Question

Write a dialogue in which each of the two characters - a husband and wife - has a secret. Do not reveal the secret but make the reader intuit it. . Purpose: to give two characters individual ways of speaking, and to make dialogue crackle with feelings not directly expressed. Remember that in dialogue, as a general rule, every pause must somehow be shown, either by narration (for example, "she paused") or by some gesture or other break that shows the pause. And remember that gesture is a part of all real dialogue. Sometimes, for instance, we look away instead of answering. Tell me the secrets beforehand, but don't include it in the dialogue

Answer 1

Secrets:

1. The husband has been applying for a job in a different city without telling his wife, believing that it will be a better opportunity for both of them.
2. The wife has been secretly communicating with an old friend and is reconsidering her choice to stay in their town, feeling restless in their current life.

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Setting: The couple is sitting at the kitchen table after dinner. The soft hum of the dishwasher fills the silence.

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Husband: (stirring his coffee) You know… I was just thinking about how nice it would be to go somewhere different for a change. (He glances out the window.) What do you think about, uh, getting away for the weekend?

Wife: (playing with her fork) Somewhere different? Like… where? (She raises an eyebrow, not meeting his gaze.)

Husband: (shrugs, keeping his eyes on the coffee) I don’t know. I was thinking maybe the cabin up north? Just you and me.

Wife: (suddenly focused on the table) The cabin… Right. We haven’t been there in ages. (She bites her lip, fidgeting.)

Husband: (leans back, arms crossed) Yeah, I mean, it could be good to clear our heads. Get some fresh air, you know?

Wife: (takes a deep breath, then looks up) Fresh air sounds nice. But what if we get there and it just feels… empty? (She catches his eye for a moment before dropping her gaze again.)

Husband: (furrows his brow) Empty? It’s just us. (He pauses.) Sometimes I think a little space is what we need.

Wife: (nodding slowly) Space is nice, but… sometimes I wonder if we’ve been avoiding what really matters. (She picks at her plate, avoiding his eyes.)

Husband: (leans forward, lowering his voice) Avoiding? (He hesitates.) I thought we were trying to focus on what’s right in front of us.

Wife: (forcing a smile, but her voice shakes) Right. What’s in front of us is… great, isn’t it? (She glances at him briefly before turning back to the plate.)

Husband: (his expression hardens slightly) Great? I mean, we’re comfortable. But comfortable can be a trap, can’t it? (His hand clenches around the mug.)

Wife: (pausing, she takes a steady breath) Maybe that’s true. But it’s not always easy to… step out of what we know. (Her fingers trace the rim of her glass.)

Husband: (nodding slowly, then suddenly chuckles) It’s funny, isn’t it? How two people can sit at the same table and still feel miles apart.

Wife: (holds her breath for a moment, then softens her gaze) It is funny. (She leans back, as if trying to create distance.) Maybe that’s part of life.

Husband: (looks away, swallowing hard) Yeah, part of life. (He fiddles with his coffee mug.)

Wife: (her voice lowers) Just… sometimes I wonder if we’re really where we’re supposed to be. (She finally meets his eyes, lingering there as tension builds.)

Husband: (after a long pause, he sighs) Maybe we need to figure that out together. (He leans forward a bit more, his expression unreadable.)

Wife: (smiling faintly, but her eyes are distant) Together. That sounds nice.

Husband: (nodding, but the weight in his eyes remains) Yeah… nice.

(Both fall silent, lost in their thoughts, as the dishwasher continues to hum.)