Writing Exercise

Write for 20 minutes - no editing.

Write a pure dialogue story. Make your story move along by using dialogues *only*. No Narration. No Description...Just dialogue.

'Hey, watchya got there?'

'....are you talking to me?'

'Yeah. What is that? What do you have?'

'What? Nothing. It's nothing. I don't have anything.'

'i saw something. you're holding it behind your back, lemme see it. C'mon.'

'No, uhm. i can't. It's a secret.'

'Is that....chocolate??'

'What?!? No!'

'It is too! You have chocolate! How on earth did you get that in here?'

'dammit.'

'Seriously, how'd you get that past the counselor? I thought everyone had their bags checked before they came in? They dumped out mine. i had a stash of twizzlers in my socks - but they took that too.'

'look - you can't say anything, okay? i don't want to get in trouble. i just can't operate on salads. Rabbit food.'

'hey, i won't say a thing....for half that chocolate.'

'HALF?'

'That's the price of secrecy, my friend. If you want to taste that sweet sweet chocolate, you better hand over my share. You think i like carrots and celery anymore than you? Christ, i'd practically give my left nut for a bag of Doritoes right now. That is - if they'd drop...Hahahaha...y'know what i mean?...Shit. You don't know. You're just a baby rookie. Hand over the chocolate, Rookie.'

'Fine!....Here, happy now?'

'Mmmm. yesh. Thatsh good shit.'

'Okay, so here's the truth. i have this cousin. He went to this camp for years. he told me all the secret hiding spots. the trouble is - i have to sneak out to the edge by the lake - that's where my cousin will bring the goods. i need a good lookout. That can be you if you can keep a secret. He said he made a killing selling this stuff to the other campers.'

'i'm listening'

'kay, i didn't want to come here, and i'm guessing you didn't either. So, if i'm going to be stuck here all summer - we might as well make some cash. i figure we'll sell at a huge profit, and after i pay my cousin, you and i will still make enought dough to make this summer not a complete and total loss.'

'Shit. Am i ever glad you got assigned to my bunk. What's your name again?'

'Brandon'

'Jeff. Nice to meet you .....partner'

'Yeah, partner.'

'So - what's your plan?'

'Well, - i figure we'll get the inventory from my cuz, and then we'll wait a few days - until everyone's crazy and sick of this health crap. Then, we'll spread the word to one or two of the guys and wait for the power of Word of Mouth to take hold. Then you and i will be rolling in it.'

'Man, i wish i would've thought of this two years ago, i'd be rich by now.'

'yeah, the hard part is not eating it all.'

'what?'

'well - this chocolate we're eating? That's it. Enjoy it while you can. After you're done - that's it.'

'what the hell? why have all this food if you're not going to eat it?'

'Because i can get five bucks for this chocolate with a properly motivated buyer. That - and my parents said if i don't take off the weight i'm going to Military School in the fall. and i say "fuck that!" Besides, someone's got to keep losing weight or the counselors will notice. So you and i are going to follow the diet AND the exercise - and when we leave we'll be forty pounds lighter and much much richer. My cousin lost 50 pounds and then totally slept with a cheerleader. That.....can be us!'

'shit! you're serious?....ok. ....i guess i'm in! Let's do it partner!'

'let's do it.'