Courses

Dialogue is among the most difficult elements to get right in creative writing. In this deep dive into the potential of written speech, we will explore how masters of multiple genres have deployed dialogue to convey—with remarkable concision and texture—a combination of information, character, and drama. How, for instance, does Grace Paley manage to write dinner table chatter in which we appear to hear every voice simultaneously? How do playwrights like David Mamet and Sarah Ruhl create unique styles of spoken English that still sound like people we know? What can we learn from the uses (or misuses) of dialect, from Mark Twain to August Wilson? Key to our investigation is something we were told since childhood not to do—eavesdrop. By listening to actual speech and analyzing it side by side with published work, we will uncover the magic in both hearing and producing good dialogue. Finally, we will write our own dialogues, either as part of our own works in progress or as stepping-stones to future projects. Students will have multiple opportunities to receive feedback on their work, both through class discussion and in writing from the instructor. Students will come away with an appreciation of their own ability to create dialogue that sounds authentic, distinctive, and lively.