Speech
verbs
What does
it mean?
speak lowly /
indistinctly as if
to oneself
What does
it mean?
say in a loud
voice, often
angrily or to
attract attention
What does
it mean?
express
plainly
What does
it mean?
complain in
annoying tones
What does
it mean?
publicly
declare
What does
it mean?
respond to
something
What does
it mean?
disagree
What does
it mean?
laugh
childishly
What does
it mean?
complain
lowly
What does
it mean?
respond with
sudden anger
What does
it mean?
make rude
and mocking
remarks
What does
it mean?
a haughty,
nasal
response
Mary expressed her disappointment by pulling a face.
Rewrite the sentence using a dynamic action verb
Mary grimaced.
or, Mary frowned.
or, Mary winced.
or, Mary glowered.
or, Mary scowled.
Too long!
Which sentence contains the power verb setting the
scene and the mood so that we can imagine it
immediately, and why?
John sauntered down the street.
John walked down the street.
"Walked" lets us know what John is doing but "sauntered" does so much more.
It lets us know what he's doing, as well as the way he's doing it, by conveying
his mood.
Write a one-page scene with three characters in it.
Show how the three people all speak differently –
the words they use and their speech patterns
should not be the same.
Examples: The banker, the politician, and the
mistress; The robot, the robot’s creator, and the
creator’s mother; The personal trainer, the actor,
and the actor’s agent.
1.
Name the people.
2.
Use dialogue, speech verbs and body language.
3.
Show the setting through their interaction with
it.
This exercise will show the characters: how old they
are, how they see the world, and how they treat
other people. It will also show the relationship
dynamics.
Exercise 1:
Three Of Us
Exercise 2: Eavesdrop
I was kind of excited
about going to jail the
first time and I learnt
some great dialogue.
Quentin Tarantino, famous film director
You don’t have to go to jail, but you need to listen in on a conversation for this
exercise. Tape it if you can. Then write down exactly what the people said.
This exercise will show you that dialogue in fiction cannot be like dialogue in
real life. Real life conversations are often vague and of no consequence. People
often don’t even listen to one another.
Rewrite the dialogue as if it were a novel. Introduce a conflict and show the
characters.