In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach Laura Humm works with Denis Kurlas on his work in progress. They talk about writing child voices in adult literature, and writing dreams, plus much more.
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AI Summary of the Teaching Points
This conversation between Dialogue Doctor coach Laura H. and author Dennis Kurish focuses on several teaching points regarding the craft of writing, specifically centered on developing authentic children’s voices, managing complex character relationships, and effectively executing dream sequences.
Crafting Authentic Children’s Voices
When writing a nine-year-old character, the goal is to differentiate their perspective from an adult’s logic and processing styles.
- Prioritize Emotion Over Logic: Children do not typically start from a place of logic; their primary driver is emotion. For example, instead of a logical argument about why one road is better, a child’s objection should stem from feeling, such as being dramatic about a path being “too long” or “too far”.
- The “Feeling First” Processing Model: Adults tend to see something and then think to process it, but children “feel it first”. Their questions and logical considerations usually only follow after an initial emotional reaction.
- The Internal “Hero” Narrative: Nine-year-olds often see the world through a lens of being the hero of their own quest. Letting a child character daydream about being a hero on a journey makes their eventual choices (like taking a “dangerous” road) feel more organic to their development.
- Age as Power: Children often use their age as a point of pride or a way to claim authority, frequently reminding adults of how old they are (e.g., “I’m nine now”) to feel more capable.
- Emotional Perceptiveness: Writers should remember that children are extremely perceptive to emotional shifts in the adults around them, even if they do not fully understand the reason behind those shifts.
Managing Character Relationships (Mother and Son)
The dialogue between a mother and son should reflect their specific bond rather than a transactional flow of information.
- Use Finesse Instead of Orders: Rather than having a parent “bark orders,” dialogue is more effective when the parent uses finesse or encouragement to build the child’s confidence and make them feel the task is a “big job”.
- Anticipation vs. Information Flow: Instead of information flowing solely from the adult to the child, allow the child to anticipate the next steps. This shows their eagerness and active engagement in the relationship.
- Use of Intimacy Markers: Incorporating pet names or nicknames helps establish a unique, intimate relationship that goes beyond generic “mother and son” labels.
Strategies for Dream Sequences
Dream sequences require a balance between the reality of the past and the perspective of the dreamer.
- Third Person Close Perspective: For a dream being remembered by an adult, using third person close allows the reader to see the events through the child’s eyes while still allowing the adult narrator to eventually interpret the details.
- Avoid Repetitive Trauma: If a character has a recurring nightmare, it is a smart authorial choice to start the dream in a new place—such as a moment of beauty or pride—before it turns dark. This keeps the scene fresh for the reader while still ending in the necessary emotional trauma.
- Manipulate Time and Distance: In a dream, the author can speed up or slow down time or change physical distances to suit the emotional pacing of the scene, which is different from the strict realism required in a standard action scene.
- Sensory “Anchors” for Waking Up: To transition out of a dream, the author can let physical sensations from the real world (like a hand on a shoulder) bleed into the dream as a frightening or confusing element that ultimately wakes the character.
Structural Editing Techniques
- The “Side-by-Side” Edit: When an author wants to change the fundamental style or relationship in a scene rather than just specific lines, a side-by-side edit is more effective than standard tracked changes. This allows the author to compare the original and revised versions to see how the tone has shifted.
- Make Decisions Active: Rather than showing the aftermath of a decision, authors should show the character at the literal or metaphorical “fork in the road”. This creates tension as the character weighs their options against their internal motivations.