Scene: You are half of a couple having an argument about socks, which means you're arguing about something else. Something else (for this exercise) does not mean cheating, does not involve sex at all, and is not necessarily a bad thing. If you want to be really nifty, try writing about convincing your partner to agree to something.
Step 1: Create a paragraph setting the scene for the reader. You may choose to skip Step 1 however, make sure that you use the dialog well enough that it can bridge the gap and progress the story at the same pace.
Step 2: It's best at this point to refer to the positions in terms of numbers, in this case Person 1 and Person 2. Character development is not the focal point. Once the dialog begins, try to stay with capturing the words in the moment. You can interpret the movements in a later exercise. Remember to consider tone and inflection are absent, you must account for it's absence without the use of "ALL CAPS".
1: Seriously, why must you insist upon mating my socks like this. It stretches out the opening, which I hate, by the way.
2: If you'd take time out of your busy agenda of google, facebook, myspace to mate your socks yourself, you could mate them however you see fit.
1: Just leave them in a basket and I will get around to it.
2: You never clean the basket out. You just wear the socks, mating them each morning. There's always a basket of socks just chillin' on the floor. That's what your sock drawer is for. To put your socks in!
1: Oh wow. I didn't realize that you had O.C.D. and a raging case of broken record. The damn things are clean, and a laundry basket is a clean place for clean laundry. So what if it's there? Why the hell does it matter? Haven't I always had a basket of socks on the floor? Does it make you that bleeping nuts?
2: I am not nuts!
1: You're freaking out like you just caught me gettin' jiggy wit' your best friend over a basket of clean socks. You know what, how 'bout this. Just put them in my sock drawer, unmated. That's it. Then I can mate them individually, day by day, and you don't have to look at the stinking basket.
2: Don't you dare say 'gettin' jiggy wit'anything ever again. No, do you understand? Don't you ever say that again. That was really kind of disturbing. I might have just thrown up in my mouth a little.
1: Ok, so... what's really going on that you'd rather tackle me in a verbal UFC cage match than say what's on your mind?
2: UFC cage match?
1: Hey, that shit is brutal.
2: Why do I hang out with you?
1: Because, I make the best three-cheese omelets and say 'nifty' a lot.
2: Oh yeah, don't forget smart-ass and stubborn on that list of attributes.
1: I didn't. I just assumed those were reasons to quit hanging out with me.
2: Thanks for proving my point! Jackass.
1: At your service, Ma'am.
2: Are you trying to sleep on the couch?
1: Not unless you're sleeping on it with me.
2: I'm sleeping in my king-size bed. I don't know where your sorry ass is going to be sleeping if you keep up this tomfoolery.
1: Ok, but if I'm sleeping on the couch don't wake me before noon. You know I'm going to be playing Wii Bowling all night.
2: You are hopeless, you know that?
1: Naw, just cute!
2: You'd be cuter with a gag on!
1: Uh, no. I don't like gags, remember?
2: Unfortunate for me.
1: Love you too, now do us both a favor and go relax in a bath. Do some zen-type stuff if you have to. We can reconvene in an hour and try again.
2: I do not want to psychoanalyze myself right now.
1: Then don't. There's a towel and some of that girly soap-sudsy stuff waiting.
1: You are infuriating.
2: And you're bathing.
