Two characters talking.

Status
Not open for further replies.

blueframe

Registered
Joined
Oct 5, 2010
Messages
16
Reaction score
0
I am working on a short story and while there are bookend "action" scenes, the main conflict takes place between two people talking.

The way I am visualizing it now, a man and woman are sitting in a diner, having coffee, while he is trying to convince her to do something she doesn't want to do. There is a lot of dialogue around their shared history and a tragic event. The stakes are very high but the bulk of the story is essentially "two people sitting in a room talking". They leave the diner for the final scene and it is mostly action.

I am wondering if there are some good authors/stories that could show how to handle this type of conflict so it could work without being too "boring". Where the conflict is essentially two people talking.

Thanks!
 

Tinman

Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 17, 2012
Messages
418
Reaction score
39
Location
Southeast Missouri
Blueframe. Welcome to the site.

The only thing I can think of offhand is a Stephen King story called The Boogeyman. It's about a man telling a story to a psychiatrist. It's in his Nightshift collection. I'm sure there are many others. Good luck!!
 

guttersquid

I agree with Roxxsmom.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 9, 2011
Messages
1,324
Reaction score
229
Location
California, U.S.A.
Your post suggests that you fear the middle part of your story, between the exciting beginning and exciting ending, will be boring. But dialogue is not boring unless you write boring dialogue.

Consider this: "Twelve people in a jury room argue about a case." That's the basic description of 12 Angry Men. Nothing boring there.
 

blueframe

Registered
Joined
Oct 5, 2010
Messages
16
Reaction score
0
Blueframe. Welcome to the site.

The only thing I can think of offhand is a Stephen King story called The Boogeyman. It's about a man telling a story to a psychiatrist. It's in his Nightshift collection. I'm sure there are many others. Good luck!!

Thanks Tinman. I got the book today.
 

blueframe

Registered
Joined
Oct 5, 2010
Messages
16
Reaction score
0
Your post suggests that you fear the middle part of your story, between the exciting beginning and exciting ending, will be boring. But dialogue is not boring unless you write boring dialogue.

Consider this: "Twelve people in a jury room argue about a case." That's the basic description of 12 Angry Men. Nothing boring there.

Hi Guttersquid,

Thanks for the comment and you make a very good point. I am concerned that a scene with just dialogue and some minimal action (ordering coffee, drinking coffee, etc.) will be slow. I wanted to see if it has been done in a successful way or if I should switch gears altogether. Your "12 Angry Men" reference is a good one.
 

AKyber36

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 9, 2011
Messages
231
Reaction score
14
Location
USA
A good short story by Ernest Hemingway that has a similar approach is "Hills Like White Elephants." I thought of that when you began mentioning your premise, and it might make for a good observation to see how he handled it.
 

blueframe

Registered
Joined
Oct 5, 2010
Messages
16
Reaction score
0
A good short story by Ernest Hemingway that has a similar approach is "Hills Like White Elephants." I thought of that when you began mentioning your premise, and it might make for a good observation to see how he handled it.

I did read this story! Thanks very much for the suggestion. It is a good one.
 

flapperphilosopher

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 22, 2012
Messages
874
Reaction score
100
Location
Canada
Website
annakrentz.blogspot.ca
I immediately thought Hemingway too... he has a lot of stories that are mostly two people talking. His short story collection "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" has a lot of them, you might try that. Maybe even look at some plays to see how high stakes can be in a scene of "just" talking... a different format but a helpful learning tool. Tennessee Williams is a good one to look at.
 

blueframe

Registered
Joined
Oct 5, 2010
Messages
16
Reaction score
0
I immediately thought Hemingway too... he has a lot of stories that are mostly two people talking. His short story collection "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" has a lot of them, you might try that. Maybe even look at some plays to see how high stakes can be in a scene of "just" talking... a different format but a helpful learning tool. Tennessee Williams is a good one to look at.

Great suggestions! Thanks!
 

