: What's the name of this type of "literary work"? Character1: dialogue Character2: *action* Character1: ... Character1: dialogue In the context of fanfiction, they're sometimes referred to as drabbles.

@Margaret427

Posted in: #Style #Technique #Terminology

Character1: dialogue
Character2: *action*
Character1: ...
Character1: dialogue


In the context of fanfiction, they're sometimes referred to as drabbles. But the official definition of drabbles is 100-word fiction and not usually in that format. In the context of Twitter or memes, they're used commonly as a way of recounting some funny exchange.

They're somewhat like scripts, with dialogue, actions surrounded by '*', no narration, no POV, no setting. Just a character/name followed by dialogue/action.

Is there an official term for this kind of written work? Thanks!

Examples:

Day-to-day context

twitter.com/DraggingFeeties/status/1104180413633871877 https://carryonbydefault.tumblr.com/post/164253228699/something-that-happened-in-one-of-my-classes


Fanfiction context

marveltrashandstuffs.tumblr.com/post/186507441454/mj-why-are-you-so-cute-peter-you-think-im

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@Murray165

@Murray165

I would call it a chat log. Those samples are not literal chat logs but they are written in a style that imitates a chat log.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chat_log
The web form for posting in this style on Tumblr is at the address www.tumblr.com/new/chat so clearly chat logs are what Tumblr's developers had in mind.

People imitate the style of chat logs for convenience, humorous effect, or because that's just how conversations are commonly written in the part of the internet they like to hang out (or where they hung out ten years ago... aren't chat rooms a bit retro now?).

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