
Believable
Tips on Dialogue
In two's: I'm sorry but…
1. The first writer pulls out a piece of paper and begins their dialogue with the words "I'm sorry, but…". They complete the sentence and pass the journal to their partner.
2. The partner, after reading the sentence, writes a line (or paragraph) of dialogue which heightens the tension.
3. Keep passing the journal back and forth, trying to throw curve balls at one another without delving into the absurd.
4. Try not to rely on dialogue tags to reveal how the character is speaking.
5. In fact, don't use dialogue tags at all. Rely on your word choice and punctuation.
Movies with great dialogue: Tarantino, Juno, Linklater, Kevin Smith, Coen Brothers, David Mamet, Casablanca, China Town, Aaron Sorkin
Listen to how people talk to each other
• Most of it is the weather.
• He's like a bull in a china shop…
• Eating out. Bars. Waiting rooms. Cell phone jerks. At the checkout.
More notes on dialogue:
Dialogue is not real speech, but it should sound like it.
• Cut words and phrases that don't move things along
Keep it to three sentences or less
Break it up with action—remind us they have bodies and senses.
Vary signal phrases, but keep it simple. Don't use elaborate signal phrases (she expostulated, he interjected)
Avoid stereotypes in dialect, but…
• Huck Finn
• To Kill a Mockingbird
Don't over use slang/profanity. "Slang goes sour in a short time." --EH
Read a lot. Note good/bad
Punctuate correctly
• Use quotation marks.
Start a new paragraph when changing speakers.