Mrs. de Winter

Eating cookies
Registered
Joined
May 30, 2012
Messages
43
Reaction score
2
Check out Nathan Englander's stories, like the title story in "What We Talk about When We Talk About Anne Frank." Or "A Temporary Matter," by Jhumpa Lahiri (you can find it in her book, Interpreter of Maladies)
 

AKyber36

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 9, 2011
Messages
231
Reaction score
14
Location
USA
I did read this story! Thanks very much for the suggestion. It is a good one.

I read it as part of high school language arts class. We analyzed the conversation, and it was very meaningful. It's perhaps one of my favorite Hemingway shorts on how to do a story with primarily nuanced dialogue.
 

Sai

Book lover/Spy
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 11, 2007
Messages
2,392
Reaction score
394
Location
Back home
Website
www.kuri-ousity.com

blueframe

Registered
Joined
Oct 5, 2010
Messages
16
Reaction score
0
Check out Nathan Englander's stories, like the title story in "What We Talk about When We Talk About Anne Frank." Or "A Temporary Matter," by Jhumpa Lahiri (you can find it in her book, Interpreter of Maladies)

Thanks very much for the suggestion!
 

blueframe

Registered
Joined
Oct 5, 2010
Messages
16
Reaction score
0

cathyfreeze

I lost my fever! I need it back!
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 19, 2009
Messages
1,170
Reaction score
348
Location
South TX
A good short story by Ernest Hemingway that has a similar approach is "Hills Like White Elephants." I thought of that when you began mentioning your premise, and it might make for a good observation to see how he handled it.

~That was the first story that sprang to my mind, AKyber36. It's two people talking but characters, mysteries, horrors are revealed and it keeps you riveted.

It's online fulltext here

:)
 

AKyber36

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 9, 2011
Messages
231
Reaction score
14
Location
USA
~That was the first story that sprang to my mind, AKyber36. It's two people talking but characters, mysteries, horrors are revealed and it keeps you riveted.

It's online fulltext here

:)

Ah, you found a great link!

Yeah, what Hemingway did great in this was how vague but obvious the topic might have been between the two. Our whole class kept thinking he was pressuring her into having an abortion, but in the end, who knows? The intrigue from the dialogue is amazing, though.
 

JimHeskett

Writers gon write.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 14, 2013
Messages
268
Reaction score
39
Location
Colorado
Website
jimheskett.com
dialogue doesn't have to be boring. Give each character something they want, and make their wants conflict or compete. And what they want comes out in the conversation... but not too on the nose. Use subtext... people rarely say exactly what they're thinking.
 

blueframe

Registered
Joined
Oct 5, 2010
Messages
16
Reaction score
0
dialogue doesn't have to be boring. Give each character something they want, and make their wants conflict or compete. And what they want comes out in the conversation... but not too on the nose. Use subtext... people rarely say exactly what they're thinking.

Thanks for the tips!
 

Coeus

Registered
Joined
Feb 4, 2013
Messages
34
Reaction score
6
Location
Canada
I actually love dialogue scenes. They can be the most interesting parts of a story depending on how they're done.

Think of a film: Aside from bombastic action scenes and the like, all the writing in the film is dialogue. Even better, think of a play. There's pretty much only dialogue.

Dialogue between characters is a fantastic opportunity to show the reader what they're made of. Usually this is accomplished through conflict-- that doesn't mean they need to have an all out fight, but small disagreements provide ample opportunity to explore both the plot and the characters through dialogue.
 

blueframe

Registered
Joined
Oct 5, 2010
Messages
16
Reaction score
0
I actually love dialogue scenes. They can be the most interesting parts of a story depending on how they're done.

Think of a film: Aside from bombastic action scenes and the like, all the writing in the film is dialogue. Even better, think of a play. There's pretty much only dialogue.

Dialogue between characters is a fantastic opportunity to show the reader what they're made of. Usually this is accomplished through conflict-- that doesn't mean they need to have an all out fight, but small disagreements provide ample opportunity to explore both the plot and the characters through dialogue.

Thanks so much Coeus for your response. It is very encouraging.

Thanks to everyone again for your feedback I feel very motivated to complete my story and am not as concerned that "two characters talking" will slow down the momentum!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.