To start with we got into groups and discussed how arguments are started and what leads to them in order to get a better idea about realistic writing.
My group came up with the following argument triggers.
- Chores e.g. being told to clean your room even when you think its fine.
- Difference in opinion e.g. the first movie was better because...
- An answer to almost anything as people can debate it.
- Even the name for something can start an argument e.g. those who have never played 'The Legend of Zelda' may believe the protagonist's name is Zelda as they are on the cover usually. When in fact the hero's name is Link and the other name belongs to the series princess whom he has to save.
Afterwards we then talked about how even villains and antiheroes such as Dexter and Hannibal Lecter have human sides to them as they can be seen getting into everyday conversations before killing someone. From talking about these two we were able to think further about the type of characters we wanted in our stories and what we would want them to talk about.
Finally we were asked to write some conflict dialogue and some persuasive dialogue which you can read below.
Conflict dialogue:
Below is part of the story I originally planned to write during this module and could have continued it for my final piece. However, I choose not to when the story I did pick grabbed me from start to finish.
One thing I really liked about the following piece however is that fact that it closely resembles 'Alice in Wonderland' even though that was never the intention when I began. It only struck me after I had chosen randomly the name of my main character.
Sitting in a round and empty white room the long red haired girl looks around her new surroundings. With only a small black bench and matching non transparent window that stretches across half the room's wall to vary the environment the girl sits in silence. Waiting, wondering how she got into this situation. Looking down her white medical gown she spots for the first time a white name tag around her right hand wrist.
"Alice?" she reads curiously. "Is that my name?"
She tries to remember but as she does a section of the wall lifts up, revealing a blue humanoid droid.
"Ah! Have you calmed down now?" it says in an intellectual male voice, approaching her with a tray in its hands.
"Calmed down?" She replies confused as the droid places the tray on the bench next to her. On it a number of components for a device the girl can't recognise.
"Why yes. You did get awfully mad after all, thus for your own safety we put you in here." the droid says as it starts to assemble the device.
"Tell me... how do you feel?" it asks curiously.
"Not good. I feel like I'm going to throw up any minute. Can I get some fresh air?" the girl says starting to feel light headed.
"You mean to say you can't breathe in here?"
"Of course I..."
"Or did you mean the air in here isn't fresh? For if that were the case you are most mistaken. This room is filtered with the oxygen you need..."
"I just want a change of scenery! Some grass... trees..."
"Well if that was all. We can provide that no problem."
As the droid says this the white floor projects a flat grass surface as the non-transparent window projects a beautiful scene of trees in a meadow, a stream coursing through the centre of it.
"How's that?" it says optimistically as it completes half of the hand held device.
"It's all fake..." the red head whispers looking down.
"What's that...?"
"I said it's all fake!" she yells at the droid in frustration. "This isn't..."
"Oh but on the contrary. All these projections are from ever green meadow in..."
"A meadow? Nearby? That's perfect! Let's go there then."
"My dear Alice... why would you want to leave? It's safe here. More importantly, you're safe" it says with only one quarter of the device left to build.
The red head remains silent, staring at the droid before looking back at the name tag.
"Alice? Is that my name?"
"Perhaps..."
"What do you mean by 'perhaps'?" she says raising her voice before she can stop herself, she already knows the sort of thing its going to say.
"Well it either means that is your name... or it isn't. Honestly, it's not rocket science you kn..."
"Don't you know my name then?"
Hearing this the droid stops, halfway through screwing on the last rectangular piece to the device. It stands still, not making any other move or saying anything.
"Well? Do you or don't you?" she says raising her voice again, slowly rising off the bench. She is about to ask again when the droid responds in more of a hurry.
"You must be thirsty! Please, help yourself to some water" it says as a panel in the wall reveals itself.
Inside the panel a cup is slowly filling with clear glistening water which is coming out of a hole above it. Tired and feeling worse the girl just sighs.
"I suppose it's something..." she says bitterly as she gets up and approaches the cup.
Picking it up with her right hand she is about to put it to her lips when her eyes gaze once again at the name tag dangling on the lifted hand.
"Where am I?" she asks looking around, only now remembering that she has never been in or seen this room before.
Robin Foale, 15/5/2013
Persuasive dialogue:
Another story that I considered started with the following conversation which I realised would fit perfectly a persuasive argument.
The rain is heavy and lashes hard onto the tall figure that hurries out of the moonlit woods and towards the ferry in the distance. He breathes heavily in the cold air as his great sword, back pack and soaked clothing weigh him down further into the thickening mud. His cloak surrounds his important heavy burden which he holds tight with both of his large hands underneath his cloak. He stumbles as his feet find the stone path at last and he is able to make the rest of the journey with a much faster pace.
"Almost there..." he says with a tense low voice as he reaches the ferry. No one is in sight. "Damn it." he mutters as he stands at the floating transport.
Turning away from it he approaches the small stone house next to it. He proceeds to bang on the door with a heavy fist. "Ferry man! Ferry man! I am in need of your services tonight!" he cries out over the increasing storm.
He continues to slam his fist against the door with all his might for a good minute before he finally hears an unlocking and a large fat man with a long shaggy beard appears in the entrance way.
"Who goes there at this hour? Can't you see there are no more crossings today?" he grumbles as he wipes his beer stenched mouth."
"Please! It's an emergency! I need to cross tonight!" the soaked man says in desperation.
"I told you already, no more services ton..." the bearded man says trying to close the door, however the drenched man puts one of his large feet in the way of the door, stopping it from shutting as he leans in closer.
"If it's a matter of price I can pay you handsomely!" the tall man tries to negotiate.
It is then that the wind picks up and he can hear far in the distance the sound of dogs howling. This makes the man sweat and his heart race as his pleading eyes stare at the fat man.
"It's not a matter of price..."
"Then my sword then! Finest steel in all the land!" the man says turning to reveal the finely crafted great sword on his back.
"Sorry, but this weather would only make the travel life threatening. And I don't intend to risk my life or a customers."
The sound of the dogs pick up closely followed by the yelling of men.
"If you don't let me cross then a customer will die!" the man standing in the rain says assertively as he opens his cloak and reveals his burden.
Wrapped in a thick blanket lies a new born baby with dark hair and a small birth mark in the shape of a ram's head just below its neck. The birth mark that all members of the royal family are born with!
Robin Foale, 15/5/2013
Personal Goal:
Try and watch a Quentin Tarantino movie or two as we spoke about them today and they are meant to contain great characterisation as at times the characters talk about everyday things, thus becoming more human and relatable to the audience.
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