{"id":6264,"date":"2019-10-05T22:06:24","date_gmt":"2019-10-05T22:06:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/on-line-interactivity.com\/blog\/2019\/10\/05\/voices-in-your-head\/"},"modified":"2019-10-05T22:06:24","modified_gmt":"2019-10-05T22:06:24","slug":"voices-in-your-head","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/on-line-interactivity.com\/blog\/voices-in-your-head\/","title":{"rendered":"Voices In Your Head"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div><p><body>&#13;<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\">&#13;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/on-line-interactivity.com\">&#13;<br \/>\n  <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/on-line-interactivity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/abbtop.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"120\"\/><\/a><br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/www.website.ws\/kvmlm2\/my.dhtml?sponsor=geekzonehostingcom&amp;bannercode=gif002&amp;language=english\"><img 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name=\"q\" size=\"31\" maxlength=\"255\" value=\"\"\/><input type=\"submit\" name=\"sa\" value=\"Search\"\/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"client\" value=\"pub-5712520513640847\"\/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"forid\" value=\"1\"\/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"ie\" value=\"ISO-8859-1\"\/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"oe\" value=\"ISO-8859-1\"\/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"cof\" value=\"GALT:#008000;GL:1;DIV:#336699;VLC:663399;AH:center;BGC:FFFFFF;LBGC:336699;ALC:0000FF;LC:0000FF;T:000000;GFNT:0000FF;GIMP:0000FF;FORID:1;\"\/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"hl\" value=\"en\"\/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/form>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n<\/center>&#13;<br \/>\n<!-- Search Google -->&#13;<br \/>\n<\/span><\/td>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n            <\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td align=\"left\" height=\"22\">\n<div align=\"justify\"><span class=\"style7\">&#13;<br \/>\n                <font color=\"#FB7014\" size=\"4\" face=\"Tahoma\">Voices in Your Head<\/font><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n            <\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td align=\"left\" height=\"19\">\n<div align=\"justify\"><span class=\"style2\">by: &#13;<br \/>\n                <font size=\"3\" face=\"Times New Roman\" color=\"#FB7014\">Mike Foley<\/font><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n            <\/tr>\n<tr>\n<div id=\"article\">\n<td align=\"left\" height=\"12\"><span class=\"style2\">&#13;<\/p>\n<p>Are you struggling with your story\u0092s dialogue?  If so, you\u0092re not alone.  Dialogue is  tough for many writers.  Fortunately, by learning to listen, you can make your fictional dialogue much stronger.  So let\u0092s begin by looking at a quick dialogue exchange, from a short story I\u0092ve been working on.&#13;\n<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#13;<\/p>\n<p>Her eyes finally met mine.  \u0093This isn\u0092t right, Neil.  You felt it out there.  I know it.\u0094&#13;\n<\/p>\n<p>I nodded.  \u0093But it\u0092s free floating.  It doesn\u0092t cling to the water and it really isn\u0092t a part of the tank.  And there\u0092s no body.  A spirit just circles the site.\u0094&#13;\n<\/p>\n<p>\u0093A broken circle,\u0094  she said gravely.  \u0093Pieces missing\u0085death.  Someone died out there.\u0094&#13;\n<\/p>\n<p>\u0093So you\u0092re saying this is a murder?\u0094&#13;\n<\/p>\n<p>\u0093Maybe.  Don\u0092t know.  No body.  But the evil&#8230;the dark spirit.  It\u0092s still there.\u0094&#13;\n<\/p>\n<p>I had learned over the years that Kathy might be wrong about events and timing, but rarely about feelings.  To her, the evil we felt meant death.&#13;\n<\/p>\n<p>\u0093Look,\u0094  I told her.  \u0093We\u0092ll never know what happened out there.  I say we just send the spirit away and go home.\u0094&#13;\n<\/p>\n<p>She shook her head.  \u0093It won\u0092t leave\u0085not now, anyway.  Isn\u0092t settled\u0085\u0094&#13;\n<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\t&#13;<\/p>\n<p>Although you\u0092re coming into the story somewhere in the middle, without really knowing the characters, you still get a \u0093feel\u0094 for each of them simply by reading this short passage of dialogue.  One character is more analytical, trying to make sense of what they\u0092ve seen.  The other relies mostly on feeling and instinct, taking a more direct approach to the situation.  Two distinct individuals.&#13;\n<\/p>\n<p>But the question is, \u0093How do we know this?\u0094  Certainly there\u0092s a bit of narrative here, but not much.  Most of what we know we learn from the spoken words.  And I\u0092m not talking about the information here.  Instead, I\u0092m referring to way these characters speak.  For example, notice how the analytical character speaks in complete sentences, in larger concepts.  The woman, on the other hand, speaks in short bursts, using clipped sentences and fragments.  Each of these speech patterns relates directly to the characters and who they are.&#13;\n<\/p>\n<p>People are unique in their physical characteristics, the way they dress, and how they view the world.  We use these things to paint portraits of people in fiction and nonfiction.  But it\u0092s important to remember that people also speak in unique ways.  And those speech patterns tell readers just as much about that person as anything else you write.  In fact, a unique method of speech often creates a deeper portrait.  The readers actually hear the person, as well as seeing your visual description.  And that can be a powerful tool.&#13;\n<\/p>\n<p>To achieve this, start listening to the way people speak, paying particular attention to some of the following aspects of speech.&#13;\n<\/p>\n<p>1. Wordiness\u0097Some people will use many words, in many long sentences.  Others (like our character above) may speak in short bursts and fragments.  This can tell readers a lot about the character\u0092s approach to life.  It may even hint at some sort of agenda.  Wordiness, for example, may be tool for evasion, helping the person avoid answering a question.  &#13;\n<\/p>\n<p>2. Tempo\u0097People speak slowly or at high speed and again, that\u0092s a clue to who they are and how they live their lives.  Listen to tempo in speech.  Listen for pauses, especially those that might stem from caution or lack of an answer.  