A Scene With Two Characters

Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter — What if? Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers prompts —

The Exercise -

Write a scene in which a character’s body, as well as his mind, is engaged in doing something — stage business. Possibilities listed below:

Explore how various activities and settings can change what happens within a scene. For example, what happens when characters are planning their honeymoon if they are painting an apartment or one of them is cutting the other’s hair? Or what happens when characters are having a confrontation in public — say, in a fancy restaurant — rather than in the privacy of their home.

It is also instructive to analyze how a writer you admire handles the interweaving of dialogue and body language. Go through one of your favorite stories and highlight all the body language and choreography. We guarantee this will teach you something.

The Objective —

To give a concrete life to the scenes our characters inhabit. To understand how action and choreography relate to the objects in the scene and how all of these relate to and help shape dialogue and the engagement of the characters.

repairing something

playing solitaire or a game involving other players

doing exercises

painting a canvas or a wall

cutting down a tree

giving someone a haircut

Come up with your own suggestions

A time out in the yard:

What are you doing now? (Sampson's wife is writing this interaction that covers all of the above possibilities for a stage performance.)

“I’m working on my weights. They need some repair, so I’m welding them,” said Sampson.

Oh, okay.

Then Sampson said, “I am changing the weight. I need to figure out how to cut 3 pounds off this… dumbbell.” (He pauses for a brief few minutes to talk and then goes back to welding.)

Wait, are you calling me a dumbbell? (She holds up her hand to get his attention again.)

“No, the weights are called dumbbells, Sally, sweety!”

Good save, Sampson! I was just wondering if you wanted to play cribbage?

“It will be a bit longer as I want to get this finished.”

Okay, I will get the cards and the crib board ready then.

“Wait, I’m not sure I want to play cribbage with you as you skunked me the last time we played!”

Chicken!

“I still need to get my old man exercises done, and I didn’t get my walk in yet either.”

Baak, baak, baak, baak!

“When are we going to get that wall painted?”

It does look pretty bad. Can we do it tomorrow?

“We have the supplies if you want to get it started today?”

You want me to start painting? What about the WE that we talked about? You know the doing it together to get it done faster?

“I can help tomorrow, but I do have a tree I want to get cut down, before it comes down on the house.”

That tree can wait; it has waited all summer!

“I’m getting a haircut tomorrow, unless you want to cut it?”

Cut what? The tree or your hair?

“I thought we were retired? Why is there always so much to do?”

I heard this joke this morning, and it applies to me today: “I’m thankful I only have to grow old once. I don’t think I could do it twice!” So much truth there! Back to work, Buddy, no cards today!

Sampson goes back to welding and does so as he is laughing at the joke!

I go back into the house to start to paint. (The last of the scene shows Sampson welding and Sampson’s wife Sally painting.)

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First published by Mercury Press on medium.com

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