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Shop the "aisles" of this workshop for professional tools to power up your dialogue. Topics include: 6 dialogue functions; 12 techniques to cure flat dialogue; monologues; creating memorable lines; "framing" and "echoing"; 6 ways to create subtext; private language, dialect, and more; dialogue and character tags; punctuation power. Both levels give you Christine DeSmet's personal feedback on fun writing exercises; in the bonus Level II, you also polish several pro techniques with Christine.
When you visit The Dialogue Shop you'll soon discover that dialogue is a rich subject. Many tools and techniques line the shelves, all there to help you solve problems in your scenes and create more magic in your writing. In this workshop, I’ve gathered some "must know" things about dialogue into a few "aisles of the store" to make your shopping more convenient. Take a look at all you'll learn below. The aisles are chock full of stuff, mind you, but I believe you’ll find the shopping excursion fun. Everything's presented in short bits that are to-the-point, with examples along the way.
I've set up the aisles so that they take you step by step through concepts that build on each other or inter-relate somehow. Dialogue should enhance character and plot; dialogue should perform a job, as well as just plain delight us at times. "How" to do all that is what you'll discover as you walk through the aisles of The Dialogue Shop.
Who this course is for: |
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* All writers who feel they need to “power up” their dialogue. * Fiction and creative nonfiction writers alike. * Novelists, scriptwriters (TV or film), and other writers who want to make their dialogue more functional instead of flat. |
You don't need a "knack" for dialogue to improve.
What are 6 attributes of dialogue that the gatekeepers tend to look for?
Connecting characterization and plotting to dialogue.
What makes a good monologue?
Simplicity and the soft touch are often better.
Christine DeSmet is a screenwriter, novelist, and writing teacher. Co-authored with Peggy Williams, her true-story film script Chinaware-Fragile was the winner of a past Slamdance Film Festival writing contest and optioned to New Line Cinema. With Peggy, Christine has optioned other projects and is marketing several screenplays. She's a fellowship graduate of the Warner Bros. Sitcom Writers Workshop, a board chairperson of Wisconsin Screenwriters Forum, and member of Romance Writers of America, Electronic Publishing Internet Connection (EPIC), and Writers Guild of America, East. Her romantic suspense novel, Spirit Lake, is an award-winning e-novel for publisher Hard Shell Word Factory. Her novels are represented by 3 Seas Literary Agency. She is also the author of short stories in Fall 2005 anthologies published by Whiskey Creek Press. She has a master's degree in journalism from UW-Madison and grew up on a farm near Barneveld, WI. Contact Christine by e-mail at cdesmet@dcs.wisc.edu.
You can start our workshops anytime, and there are no required hours to log on. It's all done with one-on-one correspondence with the instructor using email. Some classes have materials on a web site, but you can access those at your leisure with a password that we will give you. We have writers from around the world participating in our workshops, and we have success stories. A lot of great writing gets accomplished via email. Because of the one-on-one nature of our workshops, you'll find them an excellent "coaching" or mentoring situation that will keep you going. And if you want to just work on your own-hey, that's fine too. Of course you can do the suggested exercises on your own and pass on the feedback if you'd rather do that. We're also here throughout the year if you have questions.
Both levels include your instructor's feedback on your writing exercises. At the basic level, $115, you'll complete one exercise in each unit and send it in for feedback, earning 2.0 CEUs. At the advanced level, $165, you'll practice many more professional-level techniques that feature scene work based on your own writing or the suggested scenarios in the workshop. You earn 3.0 CEUs at the advanced, pro level.
Your contact for more information about The Dialogue Shop is Christine DeSmet, 608-262-3447, cdesmet@dcs.wisc.edu.
Also of interest:
The same writing staff that bring you these great online classes also provide individualized writing critique services. Learn more by visiting our writing critique services Web page.
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More distance education: Independent Learning journalism and writing courses are another option for distance education through University of Wisconsin-Extension. Most courses are available for college or high-school credit.
Telephone:
Call 608-262-2451 to register. Our phone is answered
M-F, 7:00 am-4:30 pm Central Time. At other times please leave a message,
and we will return your call. If you have other questions, call toll-free 1-877-336-7836.
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| Department of Liberal Studies & the Arts | UW-Madison Continuing Studies |
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File last updated: July 9, 2008 |