The rate at which a person offers words can be a great character-building tool.&#13;\n<\/p>\n<p>3. Slang\u0097People and characters will often use slang, helping readers determine their age, economic background, ethnicity, and career.  Remember that a simple slang word speaks volumes about a person.  Make sure it\u0092s telling readers what you want them to know.&#13;\n<\/p>\n<p>4. Vocal Habits\u0097One person may always clear his\/her throat before speaking.  Another may overuse a certain word or phrase.  Another might be liberal with short sounds, like \u0093uh.\u0094  Each of these identifies the person for readers and when they see him\/her again, they\u0092re able to immediately grasp that unique character.  And that helps keep the story moving.&#13;\n<\/p>\n<p>One very helpful exercise for developing dialogue is to use your friends, relatives and acquaintances.  Take a line of dialogue from a short story or a quote from a nonfiction article you\u0092re working on.  Then imagine each of your friends saying that line.  How would your best friend say it?  Your mother?  Your boss?  You should be able to hear differences just by imagining how others would tackle a particular line of dialogue.  &#13;\n<\/p>\n<p>Once you have that firmly in your mind, practicing writing it so that it sounds different to readers with each new speaker.  You\u0092ll soon find your dialogue skills (and your ear for speech) improving.&#13;\n<\/p>\n<p>Best of luck with all your writing.&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;\n<\/p>\n<p>\u00a92005 by Mike Foley&#13;<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<table width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"8\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#dddddd\">\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><b>About The Author<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Mike Foley is editor of Dream Merchant Magazine and author of more than 700 published stories and articles.  He also teaches fiction and nonfiction writing in the extension program at UC-Riverside.  Since 1986, Mike has operated the Writer\u0092s Review critique\/editing service, helping hundreds of aspiring writers improve their fiction and nonfiction projects.&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;\n<\/p>\n<p>For information on Mike\u0092s critique or coaching services, visit his website: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.writers-review.com\/\" target=\"new\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www.writers-review.com\/<\/a>&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;\n<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:mike@writers-review.com\">mike@writers-review.com<\/a>&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;\n<\/p>\n<form action=\"http:\/\/www.articlecity.com\/cgi-bin\/search.cgi\" method=\"post\">&#13;<br \/>\n<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"sf1\" value=\"The_Author\"\/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"words\" value=\"Mike Foley\"\/><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><input type=\"submit\" value=\"Other Articles by Mike Foley\"\/><\/p>\n<\/form>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<p><i>This article was posted on August 18, 2005<\/i><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/td>\n<p>&#13;\n            <\/p><\/div>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p align=\"left\">\u00a0        <\/p>\n<p>&#13;\n      <\/td>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n    <\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<hr width=\"800\" noshade=\"noshade\"\/><a href=\"https:\/\/on-line-interactivity.com\/ADSENSEWEBSITES\">RETURN TO ADSENSE BUSINESS-IN-A-BOX MASTER ARTICLE INDEX<\/a><\/p>\n<hr width=\"800\" noshade=\"noshade\"\/>\n<div class=\"fb-share-button\" data-href=\"https:\/\/on-line-interactivity.com\/\" data-layout=\"button\" data-size=\"large\"><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fon-line-interactivity.com%2F&amp;src=sdkpreparse\" class=\"fb-xfbml-parse-ignore\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Share<\/a><\/div>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<div id=\"fb-root\"\/>&#13;<br \/>\n<script async=\"\" defer=\"defer\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\" src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js#xfbml=1&amp;version=v4.0&amp;appId=103650273035821&amp;autoLogAppEvents=1\"\/><!-- End of FACEBOOK SHARE BUTTON CODE --><span class=\"style6\"><br \/><span class=\"style2\">\u00a92019 - All Rights Reserved by <a href=\"http:\/\/HelpMeFindFreedom.Online\">HelpMeFindFreedom.Online<\/a><br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/www.website.ws\/kvmlm2\/my.dhtml?sponsor=geekzonehostingcom&amp;bannercode=gif002&amp;language=english\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.website.ws\/images\/english\/banners\/kvmlm2\/468x60_02.gif\" border=\"0\"\/><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n<\/body><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; \u00a0 &#13; \u00a0&#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; Article Navigation &#13; Back To &#13; Main Page &#13; &#13; &#13; \u00a0 &#13; Click Here &#13; for more articles &#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; Voices in Your Head &#13; by: &#13; Mike Foley [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6264","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-adsense-business-in-a-box"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/on-line-interactivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6264","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/on-line-interactivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/on-line-interactivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/on-line-interactivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/on-line-interactivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6264"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/on-line-interactivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6264\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/on-line-interactivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6264"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/on-line-interactivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6264"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/on-line-interactivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6264"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}