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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/9105
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/9105
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

 **The classic solution is to introduce conflict or tension.** These naturally intrigue the reader and command his attention. _Any_ conflict, no matter how minor or subtle, is enough to engage the reader's curiosity to find out what happens next.

In this context, "conflict" and "tension" are pretty much any negative outcome to the conversation that your protagonist is worried about - possibly in direct opposition to some goal of the chaplain's. For example:

- Tony is afraid the chaplain will not take him seriously.
- Tony doesn't take the chaplain seriously, and doubts he'll be helpful even as he's asking for help.
- Tony is afraid that the chaplain, who is such a wiser, kinder man than Tony considers himself to be, will give Tony good advice - that weak, inferior Tony will be too weak to follow.
- Tony wants the chaplain's advice, but he's afraid the chaplain will also guilt Tony over his dwindling devoutness.
- The chaplain would want the pill for himself if he discovered its existence; Tony needs to disguise how very non-hypothetical this conversation is.
- Pre-pill, Tony did something mean to the chaplain (maybe the chaplain did something unpleasant first). The conversation begins with Tony apologizing, but the whole conversation, maybe one (or both) are still mad at the other, and/or afraid the other's still mad at them.

This is a wide variety of tensions, of different types and intensities. Any one you choose gives you plenty of room to write little anxieties into the dialogue, and to lead into a small, satisfying wrap-up.

**If you're deliberately avoiding conflict/tension, a little dullness is just fine.** Sometimes you _really_ don't want tension in a particular scene - I could see a chaplain scene serving as a calm interlude between noisier, tenser scenes; maybe you don't want conflict here because it'd be wrong for the pacing and for the atmosphere you're aiming at. If that's the case, don't get too worried if the scene's a little slow and quiet. Slow and quiet might be what you want here.

**Consider adding a colorful counterpoint.** What you've got here is abstract, philosophical dialogue. Which addresses important subjects, but yeah, can get pretty dry. An approach that's more superficial than conflict/tension, but also simpler, is to simply provide the "dry" content _along_ with some additional element that gives more flavor. Give the chaplain memorable behavior and personality; focus Tony's attention on the grandeur (or the shabbiness) of the church where they're speaking; or go further afield - maybe the conversation is taking place as the two of them are setting up tables for a bake sale. Maybe they're at a bowling alley. _Any_ additional major element in the scene will give you a counterpoint to the dialogue, which you can shift to briefly when you feel the dialogue is getting cumbersome.

**A good way to make the discussion less abstract is to use a concrete mirror or echo.** This is a particular sub-case of the counterpoint method, but it has added value because it's not merely a superficial distraction. The idea here is that your "counterpoint" element should be some sort of thematic reflection of the topic being discussed. As a simple example, let's say the discussion is taking place on a street corner, where Tony's helping the chaplain hand out fliers asking for donations meant for the needy. They're _talking_ about the notion of kindness, but at the same time, they're also _doing_ something, an attempt to appeal to the kindness of strangers. Their actions and their opinions complement each other, for example:

- `Try to notice the people around you` -- just as a crowd of people passes, ignoring them completely.
- `It tires you and it makes it easier for people to take advantage of you.` -- Tony notes that the chaplain is shivering in the cold, clearly suffering from being out in the street.
- Maybe the chaplain zooms in on one particular person, harangues him for a couple of minutes, and gets a generous donation out of him. The stranger's donation mirrors Tony's own ability to be kind - but only in response to an external, artificial stimulus.

You could take "thematic mirroring" in a billion different ways. Maybe a teenage offender is helping out at the church, as a punishment for some misdeed he's done - helpful, but not of his own volition. Maybe the chaplain is a thoroughly ineffective character - he's _all_ good will and kindness, but he never manages do actually help anybody substantially; just the reverse of where Tony's at. Etcetera, etcetera. Choosing something themeatically significant as a counterpoint is great because it makes the counterpoint seem meaningful and connected; it adds depth to the story _while simultaneously_ easing the pressure of the abstract dialogue.

Original score: 11