Clarity is an essential component of any good story. In dialogue, clarity means making sure audiences know who is speaking. The most common method is to identify the speaker by name, typically by using a tag such as “(name) said”. But it’s also important to make sure a character’s voice is consistent.
Month: January 2019
Festival
Lights strung overhead on coils of rope, laced with ribbons of color. Tambourines clapped, feet stopped, and everywhere the twirl of the dance.
High Intensity Dialogue 205-05
4. Debate
Medium to High Complexity
Medium Intensity
Medium to High Importance
Debates are a little more intense, a little more conflict driven. Where a focused conversation has at least one invested character, debates have at least two, each with their own position. Debates are, in many ways, a median between focused discussion and argument. A focused discussion may transition into debate on the way to becoming an argument, just as an argument may downgrade to a debate or even a focused discussion.
After the Fight
“It’s over”
In the distance Victor’s body stood against the sun, easily mistaken for another hill that dotted the landscape; a fitting end for him. The others turned their horses. No one hurried or lingered, they simply rode along, silent as their former enemy. They rode into the night, and through the next day, stopping only to water the horses.
The Importance of Choice in Storytelling #AuthorToolboxBlogHop
I believe choice may be the most important aspect of good storytelling. Choice is what grants significance and meaning to the events of the story, and its characters. If a character does not choose, or if their choices have no bearing on the outcome of the story, the character’s choices cease to matter.