Question!

[Literate]

Well, I'm writing a fic, if you haven't happened to know already. And I'm kind of stuck on it right now.

How exactly can you make a conversatoin with the character and her mom? I mean, she's cooking and half not paying attention. So how can you make a conversation with someone who's cooking and not paying attention and try not to make that character sound like a dork?

 

[Astinus]

I mostly say that the non-attention-paying character should just stare idily into space, slowly stiring something in a pot. The daughter could say something, the mom goes "Uh-um" and the daughter could ask if the mother is paying attention. I'm not sure if that makes Mom out to be a dork, but that's my views on it. That's just a really hard conversation to write...

 

[Literate]

Half- paying attention well, I coulda phrased it better. Let's just say it would be an easy subject drop. No one's talking and the 'paying attentioner' is waiting for the 'non paying attention character' to say something, when suddenly they drop the subject. How exactly does it really kinda go?

 

[Comis Patronus]

I mostly say that the non-attention-paying character should just stare idily into space, slowly stiring something in a pot. The daughter could say something, the mom goes "Uh-um" and the daughter could ask if the mother is paying attention. I'm not sure if that makes Mom out to be a dork, but that's my views on it. That's just a really hard conversation to write...

I agree. It is hard to think about it. Try having a list of each character's characteristics. I think that will help.

 

[Literate]

Okay, let's just say... if that person, the not paying attention one, is very into things and cannot actually anyone say anything to them. Like me. That's pretty much. I'm introducing this character and that is sudden. I haven't formed the personality yet. Just that this character and the 'other one' having a conversation about a journey, but they suddenly drop the subject. How exactly would it go? (Repeating myself) I've got half of it down. I just need to know how it would y'know end?

 

[Breezy]

Lol, that's never happened to you in real life? My mom is the best at not paying attention and changing the subject. Usually when she's driving.

Mi madre: So how was your day at school?

Me: Well, I failed my physics exam, me and Nevets made fun of emos in the corner, it started to hail hailstones the size of... idk, but they were pretty big, the stupid weather can't make up it's mind so I was freezing all day oh and people keep bugging me to go to the movies with them on Friday even though there's nothing good out. How was your day though?

Mi Madre: (two minutes later) What do you want to eat?

So I guess make her spaced out and slow to answer things or something. Idk.

 

[Literate]

Thanks, everrone! I'll try to see how that'll work. My mom never spaces out. I don't know why. O_O Maybe I'm just weird.

 

[BirthdayPirate]

My parents space out a lot, and the one greatest thing you can do to show that they are not paying attention, and that they do it often, is to have your character ask a simple yes or no question and get an answer like, "Oh, really?" or "Cool..." If you really want to shove it in the reader's face, have the parent give a whole bunch of uh-huh's and yeah's, and then have the kid get frustrated and demand for the adult to repeat everything they said, to which, of course, they will have no answer.