'Fictionalise a real argument you've had. Write only in dialogue.'
Before I start I am (as always) going to have to give some background and just generally ramble a little bit. I am struggling a little bit to understand how you fictionalise an argument you’ve had. I suppose changing the people a little bit and the paraphrasing that would naturally occur in memory anyway. This argument to follow is a bit of a conglomerate of what I’ll just say it is a hazard that comes with my job. I have toned down the language a little bit.
‘Urgh... What time is it?’
‘0300. I’m going on watch.’
‘What on EARTH are you doing?’
‘Are you stupid? I just said that. I am going on watch.’
‘I am NOT stupid. I wasn’t asking where you were going. I know where you are going. WHAT ARE YOU DOING?’
‘Getting up... that much should be obvious.’
‘What has that to do with the F***ing white light then?’
‘So that I can see what I am doing.’
‘What is wrong with the perfectly functional red light we have used every night for forever.’
‘I don’t like it.’
‘I don’t care. Its the middle of the damn night.’
‘And I am going to use the white light.’
‘And wake me up. I only got to bed three and a half hours ago.’
‘Its only a little white light... You can hardly see it on your bunk at all.’
‘There is a reason why we only use red light at night. This shit ruins night vision and is just generally impossibly bright.’
‘Stiff shit.’
‘Oh come off it. If I’d done this to you I’d never hear the end of it.’
‘Eh... I’m going on watch now. Bye.’
‘Oi! Don’t you leave this room without turning that blasted light off.’
‘I’d say thanks... but you wouldn’t take it as genuine anyway.’
‘That’s because it wouldn’t be.’
‘Humpf. I’m going to try and get the next 3 hours of sleep. You’re just lucky that not even to spite you would I turn my white light on in the middle of the night. I actually possess manners.’
While writing this I thought. Its funny these arguments are easy enough to write and I reckon that 90%, if not more, people chose to write this argument from their side of the argument. Its the natural thing to do, after all if you are going to revise the argument you are DEFINATELY going to be right aren’t you? I reckon this would have been a much better challenge piece to have attempted to write the dialogue from the OTHER person’s perspective... I’d bet they’d remember it differently. Or at least pick an argument where you knew you were fighting the losing battle. Anybody who wrote one like that – you’ll have to let me know.
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