May 2, 2009 -- 7:27 p.m.
Ever been in a conversation you can't get out of? Sometimes that happens in my writing. Two characters shoot the breeze and they just never stop.Most often, I find that happens for me when I'm not sure what the purpose of the scene is. I know it has one, so I keep fishing around for it by having the characters talk about the fantasy/sci-fi equivalent of the Mets.
I know the purpose of this conversation/scene: to introduce a character and to introduce a prophecy. That done, now I need to get some sort of "exit strategy." The problem is, in real life, conversations don't just stop in the middle. They end awkwardly (not goo reading) or just don't end (equally bad) or the two parties leave in a huff.
Here are a couple of ways to stop eternal conversations that just aren't working for me this time.
1) Bring in another character
2) Trigger an action (ie, everyone runs to the window to see what exploded.)
3) Reach a decision/turning point of some sort.
So how do you say "So, I've got to go off and polish my saddle..." without sounding lame?
My cousin came to visit. He's four, but a genius. He picks things up from watching just once and knows all about negotiation. He's probably ready to learn to read, if he has someone to see him. And he's as cute as a button! Too bad he was cranky today. Wasn't as much fun as usual.
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