Exercise for the day: Dialogue

Below is a passage with dialogue from "Good Country People" by Flannery O'Connor

Cast of characters:  

Mrs. Hopewell, genteel southern lady who approves of "salt of the earth" type "good country people" and loves platitudes. 

"The girl," Mrs. Hopewell's daughter, has a PhD, stuck living with her mother due to physical issues, perpetually snide and furious 

Mrs. Freeman, their salt-of-the-earth tenant who has two daughters of her own. One, Carramae, 15, married and pregnant, has morning sickness.

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“Well, Glynese is a fine girl,” Mrs. Hopewell said. “Glynese and Carramae are both fine girls.”

“Carramae said when her and Lyman was married Lyman said it sure felt sacred to him. She said he said he wouldn't take five hundred dollars for being married by a preacher.”

“How much would he take?” the girl asked from the stove.

“He said he wouldn't take five hundred dollars,” Mrs. Freeman repeated.

“Well we all have work to do,” Mrs. Hopewell said. 

“Lyman said it just felt more sacred to him,” Mrs. Freeman said. “The doctor wants Carramae to eat prunes. Says instead of medicine. Says them cramps is coming from pressure. You know where I think it is?”

“She'll be better in a few weeks,” Mrs. Hopewell said.

“In the tube,” Mrs. Freeman said. “Else she wouldn't be as sick as she is.”

--from "Good Country People" by Flannery O'Connor (read the whole story HERE)

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This is a great story for, among other things, its dialogue. Here are a few things to look for in the exchange above:

-Do the three people have distinct voices, ways of speaking? Can you tell them apart?

-Are they having the same conversation? Or are they having three different conversations? Are questions directly asked and answered, or is something more complex going on where everyone is maybe a little bit off in their own world?

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Exercise 

Set the timer for 20 minutes

Work on a scene in your story that includes dialogue. Let us hear how the characters have distinct voices and make us aware in some way--whatever way you choose--that they are coming to the conversation from slightly different places, with slightly different agendas.