You’ll want your dialogues — whatever they are — to be easily read. Hence, I suggest using a brief “settings” intro, and italics, and punctuation in any clear and consistent format. Remember how we began in class?:

Example 1:

7AM. At the Church Avenue F and G trains stations. There are a bunch of upset people late for work or school. Man in suit keeps checking his watch and looking down the tunnel for the train coming.

Man That Can’t Keep His Pants Up: “Where the &*(%)%* is the train?”

Woman In Red Sitting Two Seats Down From Me [staring at me, writing.

Group of children running down to the other side of the platform.

There is a train arriving. Everyone gets up as I stay seated. The green reflection of the trains shows that it was a G Train. Everyone returns to their positions, upset.

Man That Can’t Keep His Pants Up: “Oh my ^&^&^E god, where is this $%($%$ train?!” (He yells as if it will make the train come faster.)

Surprisingly, the train is now arriving. Man in the Suit rushes to the door in the exact spot where the door will open.

etc etc.

+++++

Example 2:

7 Train. 7:40PM. A man of around 19 is standing, holding the pole. He talks to another man who appears to be his friend.

First Guy:             I broke up with my girlfriend. She flirted with other guys. Basically, cheating on me. I wasted six months with her, and this is what I got.

Second Guy:      Damn, I feel bad for you. Wasn’t she your first girlfriend?

etc. etc.

++++++

Example 3, modified text:

7 Train. 7:40PM. A man of around 19 is standing, holding the pole. He talks to another man who appears to be his friend.

“Only wanted a girlfriend to just have.”

“You picked wrong.”

Gosh, these people are having a tough day. I wish I didn’t have to sit here.

“Why did you even go out with her?”

I wonder what he’s going to say now. Oh no.

“Man, you always choose the wrong girl.”

etc etc.

++++

Another example. An easy and sort of classic use of italics and quotes. Example #4:

Midnight. Starbucks on Madison Avenue and 57^th Street, Manhattan.

I wish I’d never left the house. No one is sitting near me, but there are a number of people at the other end of the room. Man, it’s pretty empty. I feel kind of self conscious, writing in the corner. I am drinking tea.

“Hi, could I get a macchiato?”

“Vente or grande?”

“Vente”

Why can I hear the people at the counter, even though I’m so far away? I wonder….

[Music. “Uptown Funk.” Again?!] “Julio, get the stretch!”

“Um, I asked for a vente and this is a grande. Can you please get my order right?”

Wow, this woman is picky. Why is she even ordering a coffee at midnight anyway; doesn’t she ever want to sleep? My herbal tea is getting cold.

“We show up when we show up – smoother than a fresh jar o skippy…”

“Here’s your change.”

“Um, okay.”

…

March 6: Library Day — we will meet outside the Library in Namm Building at 10AM, not in the classroom.

March 8: Discussion of our lists; writing assignment in class.

March 13: Journal Check Day.

 

And in closeup…

Notes:

February 15, 2017

Were you surprised?

Could you relate to something you heard?

• A theme, the fact that we moved a lot. We didn’t have a lot of stability growing up.

What did you learn about this concept itself?

• Got to learn about other people and where they come from
• Even though we are different and come from different families, we all got different similarities
• Similar dreams, to do what parent couldn’t do
• Despite what happens, everyone puts a smile on their face everyday

What is the teacher’s role in this process?

• Learning, observing the way people speak and communicate with each other.
• Help to find a path by leaving them alone
• Taking notes
• Hands are always moving, writing is always happening.
• Who becomes the leader? The person who does the most work…

Surprised on things you heard? Something you learned about someone else?

• Christina’s family, having a baby brother come into the picture can change things dramatically.
• Elsey, moment in life that she met cousins. Learned at very young age about responsibility. She had to split the house with other family members. Dad presented her to family member she never knew about. Discussions about why they never met before. Emmanuel found it interesting.

• “Big family”

• Very historical, from grandparents to present generation.

• People shearing a sheep. David sheared one in Mexico.

• Learning something new from each other

• Family dynamics. “Hello you got two brothers deal with it”

• Feeling of not belonging somewhere. Some classmates could relate to this feeling

• Not knowing the English language and struggling to fit in

• Bullies are everywhere

• Heavy accents, “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”

• When you write someone might catch a mistake you didn’t notice

Is your family crazy?

• Family makes you crazy sometimes…
• Family members had a job and left it to come to America to give their family a better life
• Lived somewhere for a long time them came here…
• Inspiring that someone has a lot of responsibilities that they themselves might not be able to handle themselves
• Police man in Dubai
• Conclusion with family accomplishments, “I want to be like them and make them proud”.