For both adaptations and original screenplays

Things to remember when writing dialogue

Economize—Two Goals: Expand characters and advance the plot

from Escape from Alcatraz:

Prison psychologist: “What was your childhood

like?”

Eastwood: “Short”

Ask yourself: Does this line move the story? Does it tell us something new about the characters? IF it does, is there a faster, fresher, more efficient way to do it?

Do…

Text is what is said

Subtext is what is meant

Context is the set of circumstances or facts that surround a particular event, situation, etc.

Films: Vantage Point, Citizen Kane, The Sixth Sense

Text and Subtext and Context

Get to the point—real life conversations overflow with things like “I think…”, “Well…”, “you know…”

There’s no need for them in movie scripts. Created conversations require CHOICE, SELECTION, and SORTING.

What you exclude is JUST AS IMPORTANT as what you include!

Do…

Allow arguments to happen between the characters.

Let each line challenge the next. Don’t let anybody agree with anybody else. As soon as there is agreement, there is boredom.

There is a difference between toe-to-toe arguing and mere bickering. (ex: Now You See Me)

Writers are well advised to view their entire screenplay as one extensive argument.

Do…

Insert interjections, pauses, or other “natural speech habits”—Leave that up to the actor to insert into his/her performance where appropriate with intonation and inflection (Ex: Taxi Driver “You talking to me?”)

Repeat—unless it is for emphasis or irony, or an attempt at rhythm, don’t have characters tell us what they already told us

Nothing in any film should be merely repetitive without advancing the tale and expanding character

Don’t…

Chitchat—boring, filler, not needed…ask yourself, “How can I introduce these characters in a better way, revealing more info to the audience?”

Underscore—leave that to the directors and actors

Long, blocky speeches—dialogue possesses a sense of give and take that intertwines and bounces between characters

Don’t…

Sometimes the best dialogue is NO DIALOGUE at all

Remember