Talk To Me: A Generative Workshop on Dialogue

INSTRUCTOR: Tanya Aydelott

TIME: Saturday, July 27, 1:00–4:00 p.m. CDT

PRICE: Early bird price: $45 for members, $60 for nonmembers. The deadline for early bird pricing is Sunday, July 21. After Sunday, July 21: $55 for members, $70 for nonmembers. Become a member here. Apply for a scholarship here.

LOCATION: Online via Zoom

LEVEL: All levels

CAP: 15

What makes dialogue good? How can dialogue ramp up tension in a scene? How can an author play with subtext in conversations between characters? How do you juggle multiple voices in a single scene? How do characters talk to each other and how does this illuminate the nuances in their relationships? How can characters use conversation to deceive one another?

This workshop will consider ways that authors use dialogue to develop characters, build worlds, and advance the story’s plots. We will examine the ways authors use cadence and word choice to round out characters and move the story forward. We will also practice writing dialogue that operates on these multiple levels and analyze mentor texts from published stories and film that use these elements effectively.

This event is funded in part by the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance. This project is generously funded by the Houston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, and Mid-America Arts Alliance.

This project is generously funded by Mid-America Arts Alliance, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the state arts agencies of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas.