3 quick tips for strong scenarios
Tips from Cathy Moore on writing scenarios:
- Put dialog in quotation marks.
- Ask, "Why aren't they doing it?"
- Branching? Start with the end in mind.
19 Ways to Write Better Dialogue — Well-Storied.
Tips for writing better dialogue like "every line of dialogue should serve a purpose." While this is aimed at general fiction writing and not learning, most of this applies to writing scenarios for learning too.
<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Before writing a conversation, take the time to ask yourself what key purpose(s) the conversation will serve. Most often, conversations work to resolve or create tension, establish context, or reveal new information that moves the story forward.</p><p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">With an established purpose in mind, you can begin writing dialogue with the confidence that you're adding value to your story rather than setting readers up for boredom. </p>
One easy way to identify dialogue missteps, however, is to read your story's conversations aloud. If the dialogue doesn't flow when spoken, you'll know exactly where to revise your work.
How to Write Natural Dialogue in 11 Steps, With Examples!
Tips for writing dialogue, with examples from novels
And one of the best ways to cut out that boring fluff is to enter the conversation as late as possible.
When writing dialogue, it’s also good to bounce quickly back and forth between speakers, like a tennis match.
StorytellingResources - Duets Learning
Hadiya Nurridin's templates and documents for crafting stories for learning. These are mostly for IDs to use, not that would be given to a stakeholder to review.
Random Plot Generator
A writing prompt tool to generate two characters, a setting, situation, theme, and character action. This could be a fun way to start scenarios if you're feeling stuck. h/t Jean Marrapodi
Tip 6: Show, Don't Tell
Hadiya Nuriddin continues her series of tips on writing stories with "show, don't tell." Specifically, she talks about adding descriptions to focus on the emotional aspects, not just over-explaining what things look like. Hadiya includes several examples.
Always lead with emotions when showing instead of telling.
Tip 7: Be Strategic About Structure
Hadiya Nuriddin shares examples of how the structure of a story shapes the audience's understanding of the content and the overall message. Note that Hadiya isn't talking about the "hero's journey" or some other overarching classic structure here (which I often find more problematic than helpful for scenario-based learning, especially branching scenarios). It's more about how information is revealed and how the action is organized in the story. In this article, she summarizes three versions of a story where a secret is revealed at different times to show how the structure affects the message.
How, when, and why a reader is exposed to information in a narrative matters because it determines how the plot unfolds and impacts the audience's understanding and engagement with the story.<span class="white-space-pre"> </span>