35. Dialogue Tools: Understanding Human Psychology and the Three Major Roles People Play

EPISODE DESCRIPTION:    
This episode launches part 2 of the series on dialogue by presenting the first of ten fun TOOLS to help storytellers create great dialogue.

TOOL #1: THE TRANSACTIONAL ANALYSIS
This tool is based on a psychological book about the games people play when they're trying to communicate. According to the transactional analysis, human beings essentially play one of three roles at every moment of their lives. 

• The Parent is the moral judge, disciplinarian, and authority. This is the one who's boss.
• The Adult is rational, calm, analytical, reasonable and logical. Think Spock.
• The Child is irrational, emotional, volatile, vulnerable, selfish, demanding, and unreasonable.

At any given time, we are playing one of those three roles. Thus, this tool rests on the writer's ability to identify what role each character will be playing in the scene, and then to milk it for all it's worth. One way to do this is to have the characters switch roles in the middle of the scene, as we often do in real life.

Another way to use this tool is to understand what the character thinks his or her status is compared to the other characters in the scene. Characters will speak and behave according to their perceived status. When their status is threatened, they will generally change roles. This tool brings out nuances and dymanics in scenes that might not otherwise be discovered.

UP NEXT
Next week, we will look at three more dialogue tools that you can employ to make your dialogue sharp and engaging..

 
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SPECIAL THANKS
The Mission with Zena Dell Lowe would like to thank composer Carla Patullo for the original music she graciously permits us to use in the intro and outro of this podcast. To find out more about this amazing talent, go to  www.carlapatullo.com

Tags: Dialogue, Artist, Artists, Writing tips, Writing Advice, Writing Podcast, Crafting a Story, Writers, Writer, Author, Novelist, Screenwriter, Story, Storytelling, Storytellers, Zena Dell Lowe, Mission Ranch Films, The Storyteller's Mission, The Mission with Zena Dell Lowe