An introduction to an introduction to creative writing

I'm not a morbid person. Really, I'm not. But as Margarita thinks about her possible (and at this point, likely) demise at the bottom of the sea, it reminded me of a short story I wrote in seventh grade. I can talk about this now because as a well-adjusted sophomore in college I see that I was a very melodramatic seventh grader and I wouldn't actually ever die at the bottom of the pool (I'm a fairly good swimmer).
Though I can't find it now, I remember writing about how the narrator in this particular piece was looking up from the bottom of the pool at the peaceful and almost surreal world above the water. And how it looked that way even though, in "her" experience, it wasn't that way at all. Then I went on to say how the girl just decided to stay down there, where everything looked perfect. It was pretty stupid. The point is that I think water has something powerful about it, something that makes a difference in this play because she could be doing anything - running a marathon, or learning to do something really "American," but she's swimming in the ocean. Water has the power to transform you, and I think that's what her whole family is looking for. Especially her father. By proving that she (and he, vicariously) can do this really great thing, even though it's hard, he can show that he'll make it in America - another really great, hard thing. He's pushing her so much because he's pushing himself, but his goal isn't as tangible. It's only when his daughter seems to be dead that he realizes you can't have success just because you want it more than anything - even if it's for someone else.
I go off on tangents a lot - I'm sorry if this is exactly what you're not looking for. I'm trying to avoid summarizing the plot and I think I've gone too far in the opposite direction. I may revise this in the morning.
The other thing this play has me wondering is how am I going to write a play? Last semester for my Women's Lit class final, I had to write a 15-20 page piece that had something to do with something we'd read. I tried first by writing a play, but I realized my problem is that I base most of my writing on description, and I'm light on conversation - and that's because every conversation I write sounds fake and forced. But when I have to write one for this class, it's going to be mostly conversation. I love the authenticity of the spanish in this piece - and everything sounds natural. When I write I love to set scenes and let the rest kind of be interpreted. But this is exactly the opposite. If someone were to ever act out my one-act (not that I'm expecting this. Hypothetically.) they would be in charge of the setting and the body language and though I could give some prodding here and there as to who was entering and when to raise their voice, I'm mostly responsible for the conversation. I'll probably have an entire play based on soliloquies and monologues. Is that allowed? (Also, did you see how seamlessly I inserted vocabulary words?)
Okay, now I'm definitely going to update this in the morning, but I'll leave this up for all of you Intro to Creative Writing people to get an idea of my personality. It's off topic and a little off kilter. As you can tell.