This Redhead

This Redhead consists only of external dialogues between two characters, Blondie and Red. There are no non-verbal narratives nor any internal dialogues. There are no quotation marks for what they say; just those in their dialogs, nor "he said" nor "she sighed" nor "they cried" tags. You will read of no facial expressions that they don''t talk about, no un-noticed reactions or un-vocalized thoughts. Further, you won''t see proper names; nothing but nicknames and the odd title. The italics are for emphasis. Conversations are naturally paced; some spoken phrases or sentences invite response, and are marked by (...). I generously use these ellipsis for this pacing.

Most of the story takes place in either a two-bedroom, two-story, bath-and-a-half townhouse on a quiet rural/suburban street, or in a small neighborhood tavern not far away. The buildings in the neighborhood are close enough together that the comings-and-goings of neighbors are not a mystery, nor are some of their other activities.

There are no scenes set; no transitional segues described other than in their dialogues. Story breaks and chapters may move from one location to another-and you''ll know when they are important-but just as often, they merely mark the passing of time.

This Redhead will require more of your imagination than any other story you have ever read. You should provide missing elements out of your experience. The interior layout of rooms, how crowded the bar is, or any other visual elements you can make up as you see fit. As their dialogs are very personal to them, so too will the scene settings become personal to you. You might place Red and Blondie in your kitchen, in your neighborhood watering hole, or in the living room where you had a memorable romantic encounter.

It may surprise you how absorbing a reading experience This Redhead will be.