Say what? - Writing Dialog

In one of my early books, my critique group called me out for an "odd" phrase that I'd incorporated into the story--people don't talk that way. The thing was someone had said that very same thing to me once--and yes, I found it odd. That's how it crept into the book. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. I made it a point to establish that yes, the character on the receiving end found it odd, yes, it was an odd thing to say. The fact that it was odd was the very reason it stands out. The fact I remembered it years later gave my character reason to reflect on it in the story.

My father always used to comment that a little piece of me found it's way into every story I wrote. That's certainly true. Authors draw on their experiences. This is where I state very clearly, and loudly for the people in the back, my writing is NOT autobiographical. I write from a common experience. We've all lost someone close to us. Death is something we can all relate to. Most people have had their heart broken at one time or another, or had a critical misunderstanding. When I write my books, I find the things people have said to me resonate as loudly as the things that have happened to me, and those comments are what cross the boundaries into fiction. They are often random observations that are just slightly off from what you'd expect. It jars, but as it enters the fictional story, it's important to make the reader aware the characters KNOW it jars, and why. On it's own, it comes across as an eccentric author writing something odd. 

A prime example, and the one referenced earlier, was "It was nice to have known you," the first time someone is introduced. The comment reflects on the person speaking it, and it has an effect on the receiving end, as well. It came from someone I've come to know as subtly passive-aggressive. When I pointed it out, the person with me didn't think it so odd (I have two critique partners who disagree). But the person with me was accustomed to those types of comments. In theory, the speaker hasn't said anything wrong, but it does state that they don't expect to see you again, or perhaps expresses a hope they don't see you again. I'm not going to unravel the layers, the whys and why-nots, even after I've come to understand them. It wasn't mean-spirited, just... odd. It does give the person on the receiving end pause, and sticks long enough to reflect on. The "what was that supposed to mean?" effect. 

Dialog is an effective tool for this very reason. Characters say something, but is there a hidden subtext? How they speak and how they formulate a phrase says a lot about their characterization. How a seemingly innocent comment can turn into a roadblock for the character on the receiving end. The way the words are interpreted also speak to characterization on the receiving end. What does the character do with this passive-aggressive jab? 

In another of my books, I incorporated a comment an insecure character says to another which puts that insecurity on display. Odd comment to make, but it reveals a lot about that character's personality. Another comment yanked from the real world. How the character on the receiving end responds to it also shows their personality. Are they sympathetic? Does it make them feel superior? These subtleties define personality. Characterization. Words as a stimulus and as a response. They show who characters are in a story.

Whether a character overreacts, or fails to react is up to the author. For my part in the non-fiction world, I tend to not react when someone says something odd simply because I do find it odd. I want time to think about what they said and why they said it. Curiosity. Analysis. I find it interesting enough to mull, however it was intended, and (be careful what you say to me) I store those odd comments away to plunk into stories for my characters to overreact to. Or to give them internal conflict or hidden attraction. 

Has anyone ever said something odd to you that made you stop to wonder what they "really" meant?