Need Your Help! Cocktail Party Scenes

[Indigo Al]

Dear New Gail's Board,

I'm writing a horrible novel, and the opening chapter will be set at a cocktail party. I'm not terribly skilled at writing about such a setting, sooooo -- I need your opinions on what some of the best written cocktail party scenes in prose are. Hell, you can also tell me about good cocktail party scenes in comics or film!

It's important I get this chapter written, otherwise, our very own Tommy will murder me viciously if I don't turn it in to him.

[Infra-Man]

What kind of cocktail party? Who is throwing the cocktail party? Who is attending the cocktail party? Where is the cocktail party being held? What is the occasion for the cocktail party? What kinds of drinks will be served at the cocktail party?

I'd say throw one yourself or find out if your friends know of any cocktail parties and attend. When it's a relatively easy-to-have experience like a cocktail party, it's probably better to create an original scene from something real that you can experience firsthand rather than recreate a scene from something already published. Don't be afraid to invent.

[Indigo Al]

What kind of cocktail party? Who is throwing the cocktail party? Who is attending the cocktail party? Where is the cocktail party being held? What is the occasion for the cocktail party? What kinds of drinks will be served at the cocktail party?

I'd say throw one yourself or find out if your friends know of any cocktail parties and attend. When it's a relatively easy-to-have experience like a cocktail party, it's probably better to create an original scene from something real that you can experience firsthand rather than recreate a scene from something already published. Don't be afraid to invent.

Thanks, Infra-Man! This is helping me greatly. I'm mostly concerned on how to structure the flow of character dialogue and plot threads at the party.

What kind of cocktail party?

A ritzy gathering

Who is throwing the cocktail party?

A wealthy, bored dilettante who is desperate to be recognized in the supernatural investigations business.

Who is attending the cocktail party?

Many people, mostly high society types but a few distinct characters who will be connected to the main protagonists, who will NOT be at the party.

Where is the cocktail party being held?

At the dilettante's highrise in the heart of Spiretown, the upper class neighborhood in my fictional city, with very unusual looking highrises...

What is the occasion for the cocktail party?

No special occasion, it's mostly serving as a plot device for me.

What kinds of drinks will be served at the cocktail party?

The fun part of the research!

[Stressfactor]

No special occasion, it's mostly serving as a plot device for me.

I gotta say, if you're dealing with wealthy/influential people and you want this to be a fair-sized party (i.e. more than just a few close friends) then there should probably be a reason for the party.

Heck, even when my gal-pals would throw a party they would have reasons -- someone's birthday, completion of a major project, last episode of "Sex in the City" -- whatever. It didn't necessarily have to be a GOOD reason but generally speaking there had to be something to build the party AROUND.

These are wealthy people who's time is worthwhile. Even if the person throwing the party is a friend there should probably be SOMEthing to build the party around.

Come up with something -- a birthday, the closure of a major deal, the completed construction of a new building or office or factory or whatever, or your main character moved to a new location and he's showing it off, or he's recently redecorated and is showing off, etc.

Integrate your something into the plot -- it can add as an extra kick to get your action going.

[Kevin T Brown]

Take a look at the cocktail party scene in Dark Knight... prior to the Joker crashing it, that is.

[Indigo Al]

Take a look at the cocktail party scene in Dark Knight... prior to the Joker crashing it, that is.

Kinda the idea I'm going for.....

Which also addresses your point, Operative 24. She's bored, she's rich and she's throwing a cocktail party. The reason isn't as germane to the plot as the outcome is....

Thank you both!

[Stressfactor]

Kinda the idea I'm going for.....

Which also addresses your point, Operative 24. She's bored, she's rich and she's throwing a cocktail party. The reason isn't as germane to the plot as the outcome is....

Thank you both!

But the cocktail party in the Dark Knight did have a purpose -- it was a fundraiser for Harvey Dent.

And your character may be throwing a cocktail party because she's bored and rich but that doesn't say WHY the guests are bothering to take time out of their busy schedule to attend.

Even a thin pretext lends some validity. Heck, use the excuse that she's bored then but there should be some reason why because few people do thing "just because". Even "Because I can" is a reason.

Also, there should be a reason WHY her guests would want to come. Because she serves the best alcohol? Because all the "best" people will be there? Because they want to schmooze with her? Because something big always happens at her parties? Etc.

All of these things tell a little something about the characters. Why they want to be there gives people a short-hand into the nature of the person or the party.

Take the following.... Just off the top of my head....

Ray picked up his drink from the bartender and surveyed the room. It was a typical one of Serena's cocktail parties. She snapped her fingers on a whim and all the beautiful people came running. Of course it didn't hurt that she served the best alcohol at these things he mused as he took a sip of his drink.

Okay, what does this tell your audience? It tells them that Serena can decide to hold a cocktail party at a whim and everyone who is wealthy and pretty will come running. That implies she has power and/or prestige; it implies that the 'wealthy and beautiful' want to be a part of that scene. Your audience knows that she's wealthy enough to serve the best alcohol and spend on parties that will attract beautiful people for no other reason than that she feels like it. This says a lot about Serena and it says something about the kind of crowd she attracts -- these are people who go to 'see and be seen' and one of Serena's parties is a place to do that.

The kind of people at the party and why they are there says a lot about your setting and the characters.

Or then there's this:

Ray picked up his drink from the bartender, took a sip and tried to keep from making a face. Cheap alcohol, and watered down at that. Serena really needed to work on her party skills. Of course, throwing this thing together at the last minute and just expecting people to come was just her style. The sycohpants who made up her circle of "friends" would come running to fill her bored whims in hopes of catching any of the crumbs which might fall from her table

This indicates that Serena is kind of cheap. She throws a party on a whim and expects people to come as her right. She comes across as arrogant here. The people who come to this kind of party fulfill Serena's whims because they hope to get something from her.

Therefore the whole atmosphere of the party is different.

You can change the atmosphere just by changing the nature of the people at the party -- their reasons for going, etc.

So, in short, while there doesn't necessarily have to be a *reason* for something *everything* in writing can be used to set a stage or provide atmosphere and this can help you save later on in characterization.

[Suffering Sappho]

I've been trying to think of one, and almost every cocktail party scene I can think of ends in a disaster or is weird somehow.

Ummm. Breakfast at Tiffany's maybe? Seems like how rich drunk people would act (movie version, can't remember if it was also in the book).

[Infra-Man]

No special occasion, it's mostly serving as a plot device for me.

Operative 24 is right. "No particular reason" is not a good reason. Every detail of her party should be given consideration since it's an opportunity for you to reveal character through actions and the use of telling objects and details.

If it's to get in good with the supernatural investigations business, why is she inviting a ritzy group of people? She looking for funding? They being haunted? What does she gain by throwing a cocktail party for a bunch of rich stiffs when her ulterior motive (though it seems you're a bit hazy on that) is to get an in with the supernatural investigator community? Shouldn't she be throwing a cocktail party for people in the supernatural investigation field?