What Do Characters Do While They're Talking?

In Stage Improvisation, there's a game called 'The Stand Up, Sit Down Game'. There are three actors up on stage, and they should all be having a conversation- whilst one character sits, one stands, and one crawls around on the floor, and when one character changes position, another has to take their place.

Unfortunately, I take my acting craft (or lack thereof...) to heart a bit when I'm writing long sections of dialogue- I get a bit tired of 'said' and 'replied' and have my characters sit down and stand up constantly, just to put in pauses without saying 'Andromeda paused for a moment'.

Anybody else have characters with Restless Leg Syndrome [or whatever it's called]?

And more importantly, does anyone have any tips for sticking in bits of interesting action whilst characters are speaking?

Sam--


My style for dialogue (of which I am aware you are no fan) is to not address most every phrase to any character--why? It certainly makes the action move faster, but also runs the risk of reader-confusion (at least briefly), so what's the benefit?

Well, my stories are generally meant to be slightly confusing, with identity-crises and the like, as it were. So that's one reason. Another is precisely this thing you have brought up: what are my characters doing while talking?

I usually refuse to put in what they're doing if it is not in some way or other relevant to progressing the action. For instance, the only reason a character of mine would suddenly stand up in a story is if they are on the defensive or trying to intimidate the person they're talking to. I wouldn't stipulate random movement for the reader's sake. I think dialogue is something altogether different than action, and coupling the two as most authors have only decreases the beauty of each.

Just some thoughts, of course, so take it or leave it.


Best,
Brad

They can do a lot of things. They can:

fiddle with their hair
pull a string hanging loose from their sweater
lick their lips
glance at a clock
kick out their legs...

You could go on and on!

So here's the deal. Try to sit still for five minutes and mentally make a list of what you're doing to pass away the time, to make it less boring.. Then talk with someone. What do you find yourself doing as you talk? Talk to someone else who is of a different age or relation to you. Are your reactions different, or do you find yourself surpressing yourself?

Watch what they do. Do they deliberately not look you in the eye? How do they react with you? With other people?

So basically, you get an excuse to observe people. Happy?

I was going to respond similarly to Snoink. For pauses, characters can have innumerable quirks, ticks--or one definitive habit. ^_^

Of course, sans the need to break in with action, or need for a pause, characters often have a distinctive enough voice all can be implied by the way they speak.

Some people, I suppose, tend to express themselves in words, simply--pauses, sound, tone, diction. Others fidget.

Wanting any more examples, beyond Snoink's?

It's not always important to know exactly what a person is doing when they talk. Just having back and forth dialogue can more efficiently show emotion and intent.

But if you need to show an action, then it should be one that only further enhances the character or is something they need to do to further the plot. For example, someone standing up if they were threatening to leave or someone twirling their hair because they do that when they're nervous, and that situation is one in which they would be nervous.