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"Telling Characters from Dialogue"

This must be a question that many newcomers are confused about, especially newcomers who have never been exposed to script writing. Their grasp of dialogue is still at a hazy stage and lacks a clear understanding.

How to express the character's image, personality, and mentality through dialogue is a fairly detailed proposition, but it covers a wide range of topics. In practice, why do we sometimes feel that the dialogue in some articles is quite exciting?

Only a few sentences or even a few words of dialogue can portray the characters vividly? But why sometimes, the dialogue in some articles is boring and dry and cannot reflect the characteristics of the characters at all?

In fact, I personally think that whether the dialogue is dry or exciting does not depend on the dialogue itself, but on the reader.

To put it simply, why do readers think the dialogue is good, and why do they think it is bad? There is only one reason, and that is whether the dialogue fits the image of the character in the readers' minds.

If it matches, then the dialogue will have the aura given by the character's personality; if it doesn't match, then it will be difficult for the reader to accept such words coming from the character's mouth, and they will naturally feel that the dialogue is dry and weak, or even unreasonable.

That's why I say that the impact of dialogue depends first on the reader.

However, the control of this influence depends on the author.

A good author must understand the characters he writes better than any reader, and must be able to embody his characters better than any reader.

This proposition is actually very easy to understand. If the author can first understand and then deeply assume his role, then when he writes, he will be this character. What he says is what this character wants to say, what should be said, and what must be said.

There is no need to consider every word or sentence, everything comes naturally.

The story we create is nothing more than a world constructed by the author in his mind, a story of his own. The author is the collection of all the characters in the story. Through his mouth and his pen, he combines the story with the story.

Characters tell one another.

So I think that a good author should actually have the talent of an actor. He should be able to play all the roles in his works, whether they are protagonists, supporting roles or minor roles. Naturally, he will perform well in some of these roles, and he will also

There are those who do not perform well, but they must be able to act. Only in this way can we show readers colorful characters through his substitution and retelling in words.

In short, this is: aside from the necessary techniques and techniques, the basic condition for grasping the tension and depth of dialogue is to write a role that you can play well and say what the character should say.

In fact, as far as personal experience is concerned, in the initial stage of constructing a work, it is rare to start writing by deciding on a few characters and determining the characters' personalities.

When we want to write a story, the starting point can be a sentence; a sudden thought; the feeling of a song; a flash of inspiration caused by something... Then, from this most basic point, we start to divergent thinking, add branches and leaves, and then we can slow down.

Slowly build a story. In this process, the character's personality is not as important as imagined.

We often hear this saying - character determines the direction of the story. Personally, I think there is a reason for character to determine the direction of the story, but this statement is not accurate.

To be precise, it is the contradiction that determines the direction of the story, and the character's personality is only one factor in the contradiction.

The more accurate use of character personality is to determine the character's performance, behavior and language patterns in the current scene, current time point, and current community of characters.

This use, in the process of the manifestation of contradictions, will appear as a reaction force. When the behavioral patterns determined by the character's personality and displayed in a specific group of characters in a specific scene at a specific time are determined, these behavioral patterns will

It becomes one of the conflicting factors and begins to affect the development of the subsequent storyline. This is why we say that the characters determine the direction of the story.

When all plots are at the beginning, they will only have a general direction, just an outline. The details of the storyline are actually performed by the characters in the story. Then there is a sequence here

For example, if we want to write a story, we first need to determine the most basic main line of the story. After the main line is determined, we need to consider the first question:

"What kind of character fits this main line, and what kind of character can interpret such a story?"

Okay, then we start to identify some characters according to the above standards, which are the "character cards" mentioned in many writing theories.

After these characters are basically determined, we put the characters on the timeline of the main line and let them move forward along the timeline. Based on the conflicts created by the human conflicts between these characters, we will push the story along the main line.

The tone moves forward. In the process, we will discover the second problem:

"What kind of story will be deduced from the collision of these characters?"

We need to solve this problem by gradually clarifying the conflicts and behavioral patterns of the characters in specific scenes, specific times, and specific communities. This constitutes the process of the story, which is the extremely simple main line.

The process of further enriching the plot of the story. Presenting this process with various techniques is the rough development of the story, that is, the outline of the story.

Then after the outline of the story appears, when the story is retelling to the readers, that is, when the outline of the story is formed into the final text, the third question will appear:

"What kind of impact will such a story have on the characters?"

Every story is filled with all kinds of conflicts anytime and anywhere. And the characters in every story are also experiencing external pressure all the time.

A character is like a slightly elastic capsule. All external contradictory pressures will leave deep or shallow traces on this capsule. This is the reaction force of the plot on the character, resulting in changes in the character's personality.

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When we put down the pen and look back on this story, both the author and the reader can identify the unforgettable fragment corresponding to each scar on these weather-beaten capsules. When these fragments accumulate, they become

It reflects the reader's feelings about the character and the story. Use a theoretical vocabulary - character three-dimensionality.

