In the vast world of storytelling, dialogue is a magical bridge between characters and the audience, bringing narratives to life with emotions, wit, and depth. Whether it’s a heartfelt confession, a heated argument, or a humorous exchange, compelling dialogue is the heartbeat of a screenplay.
Whether you are writing something severe and heartfelt, or something more funny or absurd, ultimately, you want to create dialogue which draws people in – conversations which the audience doesn’t want to lose earshot of. But compelling dialogue isn’t merely about clever wordplay or sparkling wit; it’s an intricate dance of character revelation, plot progression, and thematic resonance, all balanced on the tightrope of realism or in line with the concept of the story.
Here are some tips and techniques I’ve always found helpful to find inspiration and keep me in check when writing and editing dialogue:
Know Your Characters’ Voice
Before you start writing a line of dialogue, you need to know who your characters are. Even if it’s a minor character with just 1 or 2 lines, you can’t write authentic dialogue without knowing their characteristics, personality, motivations, and desires. As the great philosopher Socrates advised, “To know thyself is the beginning of wisdom.” In screenwriting, knowing your characters is the beginning of authenticity.
Each character should have a distinct personality, background, and motivations shaping their speech. A stoic detective will have a different cadence than a quirky scientist, just as a determined hero will express differently from a cunning villain. Embrace their idiosyncrasies, quirks, and individuality, and let their voices guide your words. Once you understand the character in your head, allow them some freedom to deliver their words in their unique way.
Avoid Exposition Dumps
Exposition dumps are like stumbling blocks in a screenplay. These lengthy explanations disrupt the natural flow of a story. If you feel the need to give an explanation or detail feelings and emotions in words, it can quickly turn an interesting scene into melodrama. Instead, integrate information into the dialogue organically, or even better, through actions and what isn’t said, rather than straight out saying what you want the audience to know.
Let characters reveal their backstories or information about the plot through meaningful conversations and actions. This way, you create a sense of discovery for the audience, drawing them deeper into the narrative.
Let your characters speak their truths, engage in riveting conversations, and reveal the depths of their souls. As you breathe life into the dialogue, your screenplay will come alive, taking the audience on a journey of insight, entertainment, and a celebration of the human experience. Let the magic of good dialogue fill your screenplay and illuminate the screen with the power of storytelling.
Brevity with Impact
The great Renaissance thinker Leonardo da Vinci once said, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” In screenwriting, simplicity and brevity often yield a powerful impact. While it’s much easier said than done, good dialogue is concise without sacrificing depth or emotion. When writing dialogue, we tend to overwrite the first drafts, afraid that things aren’t clear, or overindulging in words and expression. What you edit out can be more important than what you leave in.
Avoid long-winded speeches that can dampen the pacing of a scene. Instead, choose impactful lines that resonate with the audience, revealing character traits and moving the plot forward. It’s not easy coming up with clean, snappy dialogue, which bounces nicely between a set of characters, but it can be even harder to cut out nice lines for the better of the scene. Remember, a few well-chosen words can speak volumes.
Embrace Subtext and Conflict
In the words of the renowned psychologist Carl Jung, “The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.” Dialogue should be more than just words exchanged; it should be a battleground of subtext and conflict.
How often do we say exactly what we want, feel, or need? Hidden beneath the surface, characters may convey unspoken desires, fears, or unresolved issues. This subtext adds depth and intrigue to their interactions. Let characters clash, disagree, and challenge each other; it’s in conflict that true growth and transformation occur.
Use Humor to Humanize
Humour is a powerful tool that humanises characters and establishes an emotional connection with the audience. As the philosopher Voltaire once said, “The art of medicine consists of amusing the patient while nature cures the disease.” Similarly, the art of screenwriting and playwriting involves amusing the audience while delivering a compelling story.
Don’t be afraid to avoid comedic lines of dialogue or humorous moments between characters, regardless of the genre or tone of the work. Don’t force it, but at the same time, don’t actively avoid it. Huour can break the tension and add lightness to heavy moments. Humour, when artfully infused into dialogue, will make characters relatable and endear them to the viewers.
Read Aloud and Refine
As you shape your dialogue, follow the advice of the Chinese philosopher Confucius, who said, “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” Reading your dialogue aloud is the doing that leads to understanding.
Reading your dialogue aloud lets you sense its rhythm, flow, and resonance. Pay attention to how it sounds and feels when spoken. Refine and revise until it rolls off the tongue effortlessly, captivating both the actors and the audience.
Taking this one step further, if you can get some friends to live-read your dialogue, it can really help expose the natural feel and authenticity. Reading and workshopping dialogue out loud is the best way to take it to the next level.
Listen to Real Conversations
The world is a treasure trove of dialogue inspiration. As the French philosopher Simone Weil said, “Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.” Pay attention to real-life conversations, as they are a goldmine of natural dialogue.
If you are struggling to write authentic-sounding dialogue, go spend an afternoon in a busy cafe. Grab a seat and coffee, and just listen in on the people around you. Listen to how people talk, their mannerisms, and their unique expressions. Observe how they communicate emotions, convey ideas, and handle conflicts. Incorporate these elements into your screenplay to create authentic and relatable dialogue.
Mastering the art of dialogue involves understanding the heart of your characters, harnessing the power of brevity and subtext, embracing conflict and humour, being an observer of real-life conversations, and knowing when to refine and when to avoid exposition dumps.
That sounds a bit more complicated than it is, but good dialogue does take a lot of trial and error, inspiration, getting in the zone and letting it flow, but then getting ruthless and editing it down. Remember, these are not rules set in stone. They are ideas and things which work for me. The real magic lies in your intuition as a writer and the unique voices of your characters. Crafting compelling dialogue is an exploration – an adventure into the psyche of your characters and the heart of your narrative. Keep writing, keep refining, and most importantly, keep listening. The world of your screenplay awaits to be voiced and heard. Happy writing!
