Screenwriting : Dialogue by Samantha Lee

One way to identify one's dialogue glitches is to read your work to yourself out loud multiple times, if you've already done that a next step is asking "what is the dialogue intended to accomplish?"

Is it delivering exposition? Offering character sketch? Connective tissue between action scenes? Punching up the pace with intrigue? Or just filling time on the page?

It depends on genre, also.

Sometimes the best way to polish dialogue is to cut and rewrite. Be ready for anything in improving your script. If the dialogue is dragging, you're in the hot seat.

Worst case, envision your movie as a silent film with no dialogue at all to fall back on, it's only visual movement and cinematic action on-screen (otherwise you might be writing a TV show or stage play). Visit with your characters and discover the compression points where the script needs punching up and where you think it is working best.

Walk through each scene in your mind, as each of the characters, and feel whether their dialogue is organic and authentic or if it plays flat or contrived.

I know this is all pretty generic advice, your story is unique and you can discover how to nurture the script elements to best advantage even if it takes more time.

Thanks, Daniel Stuelpnagel for the advice, I will give it a go. This is the first thing I have ever written so all advice is appreciated. It is a TV fantasy Drama - a 1-hour pilot.

Good, sounds approachable in scope, and the fantasy realm liberates your imagination, you have the power and authority to explore beyond your boundaries here.

Heya Samantha Lee adding to what Daniel Stuelpnagel has said about reading it out loud to yourself. Another really good test is to get a bunch of mates together and get them to read your dialogue back to you, you listen and take notes. To test for consistency in how each character speaks, simply get someone to read all that one characters lines aloud.

Hi Emily Mary Bianca Turrini, great Idea, will definitely get a few mates around and get them to read it out.

Thank you, though I can't take all the credit. It was through watching one of Jeff Bollow's video lectures that I discovered it. Dialogue is a challenge for me too, and studying my Masters in Screenwriting is certainly helping me develop my dialogue into something less 'on the nose'.

Here are my tips on writing better dialogue.

Virtual table reads with friends are always helpful with this. If you have someone else reading the scene description and action, you can sit back and “watch” your screenplay and characters from the perspective of an audience member.

As Barry John Terblanche suggests, we have to give personalities and know each caracter as unique. So, everytime you read or hear any dialog, each one will have an unique voice! As we write more and more, we begin to get better in this. But is always a learning process as well to all of us. Have a great time writing it.

I get my PC to read to me. This shows pace and if a block is running a bit long. I also remove sentences or break them up more.

CRAIG: The best dialogue should feel natural and shouldn’t run on too long. This will make your audience feel like they are watching a speech and this isn’t how people really talk, in long unbroken blocks.

SAMANTHA: Okay show me what you mean. I think you just did it, if I am not mistaken.

This could look like this:

CRAIG: Best dialogue is short.

SAMANTHA: What do you mean?

CRAIG: No unbroken blocks. It feels like a ….

SAMANTHA: Speech.

CRAIG:Exactly. Boring for the audience.

Here's a very good video on dialogue that looks at it from a very straightforward way that bucks the traditional ways that dialogue is often crituqued. I really appreciated this guy's take. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfTRuq9_X_M

Its always good to read a script when each character has their own unique voice. The way characters communicate (or sometimes struggle to communicate/choose to communicate) with each other are great details to consider when writing. What does each character want out of the scene, how confident are they, who has more control over the conversation (and does this balance shift during the scene), how do they feel about the person they are talking to and how do they (in their character) react to the other characters etc. can all have an impact on the dialogue.

Film Courage on YouTube has a bunch of videos on dialogue (including some from me).

Thanks William I will take a look

Thank you Harry for the youtube link to Tyler Mowery's video channel - totally practical and love it - i just subscribed.