#Conversation

[incognitopolls]

We ask your questions anonymously so you don’t have to! Submissions are open on the 1st and 15th of the month.

[ebearcrochet]

it's so pretty!! Is it knit with Cloud? If so, could I ask which needle size you used?

Probably no one is interested in this but like,, it’s knitting season and I already started off strong:

Behold, the sugarplum pullover using langyarn’s orion in blue/green.

I need to buy one more skein and then I’ll be able to finish it. I’ll post the result too.

[akwardsilince]

Person A: "This was bound to happen."

Person B: "No it wasn't. No it was not. Stop saying that."

Person A: "I'm coping."

Person B: "Cope better."

[yours-trudy]

I knew they should've changed the subject at Albuquerque.

[4mtns]

[demonicx]

[yeesiine]

The intimacy of deep conversation.

[facts-i-just-made-up]

could i get some facts about me to recite when new people ask me to tell them something about myself and my mind goes immediately blank

This is a problem that happens to many people with much on their mind. Here is a set of things you can tell people, no matter what the occasion:

I am not made solely of pine-wood or pine-derivative plastics.

I have between zero and four thousand limbs, inclusive.

I contain several liters of my people's water.

My name is comprised mostly of real letters (Musks may differ).

I am unaware of the contents of soil on most exoplanets.

My spleen is smaller than the Chicago metropolitan area.

I am not, have never been, and may never be you.

Telling people these facts will always put them at ease and quell any concerns they have about your normality.

[agirlwithglam]

Ok guys so I no longer preach being only interestED in conversations. Hear me out because if you find that you’re still not able to hold a conversation, like me- this is what was most likely holding you back.

THE TRUTH ABOUT BEING ABLE TO HOLD A CONVERSATION

(and it’s not asking questions!!!!)

Okay so listen up. I know many people tell you that all you need to do is keep asking questions about the other person and keep them talking the entire time. Once upon a time, I thought this too. Then I tried it out. I kept asking others questions and being interested in them but I just couldn’t understand why they still didn’t seem so eager. But then I looked at other people and the way they had conversations and I realised��� they tell stories too.

And that’s what keeps a conversation going. Tell stories about your own life. Talk about yourself as well! I say ‘as well’ because you need the right amount of talking and listening as well.

People want to listen to you too, they want to listen about your interesting life! When talk to them about something you’re passionate about or something that happened to you that relates to the conversation, they’re actually interested guys!!

Stop thinking that you have nothing interesting to say because people do find you interesting. A lot of them DO want to listen to you talk.

When you tell others about something in your life, they will want to learn more, they will be curious. Sometimes because they’re actually interested, or because they’re like you and they want to make you happy and keep the conversation going.

But what I’m NOT saying is to talk about yourself all the time. If you yap about yourself the entire time, others will start to get bored. Listen, people do want to learn more about you, but they also love to talk about themselves.

Make it a conversation where you’re both chipping in and also giving others space, time and your attention while they talk.

Remember: you are interesting, you are worthy of attention and being listened to. Once you understand this, conversations will come easily to you!!

[philosophybits]

Everybody knows that really intimate conversation can only take place between two or three. Even if there are only six or seven present, collective language begins to dominate.

Simone Weil, Waiting on God

[incognitopolls]

We ask your questions so you don’t have to! Submit your questions to have them posted anonymously as polls.

[huariqueje]

Street scene with conversing couple in the dark - Harald Engmann , 1930.

Danish, 1903-1968

Oil on canvas,  40 x 31 cm. 15.7 x 12.2 in.

[akwardsilince]

Person A: "Wet cat 🫵."

Person B: "WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A DUEL, GOOD SIR."

[pygmi-says-hi]

writing tips - banter

I LOVE BANTER WE ALL LOVE BANTER HIP HIP HOORAYYYY!!

Banter is a lovely addition to dialogue between characters. It means a lot of different things - sass, genuine insults, flirting....all sorts of options.

But overusing banter can make conversations sound circular. It's a fun 'fluffy' piece of dialogue, but doesn't do the best job conveying plot.

Pedantry vs teasing

Pedantic speech is basically nit-picking. Somebody who can't bear to let anything slide, no matter how small. This is an interesting character trait and one that adds depth, but if it's unintentional it sounds frustrating. Sassy characters are fun, especially when they go off in an inner monologue.

If a character has a quip for everything, it adds a layer of whiny-ness. Sarcasm is a fun way to tease and complain. Constant complaining gets on a reader's nerves after a while. Soon there becomes so much commentary it's hard to dissect what is actually being described.

Unless your OC has no sense of social boundaries, there's usually a break in between jokes to read the room.

How do I know when enough is enough?

Think about the character. If they have that wonderfully sardonic rapport with their peers, that's great! Why do they act like that? Is it a sense of humor? Is there a running joke? When you incorporate the banter, keep it in the confines of those parameters. It'll still enrich the conversation without overwhelming it.

It's a learning curve!!!!!

I like to do it this way:

write the dialogue as banter-y and indulgent as possible. When the scene is finished, I reread and pick out the really funny bits and discard the rest or move it to a different scene.

Sometimes those indulgent character moments help the really good stuff push to the front of your mind. Go for it! You know your story better than anybody else; if it's telling your story the way you want, that's all that matters.

[deloveusion]

sex after tough conversations >>>>