Mercy! Mercy! That Dang Nabed PERCY!

Interior or Submerged Dialog

In real life "Me" is the central character of my life. I know what I think and can hear what I say. I don't always say what I think because there are times when I feel a need to be sensitive to feelings of others. Often in conversations with my wife and friends I wonder how much they are saying is pure truth and how much is a defense mechanism designed to put their behavior or what is happening around them in the best possible light.

As a writer we have a unique opportunity. We can record a conversation between two characters and get into the mind of the central character and show their thoughts parallel to what they are saying. This is a powerful tool that often goes unused, is used sparingly or is added as an afterthought. If you think about a telephone conversation there is probably three times as much thought as there are words of expression passing between the two parties. If you add to that tone of voice and body language, the words themselves are but a part, albeit an important part, of the exchange of communications. Anyway, I'm trying to develop this aspect of what we think and what we say in the class I'm taking.

The next time you are writing a short story try going heavy on the interior or submerged dialog and see if you like the results of what you come up with.