Mythic Magazine Podcast #11

This is very late, but I really enjoyed your response about dialogue. I also think the need for dialogue to progress the plot isn't necessarily so simple - and it can depend what "progress" means. If you're talking about a narrative being broken up into X story beats, then I don't think every conversation has to represent a story beat. If my character is in a party - short term or longer term - I need to find ways to make these characters more than just a name on a page. I have quite often dedicated whole scenes just to a conversation taking place because character dynamics enriches the story. I look for opportunities for characters to interact. And at the time, it's not specifically to move a plot forward. However, I'm very aware that exploring the relationships between characters gives me more context to work when progressing the plot or when trying to interpret prompts and situations. I don't always use Oracles to tell me what other characters say or how they react. But I've still managed to narrate conversations on the page that have ended up surprising me and made me change my planned direction for the story a little.

Thanks for answering the question about dialogue, Tana. I think you're right - why should we follow the same rules of script writers or even group RPGs when it comes to dialogue? Very freeing. I would also love to read more of your thoughts about it in the magazine.

I would love to see an article about dialogue. That whole time you were discussing it, I was wondering about how to do it. :)