Writing arguments

[John Dean]

Further to my previous blogs which have touched on the theme of conflict (it’s a key part of a creative writing course I am running at the moment), I thought a few lines on writing arguments might be useful: They shouldn’t have repetitive elements - Unlike real arguments which go in circles for ages, fictionalised ones are short and sharp

They shouldn’t be boring - Arguments are there to forward the plot along. They should reveal something about a relationship between two people or give the reader information about a problem but should do it with a sense of pace about them

There should be some sort of immediate outcome from the argument - Arguments are a great way to provide conflict and tension to a manuscript but make sure that they aren’t as unfocused and pointless in print as the real-life variety

When writing them, remember how rules of conversation work, including:

* A lot of the time, we do not speak in correct sentences/we often use short sharp phrases

* Keep your dialogue crisp - we can tell a lot about a person in a short snap of conversation

* We interrupt a lot

* We assume a lot. Not ‘Your brother has been murdered.’

‘What, my brother Brian?’

‘Yes, that’s him. Your only brother. The younger one. With the long hair’ Keep it realistic.

* Dialogue must take the story on. Only write small talk if you need to, ie showing how tedious a person can be. If you don’t need it, don’t write it. Make sure each word does a job.

* Do not pack dialogue with extraneous information