My favorite writing exercise so far, IV deals with dialogue, its use to show rather than tell, and how it can tell the story all on its own. The first section is just an analysis of part of our reading assignment and I thusly removed it (because it’s out of context and therefore confusing). However, the second part remains here, which is probably one of the most amusing things I’ve ever written. It is a short-short story (or, in my case, a piece of a short story) that takes place in a single conversation. We were told exactly how to write it out - first character says something, describe an action by the second character, then a response, first character says six or less words, etc. Quite an amusing challenge, and I think the resulting story is no less interesting.

Remember Nadia and Christian?

“So what about work?”
Christian turned and gave her a smug look, a “you don’t know what you’re getting into” look used over pranked cookie jars and the like.
“Seriously, you said you had work –”
“Yep, I have work for you to do. I have some really nice work for you to do.”
“What kind?”
“Go out with me.”
Nadia let out a cold, shocked snort.
“Why, I’m serious.”
Nadia stopped walking and turned to face him, arms crossed, giving him an even, evaluating stare. Christian’s smug look had not changed; he turned to face her, roughly mimicking her folded arms and mocking her defiant stance.
“It’s a nice night for romance,” Christian continued.
“What makes you say that?”
“Very nice… Hell, I think all week’ll be great…”
He pulled a small card out of his pocket and twisted it in his hands, smiling as he looked at it, a small relic of memories. It twirled deftly between his fingers.
“So why should I be going out with you again?”
“Because last time a woman went on a date with me, she said she had such a marvelous time that I’d have to pay my next date to make it worth her time.”
Nadia sighed darkly and her gaze dropped to the ground, shaking her head in disbelief that anybody could be so desperate and still look so sure of himself.