Most new screenwriters believe dialogue is the heart of a screenplay. They obsess over clever lines, witty banter, and speeches that sound impressive on the page. Or on the stage.
That’s a mistake.
In film, dialogue is often the least important storytelling tool. Movies are visual. It’s called visual language. The setting itself contributes enormously to the story. What can be told visually need not be repeated in dialogue.
When writers rely on characters explaining things to each other, such as in a book or on the theatrical stage, the script quickly starts to feel artificial. Audiences don’t want to listen to characters talk about the story. They want to watch the story happen.
Good screenwriters understand that dialogue is supporting structure, not the foundation.
Screenwriting mistake #1: Dialogue that sounds too perfect
New writers often produce dialogue that sounds polished and articulate. Too polished.
Real people interrupt each other. They hesitate. They change direction mid-sentence. They get emotional. They rarely deliver perfectly-structured paragraphs of thought. Even English professors speak like real people.
Here’s a perfect example: Watch movies from the 1930s and ‘40s on TCM. Usually, dialogue is spoken in complete thoughts. One character speaks, while the other stays silent. Then the second character speaks while the first remains silent.
Films didn’t break out of that silly convention until the 1950s.
When every character in a screenplay speaks with the same polished voice, the script feels fake. Novice screenwriters may not be aware of it, but a professional will.
Listen to conversations in a coffee shop, bar or restaurant. The image at the top of this page shows a writer recording conversation in a bar. People repeat themselves, abandon thoughts halfway through sentences, and often communicate more through tone and body language than through words.
Screen dialogue should feel natural, even when it’s carefully written. A writer needs to soak up speech patterns and the dynamics of conversation, then apply those lessons to the screenplay.
Screenwriting mistake #2: Using dialogue to explain the story
Dialogue should reveal character, not information. One of the most common mistakes is exposition disguised as conversation.
Example:
“As you know, John, we’ve been partners in this law firm for fifteen years.”
Nobody talks like that. Characters should not tell each other things they already know simply to inform the audience.
Instead, dialogue should reveal personality, conflict, and attitude.
How a character says something often matters more than what they say. Sarcasm, deflection, anger, and humor reveal character far more effectively than explanatory dialogue.
The audience should learn about the story through action and context, not speeches.
Screenwriting mistake #3: Ignoring subtext
Subtext is where the real dialogue happens.
The best dialogue is often about something other than what the characters are actually discussing. Two characters arguing about dinner plans might really be arguing about control in their relationship.
A detective asking casual questions may already know the suspect is lying.
This is called subtext, and it’s one of the most powerful tools in screenwriting. Early in his career, famed screenwriter and director Quentin Tarantino reportedly said, “What’s subtext?” when he first heard about it.
He became a master of subtext. Think about what is not explained, but merely implied, in a Tarantino movie, such as Pulp Fiction. The bandage on the back of Ving Rhames’ neck. The eerie golden glow emanating from a briefcase. You observe what he places in a scene without exposition or explanation, and the audience fills in the blanks.
Great dialogue doesn’t explain the story. It lets the audience discover it.
When dialogue operates on two levels, the surface conversation and the underlying tension, scenes become far more compelling. Great writers understand that the most important part of dialogue is often what is not being said. Many memorable scenes in film contain very little dialogue.
Actors communicate enormous amounts through facial expression, body language, and timing. A glance can replace a paragraph of explanation. A pause can reveal uncertainty, fear, or calculation.
New screenwriters often feel compelled to fill every moment with words. Experienced writers know when to step back and let the actors and camera carry the scene.
How a professional screenwriter can help the novice
The professional screenwriters I have under contract, who provide our confidential screenwriting services, understand the importance of dialogue, and also when not to use it. When a new screenwriter calls about his or her script and wants it “polished,” I’ll point out that they may be in for an unfortunate surprise.
When I put a screenwriter under contract for Ghostwriters Central, I inform them that they must be proactive with clients. I don’t want them to polish a terrible script. I want them to read this client’s attempt at a screenplay, note its deficiencies and bring them to the attention of the client. I need them to use their skills and best judgment.
“Tell them what you think and why, then chart a course forward.” That’s an instruction embedded in the “welcome document” I send to writers I sign.
The overall goal is to improve the chances that the screenplay will be sold to a producer. We may risk losing the client, but they will find out we were right when they attempt to find a literary agent to rep it to producers.
Our screenwriting and script doctor services are designed to give the client the best-possible shot at selling the script to a producer. If in the judgment of my screenwriter that the novice attempt at a screenplay will not survive review at any level, we’ll say so. At that point, the client needs to decide whether to find some other writer to do the polish, or move forward with us to put that script in the best shape possible.