A Case of Body Language

Body language is an interesting concept when it comes to writing. How to convey it? Should you even try to do it at all? I'm a firm believer in using it. Sometimes it’s a sad state of affairs that actors aren't much into using it. At least some do though, and I automatically gravitate toward them. There was an interesting scene in a recent episode of the TV show "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" where one of the main characters, Harriet, was talking to a lawyer about something and the general feeling was that Harriet's truthfulness was a problem. This scene took place just prior to the "wrap party" and Harriet was in her party dress. In a move that was just brilliant and seems to defy mere description she grabs the flare skirt-ish part of the dress and gives it a brief twirl or swing.

What is being said with this gesture? It is a mix of many things at different levels. There's something of a look at me, this is a nice dress, and I'm going to a party kind of vibe. It's childish, and a bit fidgety, but yet it's also part, I'm going to ignore the suggestion that the truth can be a bad thing, and also, okay I have to get myself in the right headspace for the party so I don't cause any kind of a scene, and so I don't impose my problems on others.

It's a flood of things said in this short one or two seconds, mixed with other body language, facial expression, and most importantly deep connection to both what was said just before it and to the on-going characterization of Harriet. Maybe it has to be seen to be understood. However to even approach that in a story, that's pure gold. Body language can be like that. There are different manifestations of body language beyond how one holds themselves while speaking. Amongst them are things like gestures or fidgeting, general comportment and demeanour. Most importantly it’s all a manifestation of behaviour, a conveyor of emotion, and it's pure character.

Mood: crazy.
Music: Cumbersome by Seven Mary Three and Sugar, We're Goin Down by Fall Out Boy.

Buy these at Amazon.ca Click Images to Buy

Yak Yak Yak Yak Yak

I have a real love for dialogue in my writing. It's not a secret. Maybe it’s because of the hours and hours on end of watching television during the regular season, and the tonne of movies of which I'm so fond. I don't know that my dialogue is all that great, at least in and of itself. I do read my dialogue out loud when I edit to make sure I'm not letting anything in that sounds bad. It may not be easy to hear, find, or write great dialogue, but it sure is difficult to not hear it when it's bad. What I do like to believe, and no one who proofreads for me has disabused me of, is that I know how to get the most out of my dialogue.

What should dialogue do? The first thing is obvious; convey ideas between one character and another. The second thing is a little more transparent in good dialogue; convey ideas from the characters to the audience. The third thing isn't something that the reader thinks about directly; the dialogue should convey the character's character to the audience. What someone says can speak volumes about the person. This goes beyond just speech patterns, accents, and other indicators of where the character lives and/or grew up.

Then there are the things that dialogue can say about the relationship between the two (or more) speakers. On a side note, this is where I wish that in English we had something akin to the Japanese honorifics, because I really love the added depth they bring. All of these modes of communication bundled up into dialogue lead us to the last thing required for good dialogue: the parts outside of the quotation marks. While I love it best to convey as much as I can inside the quotes I do like the variety of "dialogue tags". There's nothing wrong with every dialogue tag being "he said" or "she said", but there are ever so many words to use in place of said to add even more meaning to your dialogue. This is without even getting in body language to enhance your dialogue.

Mood: level.
Music: Let's Get Rocked by Def Leppard and Kickstart My Heart by Motley Crue.

Buy these at Amazon.ca Click Images to Buy