Tips for Writing Good Dialogue – Do’s and Don’ts for Screenwriters

MZed Education

by Mascha DeikovaToday

Say your story structure is finished. It’s time to flesh it out with details and–yes!–dialogue. Oh dialogue, the stumbling point for so many writers! What’s the best way to approach you? Below, we gather theoretical tips on writing good dialogue and take a closer look at iconic film scenes, which unveils an insight or two into creating impactful conversations.

Of course, screenwriting is a creative discipline, as is filmmaking. That’s why there are no (and can’t be!) strict rules or set-in-stone guidelines on how to construct your dialogue scenes. In fact, every writer has their own style (think of David Lynch, for example, rest his soul). However, there are recommendations and tips that can support you along this challenging journey. In other words, some do’s and don’ts for writing good dialogue.

What is good dialogue?

But first, let’s define “good.” As you know, “good” is relative and only reflects how much we like something. Here, we use this adjective to define effective, impactful, and strong dialogue. Legendary author, cinema school lecturer, and story consultant Robert McKee describes dialogue as “a symphony of words.” In his handbook “Dialogue: The Art of Verbal Action for Page, Stage, and Screen,” he reminds us that it is not a mere conversation copied 1:1 from real life. Several characteristics make a dialogue in your script effective:

• Rhythm. Good dialogue has proper pacing: it’s crisp and engaging, it attacks and defends, and it has breaks and points of acceleration. In this regard, dialogue is just like action.
• Natural flow. The way the character talks should feel authentic, spontaneous, and appropriate to this specific personality, setting, tone, and situation.
• Subtext. An impactful dialogue has a subtext (aka unspoken message). Something that your characters express through words that are beyond the literal meaning. Can you recall the nerve-wracking coin flip scene from “No Country for Old Men,” that takes place at a gas station? Let’s rewatch it together, keeping in mind the idea of subtext:

It’s not really about buying gas, or the weather in Dallas, or flipping the coin (at least from a certain point – not anymore). These are simple topics, so why do they make our hair stand on end? Because of the meaning hidden underneath. The main villain, Anton Chigurh, threatens the station’s owner, and the tension gradually grows until it is released. That brings us to another important characteristic of good dialogue.

Remember the golden rule from the screenwriting guru Syd Field: every scene in your script must have a purpose? It can certainly be applied to dialogue, too. Or, as Robert McKee puts it in his book:

All talk responds to a need, engages a purpose, and performs an action. No matter how seemingly vague and airy a speech may be, no character ever talks to anyone, even to himself, for no reason, to do nothing.

Defining the purpose

“But Mascha,” – you may argue – “Wouldn’t it be too intense if dialogue always had to push the story forward?” Well, it doesn’t have to be. Good dialogue can serve multiple functions. The main ones are:

• Pushing the narrative forward, giving us clues or hooks, and leading up to something one line after another
• Deepening the audience’s understanding of the character, their inner and/or outer world
• Revealing something about the relationships between the characters
• The combination of two or all three of the above

The BBC’s series “Sherlock” features tons of well-written dialogue. Right off the bat, we’re hooked by the engaging conversations between the characters, especially when we first get to meet Mr. Holmes himself:

Of course, most viewers are familiar with the classical work by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, myself included. Yet this version of Sherlock, brilliantly portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch, surprises us all the same. From his very first dialogue beats (first with Molly, then – with Dr. Watson), we get to know Sherlock as painfully direct, almost rude, quick-witted, asocial, and absolutely genius. All this information comes across through the dialogue because there hasn’t been much action or story revealed yet. The lines follow the purpose of letting us meet this character properly from the get-go.

Omit needless parts

One quote always comes to mind when I set out to write something. It’s from the classic book “The Elements of Style” by William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White, which even Stephen King–master of suspenseful stories–recommends to aspiring authors. It goes like this: “Omit needless words.”

While this advice is invaluable for any type of writing, especially creative work, I’d take it a step further for dialogue: “Omit needless parts.” Let me show you why. For that, please click through the subsequent screenshots and read the dialogue lines typed on them.

This is Seth Worley, a seasoned writer and director known for his viral short films on YouTube (like “Real Gone,” for example). In the MZed course “Writing 201,” he dedicates a brief but concise lesson to writing good dialogue and starts by demonstrating an obviously bad example.

