Comment on AMCAlmaron's profile
Sorry to bug you, but I've got a question.
When it comes to writing dialogue or explaining things in your riting, how do you approach that? Like, how do you determine how your characters talk, in a way that seems natural, and go about adding exposition without it feeling out of place?
I'm working on chapter 2 of Overture right now (took me long enough, huh?) and I've made progress, but I'm having trouble trying to work in exposition into dialogue in a way that doesn't feel ham-handed or confusing. I've got some ideas, but I thoguht I'd get some advice first.
Oh, it's all good! Hmm...a bit of a hard one to advise. I think I am a bit guilty of being overly expository with my dialogue at times, although perhaps more in the narration. Anyway, most of the time I try to envision how the scene would look like if it was in a film, or whether it was me and my friends talking about it, and if it doesn't sound like something they'd realistically say, I adjust it to sound more like how I'd picture...well, us saying it.
In any case, cool!
Maybe...another thing that can be useful is to just write the text out, even if it is expository and clunky, and then when it's done have a look at it and go "Hmm, that bit doesn't work, but this bit does, and I can fix the first bit by tweaking this line..." and so on. You could always send me the scene in question via notes and I could have a look over it and offer some feedback?
In any case, cool!
Maybe...another thing that can be useful is to just write the text out, even if it is expository and clunky, and then when it's done have a look at it and go "Hmm, that bit doesn't work, but this bit does, and I can fix the first bit by tweaking this line..." and so on. You could always send me the scene in question via notes and I could have a look over it and offer some feedback?
Hm, good points--I'll try that next time I start writing. I think part of my problem is that I try to imagine it in the vein of some animes, where there's a lot of leading questions to get characters talking about the things they need to talk about, which can sometimes have the effect of basically making it a one sided conversation, if that makes sense? Which obviously doesn't work so well in a setting where people would logically already know most of what would need to be explained 
If you'd be willing, certainly! Thanks for that!
Hmm, right...well, I was watching something recently that noted a good way to use that to your advantage is to have a "Fish-Out-Of-Water" character who can be there as the audience surrogate; naturally they have no idea what's going on and so they can ask the questions the author needs answered in order for the story to progress. One of your main characters is a youngster who's new to the world, so he could easily fill that role...
Sure! Send things my way and I'll see what springs to mind...
Sure! Send things my way and I'll see what springs to mind...
Good point I think, in that regard, Alen will be a very weird, but interesting challenge for me, when it comes to the exposition. Something I've been debating is how much knowledge he actually has, coming into the world as a small child rather than growing up in it. Leaving him completely ignorant is workable, but I also debated on having him have at least some vague awareness of the world around him, but incomplete knowledge. That is to say, due to the remnants of his predecessor left inside him, he has some technical knowledge of things like the sun--he knows what its called, and when he looks at it, he understands straightaway that its a big ball of fire that gives off light and heat--but he's still unaware of details like how looking directly into the sun is painful and bad for your eyes, that sort of thing. So in a sense, he's not so ignorant as to be completely helpless, but he still needs to learn and be taught like any other kid, whether through experience or by people around him in order to properly grasp these things.
I think, in that regard, Alen will be a very weird, but interesting challenge for me, when it comes to the exposition. Something I've been debating is how much knowledge he actually has, coming into the world as a small child rather than growing up in it. Leaving him completely ignorant is workable, but I also debated on having him have at least some vague awareness of the world around him, but incomplete knowledge. That is to say, due to the remnants of his predecessor left inside him, he has some technical knowledge of things like the sun--he knows what its called, and when he looks at it, he understands straightaway that its a big ball of fire that gives off light and heat--but he's still unaware of details like how looking directly into the sun is painful and bad for your eyes, that sort of thing. So in a sense, he's not so ignorant as to be completely helpless, but he still needs to learn and be taught like any other kid, whether through experience or by people around him in order to properly grasp these things. Hmm, interesting...and that could lead to those around him being inspired to find out more about who he is; this child who is totally new to the world, but has random bits of strange knowledge here and there that by all accounts he shouldn't know...