~Tips For Dailog Writing~

1. Before you begin writing a dialogue, you will have to do some planning. Think about the following things:
   
   Who will your audience be? If you can build your routine around things that happen to that group of people, your audience will enjoy your act even more. Talk about activities that your audience does. Try to mention the name of at least one outstanding member of the audience for a personal touch that will make you special to them.
   
   
   Choose a main idea on which to build the dialogue. Try to build it around the audience and the event or holiday.
   
   
   Put your best part last and your second best part first. Fill the middle with quick, fast-paced lines. The figure should have short punchy answers for quick laughs. The figure should get most of the funny lines. The audience wants to hear everything the figure says; so if you want an important point to be remembered, let the figure say it.
   
   
   Your figure could disagree with almost everything you do or say. The bigger the problem, the more the audience will become involved. The solution to the conflict should come to a surprise finish. Make a conflict between you and your partner that is fun to hear.
   
   
   Be aware of the character of your vent figure to make your routine believable. Communicating this to your audience will help them to empathize with your little partner. A ventriloquist has to be a good actor and be aware of two or more characters at the same time.
   
   
   Keep your lines "squeaky clean" so they can be rated G. The only person that should be humiliated or picked on should be you. Think of good, creative, clean jokes that will follow the theme and fit your character's personality. You can change old jokes to fit the situation.
   
   
   Always try to create your own ideas. Never copy another person. You can use a similar idea, but make yours different and better.
   
   
   Many ventriloquists like to end a dialogue with a song. Audiences love to hear figures sing. They don't expect the figure to have a beautiful voice; so if you can't sing well, it doesn't matter. Make the song follow the theme of the dialogue. You can even change the words of a familiar song to make a funny parody.
   
   
   It is extremely important to stay within the performance time given to you. Keep your routine fast paced. Don't let it drag! Try to end your act with your audience wanting more.
   
   
   Have fun and enjoy the compliments!