The walk and talk: Conversing with my characters

I often use my morning walk with Mick (my dog) to plot my novels, plan scenes and rehearse dialogue in my head. This morning I found myself in deep and delightful discourse with two of the characters from The Lark’s Call. 

We typically walk on the fire trail behind my house and, with the exception of the kangaroos, we usually don’t see another soul. This allows me to play out the dialogue in my novels by giving voice to it. The kangaroos, of course, stare at me indignantly as though I’m interrupting their very important business. 

This morning I was chatting with John and Eliza from The Lark’s Call about a particularly thorny subject and I had to get the conversation just right. It’s a scene I’m having trouble developing, and I’m not the kind of writer who can put a difficult challenge off until another day, or wait until the second draft. 

In this scene, neither character wants to express their true feelings because they both have secrets they don’t wish to reveal to one another, or to the reader. Yet the reader has to be aware of the affectionate (perhaps even passionate) undercurrent coursing through their exchange. John and Eliza have to be extremely clever with their communication, giving the reader hints – a taste of where their relationship might be heading – while keeping their secrets hidden. So there’s quite a bit of reading to be done between the lines.

Talking to fictional characters is just the same as talking to real people. The three of us went off onto conversational byways and travelled down different avenues. By the end of our parlay, we had created the perfect section of dialogue for the novel. So, thank you very much, John and Eliza. I know it must have been difficult walking a mountain trail in period clothing. I sometimes wonder what Mick is thinking as I chat to my imaginary friends. But he’s an open-minded dog and not one to judge. 

I find this process useful in creating realistic and gripping dialogue. I don’t know if it’s the fresh air or the exercise, or merely the opportunity to speak out loud to people who only live on the page, but my imagination is suddenly given licence to explore characters in a new way. I don’t hear their voices in my head (not exactly…) and I certainly don’t see them (although I wish I could!) because it’s me who is channelling their voices. In the moment, I have a dual personality. 

Mick and I taking our daily constitutional.

Even if a writer isn’t brave enough to take to the streets arm in arm with their characters, or isn’t fortunate enough to have a deserted mountain trail behind their house on which to walk and talk, speaking dialogue aloud is the only way to get it right. We’ve all read novels with clunky dialogue that just doesn’t work. It sounds unrealistic, contrived or awkward. Speaking dialogue aloud allows you to hear it as it would sound. 

Dialogue between characters is a well-choreographed dance. It has to have a rhythm and a beat. Just like music, the writer has to hear it to get it right. And don’t forget about the times during a conversation when people don’t speak – silences and pauses can say as much as words. The discomfort, tension or nervousness trapped within a brief pause can speak volumes. Likewise, a well-timed gesture or facial expression can have the same effect. Once I’ve written what I think is a strong section of dialogue I look at it on the page and there’s a visual flow to it, similar to musical notes on a score. 

There are loads of brilliant blog posts and craft books that can help aspiring writers with developing dialogue. However, I learn by eavesdropping on conversations in cafes, on public transport or at the cinema (those times when people don’t think anyone is around, even though they’re in public) and listening to the rhythm, beat and tone in the way real people speak. 

However, my tried and tested means of creating strong dialogue is to watch quality (and I stress quality) television programs and films. 

Anyway, tomorrow morning I’ll be hitting the trail again with Mick and whichever of my characters feels up for an early morning walk and talk.