For this section, you will learn how to outline characters and learn how to write scenes using different types of dialogue.
Suggested Reading Assignment
(1) You Can Write A Mystery by Gillian Roberts Chapters Five and Fourteen.
Suggested Writing Assignment
(1) Make a list of each character. Use a separate page for each one. Then start writing down the characteristics that you would like to attach to a particular character. The following lists will help you form your characters.
(2) Take your list of characters and write four short scenes illustrating a scene for each of the following types of dialogue: summary, direct dialogue, indirect dialogue, and direct address. These scenes don't have to be the ones you will use in your story.
Outlining Your Characters
You will first learn how to outline your characters. There are different aspects of a character's personality that you need to know and to develop in your story. By outlining your characters, you will be able to understand them and to make them more realistic. Readers want to identify with specific characters. That's why it's important to make them realistic.
Characters and Their Histories
Gillian Roberts mentions that "a character can do anything you like if he has a reason and the reason comes out of his history."(22). The history of a character is important so that you will know what kind of person your character is. You wouldn't want to develop a character who is not like his past. That would make your story and character development inconsistent. Everything in your story needs to be consistent and fit together in an organized manner. She also has a list of different characteristics that you should list about each character. After each one, she suggests questions, etc. to help writers think about their outline and what they want their characters to be like. You may or may not use everything that is listed. Your outline has to be the way you want it for your own personal use.
Characters - Their Outer and Inner Lives
Noah Lukeman in his book The Plot thickens takes three chapters to discuss characters. In his first chapter, he discusses the outer life of characters. For example, this could include activities such as sports, education, family, pets, occupation, etc.
In his second chapter, he talks about the inner life of characters. This could include, religious beliefs, emotions, relationships, habits, etc.
Chapter three is about how to develop the characters you created in the first two chapters. This chapter focuses on how to develop the characters in your story. You first learned about the outer life, then their inner life, and now, you'll learn how to put those characteristics together to create your characters. You also need to answer the following questions: Who do you want to be the protagonist to be? What about the villain? Who are the suspects? What are their motives? What weapons would be available to each character? etc.? All of these chapters explain in detail how to develop your characters so that you can use them in the stories that you write.
Character Tags
In How To Write Mysteries by Shannon OCork, she suggests that "[you] could make a list of your characters and tag them as the list is made, even if you change a tag or two later." (68) She lists different characters and this a a short paragraph about each character.
When you introduce a character, Shannon OCork suggests that "you have them on each character when he's introduced and carry one along for a while, until the readers know everybody well. Then you need only refer to a tag when you want to." (69) It's important to tell something about a character when you introduce that person because readers need to know something about him or her.
Writing Your Scenes
Gillian Roberts discusses three different types of dialogue: summaries, indirect dialogue, and direct dialogue.
Summaries
A summary is just narration. The narrator is stating the action of the characters and what they are saying to each other in his/her own words. The following passage is an example of a summary:
Noticing the sun beginning to set, they knew it was almost supper time. They parked their bicycles and planned what they would say to their parents. Christy always liked to think of things before she made a decision. She pondered over their situation. The sparkle in Christy's eyes showed Megan she had come up with a plan.
The two girls had parked their bicycles and planned what they would say to their parents. This statement is a summary of what they were doing. It doesn't state specifically what they were saying to each other.
Indirect Dialogue
Indirect dialogue is when the narration is more specific about the details of the conversation between two people. Below is a passage of indirect dialogue:
Example of Indirect Dialogue
During breakfast, their father told them they could stay home or go to the park while their mother and he ran some errands.
In this passage, the narrator is showing readers that Christy and Megan's father is talking to them about the things they could do while their parents were gone. He is not speaking directly to them. He is telling them they could stay home or go to the park.
Example Number Two
Their mother interrupted the conversation and told Megan she had to stay in her room during the morning. This statement reveals what their mother wants Megan to do without saying it directly. It indicates their mother's intentions. She didn't want Megan to go anywhere. She wanted Megan to stay in her room.
Direct Dialogue
Direct dialogue is used when there is something specific you want to mention and there is action. The characters are speaking to each other. There is action in the passage by what they are saying and wanting to do.
The following example is taken from my book that I have written titled "Strange Happenings." In a previous passage, Christy and Megan were worried about a conversation they had overheard. They didn't want their mom to sign the papers. They thought their parents were getting a divorce. They didn't know the papers involved getting a house in the country. Their parents wanted to surprise them.
Example of Direct Dialogue
"We have to find those papers," Christy insisted.
"We don't have much time. Mom said she was going to read them today."
"I've got to find out what's going on," Christy said.
"How are we going to get the papers?"
"When we come home from school, we can sneak into Dad's office and find them."
"What if Mom's already signed them?" Megan asked.
"Maybe we should look for them before we go to school," Christy suggested.
All three of these types of dialogue can be used in your stories.
Direct Address
Another example that Gillian Roberts uses is Direct Address. She also cautions writers to not use it too often because we don't speak that way in reality. Direct address is when someone you are talking with says your name at the beginning of the conversation. In normal speech people wouldn't say "Christy, how are you today?" People would normally say, "How are you today?"
Example of Direct Address
After their mother left the room, Megan looked at Christy and said, "Christy, let's follow Dad again."
Megan is using direct address by saying Christy's name before she says the rest of her statement. That is unnecessary because readers already know that Megan is speaking to Christy since they are the only ones in the room.
Also,it is already stated that Megan is speaking to Christy: Megan looked at Christy and said.
Then, she uses "Christy, let's follow Dad again." The better way to make that statement is to have said, "Let's follow Dad again."
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