Talk the Talk. Penny Penniston

      6. Compare and contrast the high status lines with each other. How are they similar? How are they different?

      7. Compare and contrast the very high status lines with each other. How are they similar? How are they different?

LESSON 4: INTERMEDIATE AND ADVANCED EXERCISE

      Rather than just four levels of status (very low, low, high, and very high), imagine that there are ten. They exist on a spectrum from the very, very, very, very low to the very, very, very, very high.

      Starting with the very, very, very, very low, write a line of dialogue in which a character asks someone out on a date. Rewrite the line nine more times. With each rewrite, raise the status of the speaker one notch along the spectrum. Your final line should have the speaker taking on a very, very, very, very high status role.

       For Discussion:

      1. In random order, read each writer's lines out loud to the group. Have the group try to place the lines on the status spectrum. Can the group organize the lines from one to ten?

      2. If the group has trouble placing any of the lines on the spectrum, discuss what it is about the line that makes it difficult to place.