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...
Published By: CineD - Friday, 31 January