At this point, everyone should have seen it. This is how the characters are created step by step. And this is how the story is created and told bit by bit until it is recalled.

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"Insights on Writing"

1. There must be an outline.

This is the most common problem that occurs when new writers write, and even many writers who already have some writing experience will make it. It is often seen that some author friends just accidentally thought of a wonderful plot, a good suspense, or even

With just a few lines of dialogue, the impulse to write bursts out, and I start to write. But often when the story reaches a certain stage and a certain number of words, when the initial impulse to write fades away, I feel at a loss.

, so either it can be pieced together reluctantly, but it ends in an anticlimactic manner, or it can be completely abandoned.

I personally am not opposed to writing on impulse, but I hope to maintain this impulse for a long time, at least until your creation comes to an end. However, whether the impulse to write or call it inspiration for writing is not

It may be long-lasting. Then, we need something like an outline to document and format the flashes of inspiration and impulse. In this way, when the impulse and passion dissipate, we will not be at a loss.

So what is an outline? How to write an outline?

I am only talking about my personal habits here. I believe that from an idea to a complete story, it is actually a process of gradual improvement, and this process can be understood as a broad outline.

For example, if I suddenly have an inspiration and plan to write an adventure story. The inspiration itself may be very simple, or even just a sentence, a contradiction, or a plot. It doesn't matter, with this simplest thing

, as a starting point, we began to structure our story.

First, organize this idea into a sentence or a short paragraph of introductory text, and sort out at least one main line process.

Then, based on this most basic main line, make divergent associations, add bright and dark lines, branch plots, character settings, background settings, conflicts, etc.

Then, we started to add some system-type things, such as the protagonist upgrade system, social system, equipment system, etc.

Next, follow the context of the main line, gradually flesh out the plot, select the appropriate place for the previous things, and add them to the main line process in an appropriate way.

Then, separate out the detailed plot progress, chapter list, and story summary of each chapter, and try to control the rhythm and context of the story as a whole.

Finally, start from the beginning and write everything out in words. This is a story.

Well, what I want to say here is that except for the first and last steps, in fact, the entire process in the middle can be regarded as an outline...

The outline itself is a step-by-step process. When you complete each step of this process, the story will be ready to come out.

2. Design and function of supporting roles

I remember that I once mentioned in a previous comment that the point of view, characters and contradictions are, in a sense, the soul of a novel.

Generally speaking, characters can be divided into protagonists, supporting roles and supporting roles. Everyone must have their own opinions on the setting of the protagonist, so I won’t talk nonsense below. I just want to talk about the supporting roles.

What are supporting characters used for? How to design them?

We say that all characters exist for the purpose of plot and contradiction, regardless of the protagonist, supporting role, or supporting role.

Personally, I think that supporting characters have at least two functions, which are very crucial and something new authors can and should master.

One: Set off the image of the protagonist.

Second: Promote the progression of the plot.

Regarding the image of the protagonist, to put it simply, it is the contrast in personality. Through the sharp contrast of temperament, the image of the protagonist can be better set off from the side. This approach is obviously more effective than the author trying his best to describe and portray a character.

A single protagonist. Some are black and some are white, some are good and some are evil. Only when there are contrasts can there be differences. Only contrasting characters can leave a deep enough impression on readers. There are many such examples in famous works, here are a few:

For example, Fatty Wang in "Ghost Blowing the Lamp", Hu Tiehua in "The Legend of Chu Liuxiang", and Di Lin in "Purple River". Due to contrast, sometimes the supporting roles are even more brilliant and impressive than the protagonists.

profound.

Regarding promoting the progress of the plot, what can I say about this... The simplest case is that certain triggering events and key points, based on the protagonist's identity, personality or contradictory settings, he cannot do, or should not do, but

The plot needs one person to trigger this point, so who will go? The supporting role. This point is difficult to explain in simple words, but you can recall quite a few plots in "Ghost Blowing the Lamp", triggering mechanisms, causing changes, and even

Who triggers these key points that reveal suspense, and who secretly promotes the plot?

You will find that many times, it is Fatty Wang who plays the supporting role, rather than Hu Bayi, who plays the leading role.

3. The selling point is not what the author said

This is a question I am often asked. Friends always ask: What should be the selling point of my book? Is it fighting? Upgrading? Horror? Or H? Stallion? Harem?

Whenever I face such a problem, I feel very confused because I haven't thought about it that much myself.

In other words, I don’t think a so-called selling point needs so many tricks.

What is the so-called selling point? Personally, I think it is nothing more than the reader’s pleasure in reading. When readers read your book, they feel happy, have the h point, and are interested in reading further. OK, you have a selling point.

Putting it into practice, don’t always try to seduce readers with selling points, which is often counterproductive. Change your perspective and read your own book as a reader. If you feel that you have gained the pleasure of reading, then congratulate yourself, your

The book has a selling point.

Whether a book has a selling point or not is not decided by the author or editor, but by the readers.

Don't tell me what the editor is like. When the editor is looking at whether your book has selling points, please note that he is also a reader!
To be continued...