Write On Wednesday … I failed

 

Write On Wednesdays

This week’s task for Write it Wednesday was about dialogue.

Specifically, Detective Dialogue: For this exercise you need to be a little bit sneaky. And brave. You need to be around at least 2 other people (or a small child who will happily chat to himself and/or imaginary friends). Write down a conversation/ dialogue exchange as you hear it.

Now I totally failed this task.

My morning consisted of getting everyone ready and out the door. Not much dialogue, just interrogative. Porridge? You ready? I just need to brush my teeth. OK can you open the gate?

Then I went to the coffee shop for ten minutes. This went something like this;

Hi.

The usual ma’ma?

Yes please.

I slid my money onto the counter, stood next to the espresso machine, waited then after a short while. I heard nothing except for the cafe’s music, REM again, and the espresso machine, my coffee was ready. Thank you. Smile.  I stood and drank my first piccolo. I put my coat back on and picked up my second coffee and walked to the office. There were no other patrons who were talking, no dialogue to be had.

I then walked in silence, to my extremely quiet office. Lots of people were still away after the long weekend. I overheard a few one sided phone conversations.

Yes. We have made some comments on your submission … hmm … well we think you need to consult … um but last week we agreed …

Exactly …. exactly … I am making the amendments now …. The meeting next week will be an opportunity ….

Are you asleep yet?

The whole day passed. I didn’t hear a single two sided conversation close enough to record the dialogue. It made me think hard about listening. And I think this is the point of the exercise, I am not tuned in to the writerly frequency. The one where you eavesdrop consciously and deliberately on dialogue. This is my homework.