Why is it terrible? Because it includes a lot of meaningless noise. As Seth Worley explains, there is no rule that forces you to start the scene at the beginning of the conversation. Your viewers don’t need to know how characters bump into each other (unless it is important for the story). Not to mention, most of us are already sick of small talk in real life. Why should we listen to it in movies? So cut it. Get to the point straight away. Don’t set it up, don’t ease into it, just leap right in. Omit needless parts. Omit needless parts. Omit needless parts.

Here, we return to Robert McKee’s advice: Remember, characters do not speak unless there is a reason. Thus, as you re-read a written dialogue, ask yourself: Is what your characters say actually worth saying? Do they say it because they need to or because you–the writer–need them to?

A few words on exposition

If your answer to the second question is “I need them to,” then sorry, but you’re probably stuck in exposition.

Expositional dialogue means two or more characters exchanging information crucial to the narrative. They do it because the writer needs to give the audience some context, explain the conflict, or clear story misunderstandings that may arise. And–I apologize for being harsh and judgmental–it’s a bad, evil path. Don’t do it, please.

First, it always feels unnatural, both to the poor actors who have to perform those overloaded lines and to the audience (because the audience is not dumb – never underestimate them). Second, telling something instead of showing it is a so much weaker way of storytelling. Consider this scene from “Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones” as an example:

I’ve been a huge fan of the “Star Wars” Universe since childhood, but this was difficult to watch. It feels cringe. Have you ever been in a romantic conversation where someone had to name and explain their emotions this way? You’ll find a lot of poorly done exposition in “Star Wars,” which is understandable. The epic space opera has complicated world-building and storylines. Sure, we still love it. But if you can avoid writing dialogue like this, please do.

Adding contrast is good for dialogue

In his course, Seth Worley highlights another technique that can help one write good dialogue. Namely: add contrast. We love the unexpected. We enjoy scenes where dark characters discuss light-hearted things and vice versa. That’s why we are so entertained by Quentin Tarantino’s dialogue scenes, where heroes basically talk about burgers before killing people.

Why is dialogue in “Pulp Fiction” so impactful? Contrast and subtext. Throughout the entire movie, Tarantino’s characters talk about hamburgers, coffee, tomatoes, foot massage, oral sex, and the Bible. In short, about anything except for what’s really going on. And yet, we know that through these lines, they threaten people, apologize, flirt, reveal their feelings, and open up. That’s the mastery of well-written dialogue.

Conflict makes good dialogue

Something else that adds spice (and purpose, rhythm, and subtext along the way) to any on-screen conversation is conflict. There is a quote by the renowned director David Fincher that frequently pops up on social media (unfortunately, I couldn’t discover where exactly it comes from, but I love it anyway):

The thing I always say to any writer that I’m working with is: just make sure that in any argument, everyone is right. I want every single person arguing a righteous side of the argument. That makes interesting drama.

David Fincher

So true! Once you create a conflict where everyone believes they’re right while standing on opposite sides, it brings the motion into the scene. You don’t even have to put guns in their hands. Here’s a great rich-in-conflict dialogue from Fincher’s “The Social Network:”

A tip on making your dialogue sound natural

Last but not least, a key characteristic of good dialogue is its natural flow. People talk differently, so every line and manner of speaking should be unique to a concrete character. The way someone phrases their thoughts can tell a lot about them. For instance, if a character uses prison slang, the director, actors, and viewers will quickly visualize their backstory, create a theory, or take an interest in it.

A wonderful tip to achieve natural flow in dialogue is to carry your pocket recorder around (a smartphone would also suffice), record different conversations, transcribe them, and analyze how people talk. Sometimes, you will even find hidden treasure in these transcripts: a crisp phrase, a curious comparison, or a strong set expression you never heard of. The most difficult thing afterward is to let your lines sound natural while keeping them economical and to the point. Hard, I know. But also – incredibly rewarding!

What about you? Do you have any personal tips on writing good dialogue? Or can you share a favorite example of a great dialogue scene? Let’s exchange our experience further in the comments below!

Feature image: a film still from “Pulp Fiction” by Quentin Tarantino, 1994.

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Additional sources:

• “Dialogue: The Art of Verbal Action for Page, Stage, and Screen” by Robert McKee, 2016;
• “Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting” Syd Field, revised edition, 2005;
• “The Elements of Style” by William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White, fourth edition, 2003.