Real talk – every generation has its own slang, phrases, attitudes, and belief systems that stem from values specific to their age groups. Exploring the foundations of intergenerational exchanges helps us better understand ourselves and each other as our life experiences intersect, strengthening the dialogue and scenes you create in novels and short stories.
How to Write Intergenerational Dialogue sheds light on how we, as writers, can capture nuances in the conversations between a grandparent and a child, a teacher and a student, a new hire and a retiree, or any characters from multigenerational settings in our stories.
We’ll read examples of texts from classic and contemporary Black writers, including Toni Cade Bambara (Gorilla, My Love), Gloria Naylor (Mama Day), and Deesha Philyaw (The Secret Lives of Church Lives of Church Ladies) to help set the tone as you prepare your own writing.
At the end of 3 weeks, you can expect to have a well-crafted piece exhibiting dialogue that's crisp, natural, and engaging between characters from varied generations. Come ready to write your best scenes!
Open to beginner and intermediate Black women writers.