Dialogue And Character

First of all, take three people (not literally!) you have seen somewhere, such as on a bus, at the supermarket, in a queue, in a waiting room etc. and jot down a few details about each one.

• How do they speak? Do they have an accent?
• Do they gesture with their hands when they talk? How?
• What are their hands like?
• What are they wearing?
• What job do you think they might do?
• If a woman ~ is she carrying a handbag? What is it like?
•                    ~ how does she do her hair? Colour?
•                    ~ is she wearing jewellery?
•                    ~ is she wearing make-up?
• If a man ~ is he carrying any sort of bag? What is it like?
•               ~ what is his hair like? Colour?
•               ~ is he wearing a wedding ring?
•               ~ what are his finger nails like?
•               ~ does he have any distinguishing marks: e.g. tattoos, cigarette stains, scars etc.?
• Do they have any obvious mannerisms?
• What else do you notice about them?

Make up anything you are not sure about or don't know!


Next, choose a setting. If outdoors, you can add weather and/or time of year.


Then write a short conversation between two or all three characters. 'Hear' their voices in your head and try to create two/three different characters mainly from what they say.


Lastly, you could rewrite the same scene without any 'he said, she said' qualifiers and read it aloud. Can you hear the different people speaking?


Good luck! Heather