Unless you’re creating a silent film, dialogue will find a way into your script. Dialogue can be challenging, and if it’s not done correctly, it can seriously take a reader out of your story. Or even worse, they’ll put down your script altogether.
If you struggle with dialogue, do not worry! You are not alone in this, and today I will share with you all some tips on how to one-up your dialogue game! Let’s get started.
1). DO NOT STEREOTYPE
This, unfortunately, happens much more often than you may think, so I only thought it necessary to include this tip as number one.
Good dialogue should be rooted in reality, true to life and how people actually speak. This cannot be made possible if you have your characters talking as though they’re in some offensive comedy sketch from 1985. It just will not work.
Look, there will be a time in your screenwriting journey where you have to write characters that have different backgrounds than you. Be it ethnic, racial, sexual orientation, religion, etc. you will end up having to write from a perspective that you have never lived. That’s okay! But you need to make sure you do it respectfully and accurately, and dialogue is a huge part of this.
You don’t want to be ‘that writer’ who either incorrectly or overuses slang words, because they think that’s how that demographic speaks. As a member of the LGBT community, I cannot stop myself from rolling my eyes every time a queer character says something to the effect of “YAAS! Slay, queen, werk!” because 1. No one actually talks like that, and 2. It’s CONSTANT in the scripts that I read. Set yourself apart from your competition, and take the time to perfect your dialogue before submitting your work.
I also find this especially heinous when people write teenage characters. I understand that the words ‘young folks’ use are constantly evolving, but I promise you that real teenagers actually talk like normal human beings, and are not just slang spewing machines.
Okay, so problem identified, how do we solve it? Research! We are very fortunate to live in a world where we can access the internet with just the touch of a button. Listening to actual people of the demographic you’re writing about will really help you portray accurate dialogue in your screenplay. Watch vlogs, listen to podcasts, even check out Tik Toks! Engulf yourself in the culture that you are not familiar with and it will definitely show in your writing.
Also, if you have a friend of that particular demographic, feel free to ask them if your character’s dialogue is an accurate representation of what they may hear. It’s always good to have a second set of eyes to check out your work.
2). IMPROV IT OUT
Okay, I know that dreaded “I” word freaks some people out, but bear with me. This is a technique that has really helped me get out of a dialogue rut.
Like I’ve said before, our characters and their decisions should be based in reality, and in reality we don’t plan out the words we’re about to say, at least not most of the time. This exercise can really help your dialogue feel more off the cuff and less canned.
Let’s say I have a scene I need to write. My character, John, has to fire his assistant, Sally, but the problem is that Sally is also his girlfriend! Uh-oh! Tricky scene here! How do I ever go about drafting a realistic conversation for this scene?
I close my laptop, and put myself in the characters’ shoes. I go all out with this, I will literally walk around improvising out the conversation as John and Sally, and I’ll do it multiple times, just to see what comes out of my mouth.
I know it sounds silly, and it totally is, but it works. You know these characters like the back of your hand, you wrote them! You will be shocked at what subconsciously comes out of your mouth as you go back and forth roleplaying out the scenario.
Trust me, it takes some time to get used to, and yes your roommates will think you’ve lost it, but it really helps create that natural, flowing dialogue that is super hard to nail. I’ve accidentally come up with some of my favorite lines of dialogue by using this method, so I really wanted to share it with you! Just try it out, maybe you’ll have the same luck I did.
3). TABLE READ TIME!
To me, this is arguably the most important part of testing out your dialogue. As writers, we all have our own unique voices, our special way of saying things. However, we will not be the ones acting out our script, or at least not every role.
So, how do we make sure that our dialogue translates well to other people? Hold a table read! Getting to hear your dialogue spoken aloud will be a total game changer. There will be lines that suddenly feel awkward and clunky, or some that come across so brilliant that you’d think William Shakespeare himself wrote them. This is such a crucial part of your rewriting process, I cannot stress this enough.
Let me give you an example from my own life. I am very fortunate enough to have a writing group that I meet with every month. A group of colleagues that I am not afraid to test out new material in front of. Now, I mainly write comedic pieces and if any of you out there are comedy writers as well, then this tip goes double for you, and here’s why.
A lot of times I think that I have written the funniest joke known to mankind, so hilarious that I’ll be getting a call from Comedy Central any day now. Then, it falls flat during the read, no one laughs. See, without hearing other people read my work, I would’ve never realized that things like my jokes or dialogue needed to be tweaked. That is why it’s so necessary.
So, gather up your friends and have them read your script out loud, trust me you will hear issues with your dialogue that you never even imagined. It’s for the betterment of your script, I truly mean it.
And those are my tips for creating memorable dialogue! Remember, the biggest piece of advice I can leave you with is just to observe normal, everyday conversations, and really study how people speak to each other. Mix that in with these tips, and you’ll be well on your way to writing some really awesome dialogue! Best of luck, and happy writing!