Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Military and Staff Sargent Giunta Essay

Military and Staff Sargent Giunta Essay Military and Staff Sargent Giunta Essay Honor, Duty and Respect There are very few men who are awarded the Medal of Honor; more than that however are still alive to tell their story. Staff Sargent Giunta displayed actions of honor, duty, and respect on several occasions during the night of the attack on himself and his fellow soldiers. He presented honor to his superior’s by doing what he had been trained to do in the situation. His duty was to protect his comrades and without hesitation and he did so. Staff Sargent Giunta showed respect because he said that all of the other Medal of Honor recipients before him were all actual heroes. He specifically said that he wasn’t doing anything that one of his other buddies wouldn’t have done. Honor. As a very patriotic American citizen honor means a lot to me because if the public doesn’t have honor towards its country then the country means nothing. After listing and reading about Staff Sargent Giunta his honor towards his country was exactly what the military of the United States should want out of a soldier in my eyes. He humbled himself to save a comrade and then didn’t expect anything in return. Honor is what other people did before you that created a higher standard of living. Having honor as one of your personal characteristics is living day to day with those higher standards because you believe in the men and women that came before you. Duty is an act of service in the military or living life by a moral code. I believe that a soldier’s duty is instilled inside of them throughout their years of service. Staff Sargent and the men that fought next to him knew their duty as soldiers. You could tell this because it didn’t take long for the men to register what was going on the men immediately got into position and returned fire. From the videos and reading material about Staff Sargent Giunta actions there is no way

Monday, March 2, 2020

How to Write Natural Dialogue for Narratives

How to Write Natural Dialogue for Narratives Writing verbal conversations or dialogue is often one of the trickiest parts of creative writing. Crafting effective dialogue within the context of a narrative requires much more than following one quote with another. With practice, though, you can learn how to write natural-sounding dialogue that is creative and compelling. The Purpose of Dialogue Put simply, dialogue is narrative conveyed through speech by two or more characters. Effective dialogue should do many things at once, not simply convey information. It should set the scene, advance action, give insight into each character, and foreshadow future dramatic action. Dialogue doesnt have to be grammatically correct; it should read like actual speech. However, there must be a balance between realistic speech and readability. Dialogue is also a tool for character development. Word choice tells a reader a lot about a person: their appearance, ethnicity, sexuality, background, even morality. It can also tell the reader how the writer feels about a certain character. How to Write Direct Dialogue Speech, also known as direct dialogue, can be an effective means of conveying information quickly. But most real-life conversations are boring to read. An exchange between two friends may go something like this: Hi, Tony, said Katy. Hey, Tony answered. Whats wrong? Katy asked. Nothing, Tony said. Really? Youre not acting like nothings wrong. Pretty tiresome dialogue, right? By including nonverbal details in your dialogue, you can articulate emotion through action. This adds dramatic tension and is more engaging to read. Consider this revision: Hi, Tony. Tony looked down at his shoe, dug in his toe and pushed around a pile of dust. Hey, he replied. Katy could tell something was wrong. Sometimes saying nothing or saying the opposite of what we know a character  feels is the best way to create dramatic tension. If a character wants to say I love you, but his actions or words say I dont care, the reader will cringe at the missed opportunity. How to Write Indirect Dialogue Indirect dialogue doesnt rely on speech. Instead, it uses thoughts, memories, or recollections of past conversations to reveal important narrative details. Often, a writer will combine direct and indirect dialogue to increase dramatic tension, as in this example: Hi, Tony. Tony looked down at his shoe, dug in his toe and pushed around a pile of dust. Hey, he replied. Katy braced herself. Something was wrong. Formatting and Style To write dialogue that is effective, you must also pay attention to formatting and style. Correct use of tags, punctuation, and paragraphs can be as important as the words themselves. Remember that punctuation goes inside quotations. This keeps the dialogue clear and separate from the rest of the narrative. For example: I cant believe you just did that! Start a new paragraph each time the speaker changes. If there is action involved with a speaking character, keep the description of the action within the same paragraph as the characters dialogue. Dialogue tags other than said are best used sparingly, if at all. Often a writer uses them to try to convey a certain emotion. For example: But I dont want to go to sleep yet, he whined. Instead of telling the reader that the boy whined, a good writer will describe the scene in a way that conjures the image of a whining little boy: He stood in the doorway with his hands balled into little fists at his sides. His red, tear-rimmed eyes glared up at his mother. But I dont want to go to sleep yet. Practice Makes Perfect Writing dialogue is like any other skill. It requires constant practice if you want to improve as a writer. Here are a few tips to help you tune your ear. Start a dialogue diary. Practice speech patterns and vocabulary that may be foreign to you. This will give you the opportunity to really get to know your characters.Eavesdrop. Carry a small notebook with you and write down phrases, words, or whole conversations verbatim to help develop your ear.Read. Reading will hone your creative abilities. It will help familiarize you with the form and flow of narration and dialogue until it becomes more natural in your own writing.