Just Dialogue

[Cleophila]

Just thinking about experimenting with form and technique. I wrote my last story entirely in the present tense, which I don't tend to do, and I quite liked the result. Now I'm thinking about doing a story that's just dialogue. Would that work?

Any ideas on a plot that would fit with that? I'm thinking possibly a power cut where characters are plunged into darkness just as they're about to have sex so there's a need for verbal description or suggestion.

 

[sr71plt]

Just thinking about experimenting with form and technique. I wrote my last story entirely in the present tense, which I don't tend to do, and I quite liked the result. Now I'm thinking about doing a story that's just dialogue. Would that work?

Any ideas on a plot that would fit with that? I'm thinking possibly a power cut where characters are plunged into darkness just as they're about to have sex so there's a need for verbal description or suggestion.

I wrote a story that's completely dialogue for a mainstream statewide contest, and it took second place. So it can be done.

I also wrote a story that begins in the middle of a piece of dialogue and ends in the middle of a piece of dialogue--and that one also won in a couple of mainstream competitions.

It would be difficult, I think, to write an all-dialogue erotic story because of the heavy use of sensory perceptions in those, but, by all means, give it a go. You characters would need to be awfully vocal about what they were feeling/sensing.

 

[Zulae]

I like your idea of only using dialogues. It would leave a lot up to the fantasy of the reader (I guess none of the characters would say "Oh, I love your long blond hair that you mostly wear as a pigtail, but that is open right now!") which may be a problem for some readers, but I like creating images in my mind.

What crossed my mind after I read your idea was a scene with one blind partner who is a virgin to that point. The other partner would explain and advise many everything there is to do which would give you the opportunity to describe more than you could in a "normal" setting without the whole situation seeming odd.

 

[Cleophila]

I like your idea of only using dialogues. It would leave a lot up to the fantasy of the reader (I guess none of the characters would say "Oh, I love your long blond hair that you mostly wear as a pigtail, but that is open right now!") which may be a problem for some readers, but I like creating images in my mind.

What crossed my mind after I read your idea was a scene with one blind partner who is a virgin to that point. The other partner would explain and advise many everything there is to do which would give you the opportunity to describe more than you could in a "normal" setting without the whole situation seeming odd.

Yeah, you wouldn't want any really unnatural dialogue making descriptions like that, but I think it would be good to have people fill in the blanks in their mind. I was thinking maybe even doing a same sex relationship but that not being clear at first from just the dialogue.

Having a blind character was my first thought actually, but I kind of prefer the idea of both not being able to see what they're doing, hence the power cut thing.

 

[Zulae]

Having a same sex relationsship that will become apparent throughout the story is really great! In the beginning you could use small hints and make them more obvious as the story progresses.
Perhaps you could have the characters be on vacation or in some way else away from home - that way they wouldn't know their surrounding well and had to talk about where to move and would have to feel around in general. Plus they wouldn't know where the candles are.

But whatever you'll decide to do I am sure you'll do an awesome job!

 

[sr71plt]

I'd suggest that an all-dialogue story should be pretty short. It would tire the reader out.

 

[dale124]

I collaborated on a roleplay awhile back of a secret club where everyone had to go into a room naked, except for a hood on their head to take away their sense of sight. The lights were left on by the owners of the club so they could control the action and make sure that no one got out of hand. But for the participants, it was the total darkness of their hoods. We considered blindfolds instead, because that would allow the participants to use their tongues. But it would also allow for cheating, while the hoods were locked on at the collars to prevent cheating. So the participants in the roleplay were describing by sense of touch and conversation with each other, rather than sight. To my disappointment, the roleplay didn't last as long as I would have liked.

 

[i_would]

Just thinking about experimenting with form and technique. I wrote my last story entirely in the present tense, which I don't tend to do, and I quite liked the result. Now I'm thinking about doing a story that's just dialogue. Would that work?

Can be done. Been there, done that. Getting to pass the 750 word limit was a bit of a struggle but got a decent 4.03 score on it. Not bad for a little experimentation.

http://www.literotica.com/s/caught-by-the-rain

 

[visioneer]

Writing a story entirely in dialogue is on my to-do list. I think the device is an interesting way to expose a character's emotions/motivations/frustrations. Two mainstream novels I've read that are constructed entirely in dialogue come to mind:
Vox by Nicholas Baker
Deception by Philip Roth
Both, especially Vox, contain strong sexual elements, but would not be considered erotica.

 

[HeyAll]

I don't think it would work.

I saw an author do that it was criticized heavily in the comments section saying that it was a screen play, and this place is for stories. (which is a true criticism, people don't want screen plays here)

 

[Cleophila]

I don't think it would work.

I saw an author do that it was criticized heavily in the comments section saying that it was a screen play, and this place is for stories. (which is a true criticism, people don't want screen plays here)

It's not a screenplay, though, is it? A screenplay actually contains significantly more than just dialogue in itself. As it is pointed out by posters above this wouldn't be the first prose story to be written as dialogue.

 

[dale124]

It's just a thought, but if it were possible to make a meaningful piece based solely on dialogue, then there'd be a lot more plays like "Waiting for Godot" out there in the literary world. And even that play is not pure dialogue, since it has the two men at the side of the road for a visual.

 

[tripleflip]

Sure.

"Damn! Stubbed my toe again! Mark! Mark? When are you going to clean up this place! I knew when we broke up you'd go back to being a pig again! Where's the damn light switch!"

"Don't matter. Power's out."

"Drugs instead of light, huh?"

"Don't do drugs no more. It's the whole building."

So the scene is set. Power's out. Girl is visiting ex-bf's messy apartment. It's in a building, probably a city. Exbf used to do drugs, is trying to clean up.

A friend of mine used a blind, pardon me, visually inpaired person, as a device, but she thought it too contrived. Anyway, you can do it!

Kristie

 

[Zulae]

The funny thing is that first I thought you wrote a short skit to illustrate doing just dialogs actually worked and give us something to laugh at the same time. After re-reading it I still think it works great as comedy scene to the point the guy says he didn't do drugs anymore.

I actually like that funny start more than the drug background (after all, there can still me much laughing during hot sex), but I guess opinions on that question differ.

 

[hoo_hoo_boo]

Just thinking about experimenting with form and technique. I wrote my last story entirely in the present tense, which I don't tend to do, and I quite liked the result. Now I'm thinking about doing a story that's just dialogue. Would that work?

Any ideas on a plot that would fit with that? I'm thinking possibly a power cut where characters are plunged into darkness just as they're about to have sex so there's a need for verbal description or suggestion.

I think it's difficult and surely there is a better way to do it. People who have too much to say are often rejected and I suspect that it being written wouldn't make it different. I suspect the story would have to have some thing very special to make it acceptable.