I do, too, sometimes, I think. Crave the sparkle. The perfect word...it's been hard not creating whole scenes for the purpose of one line, but I hope I've learned otherwise. Fontana is a woman-hating sonofabitch, but he is a dialogue-writing woman-hating SOB...the toughest thing to learn about Homicide dialogue? How to say something without saying *everything* Those writers are brilliant at this(and also playing with words, I watched one last night that had a funny bit about the word "expunged", or that "davino" thing from season 1) I've really had to work at that, because left to my own devices? Two modes. Brush you off with a quip, a la Munchkin. Or spill my guts, like Timmy. People that don't exactly do either are harder for me to write.

People that don't exactly do either are harder for me to write.

But none of the people just talk to each other. The action that makes them credible and recognisable isn't limited to what they say. There are times when less dialogue is more, because the action, the look on a character's face, the way s/he moves or touches another character, what presses the buttons, all that? Tells you more about the character than twenty lines of dialogue.

Oh, yeah, definitely...which is what I was going for with that whole "vampires don't blow their noses...Munch has a tissue" thing.(I don't mention that for you to say "Yes, that was brilliant" because it could've completely failed...I'm not a good judge, I just want you to know I get where you're coming from."Jeez, "Where you're coming from..." I'm determined to make myself a Boomer by hook or by crook. )Note to self: Call somebody under forty this weekend, ok? Thx. (Ok, that's a little far in the other direction...)

Huh. Obviously I'm not getting a call from Erika any time soon.

Don't be offended...I don't give good phone. And I was kidding anyway, about hipping my speech up...I think I may have an old soul after all, although not in that DalaiLama,Shirley Maclaine, CrystalsBitch kind of way that people mean such things. But mom was a hippie who watched Don Cornelius. Then I picked up a little cop talk, some Yiddish, and some pop culture references...then I went to college and learned some lit crit and a tiny, tiny bit of women's studies and philosophy. And Elmore Leonard. And now I'm a Buffista AIFG. Except I talk funny, yo. And I don't always know what's gonna pop out. And people say that you can be influenced by your entertainment, huh? Although, personally, give me a personal break, Mr. Goebbels, Ok, babe?

Not offended, cross my heart. It was funny to me. I think 40 is the first time my age just felt like a number with no relation to who I am.

Eh, it's hopeless...I'm a misbegotten old hippie, born in the wrong era.(albeit an old hippie who's into words like "eyefuck" and "twitch"

(giggling at sister misbegotten old hippie)

Except as a political, I was a yippie. Steal this book!

As a joke, one time I told another, more established writer, that I was gonna write a book and call it "This Fucking Book" "Oh, man, This Fucking Book is gonna be the death of me!" People would not ask for the one with the blue cover. Kids would read it looking for dirty stuff. Instant brand recognition and it would give the Right the wig just for existing.

I love this concept.