Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Dialogue and Gilmore Girls




I can only hope to ever write dialogue as compelling as that of the television show Gilmore Girls. I never grow tired of watching the episodes over and over. It's like studying an art. This show has little action really. How many scenes involve characters talking on the phone or just standing and conversing? The dialogue is what drives the show forward. The script is masterfully written, especially where the dialogue is concerned. The characters talking to each other does not just create a crutch for the plot. There are some shows and movies that could function just fine as silent films. Gilmore Girls could not. This concept is not negative. When the main characters, Lorelai and Rory, have a conversation, it is like a dance. The choreography is nearly flawless.

I really miss new episodes of Gilmore Girls, but all things have to end at some point. I am still holding out hope for a Gilmore Girls movie. I have read that the script for this show was usually about 15-20 pages longer than the typical script with the extra pages being made up of all the dialogue that made this show such an amazing work of art.

As a writer, dialogue can be difficult for me. Writing dialogue that does not feel forced is a chore sometimes. I have started revisiting Gilmore Girls starting with the first season. Studying the dialogue is extremely rewarding. Even the characters who only have a few lines fit into the puzzle like interlocking pieces. I feel fortunate to have found this work of art disguised as dialoge that I can study.

Happy writing!


Copyright (c) Emily D. Wood
Photo via The WB

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Back to School Quotes



It is that time of year again. Pencils, pens, paper, notebooks, crayons, markers, backpacks, and so on are just waiting to be purchased for back to school. I am an adorer of quotes, so I thought I would share a few of my favorite quotes for Back-to-school time!

"If there were no schools to take the children away from home part of the time, the insane asylums would be filled with mothers." ~Edgar W. Howe

"The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows." ~Sydney J. Harris

"I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides homework." ~Lily Tomlin as "Edith Ann"
"The larger the island of knowledge, the longer the shoreline of wonder." ~Ralph W. Sockman

"A professor is someone who talks in someone else's sleep." ~W.H. Auden
"You can get all A's and still flunk life." ~Walker Percy

"If you think education is expensive, try ignorance." ~Attributed to both Andy McIntyre and Derek Bok

"Education is not filling a pail but the lighting of a fire." ~William Butler Yeats

"You learn something every day if you pay attention." ~Ray LeBlond


I could quite possibly go on and on...

These are just a few quotes I enjoy with the "Back to School" theme. Happy reading, happy writing, and happy back to school!




Copyright (c) Emily D. Wood
Quotes via Quote Garden