Recommended Screenwriters
How Good is Your Dialogue? Part 1
- July 20, 2010
- Posted by: HalCroasmun
- Category: Articles
Today’s question is…
…How do you know your dialogue is ready?
In Part One of this Article, we’ll look at three very important aspects of dialogue and you’ll get to rate your dialogue.
A. Dialogue that expresses character
This is the most important of all. Does your dialogue fully express the unique character traits of each character. Here’s the standard test:
Can you cover up the character names and know who said what?
If you can, then your dialogue probably expresses character to a very high level.
Rate your dialogue:(1) Most of my characters sound the same.
(5) A few really stand out, especially the lead characters.
(10) Every character has their own unique way of expressing themselves and it is clear to a reader.
B. Dialogue that climaxes scenes
At the critical moment, the right line can make a movie. In almost every scene, one line is more important than all the others. It may be the climax of the scene or the most emotional moment or a turning point. This is the place where being a “dialogue expert” will really pay off.
When you find that one line that is more important than the others, you need to bring the most meaning and emotion to it you can. Many times, that means brainstorming 30 or 50 ways to say that single line. It also means understanding when to use subtext to deliver the meaning on a deeper level and when to use Anticipatory Dialogue to slam the meaning home.
Rate your dialogue:(1) I don’t know where those critical lines are.
(5) I’ve identified the critical lines and they’re good.
(10) Readers consistently have an emotional response to my critical lines
C. Dialogue that brings subtext with it
An audience needs to experience the “inner world” of your characters and the best way to do that is through meaningful subtext. Dialogue is probably the easiest place to direct the reader’s mind toward the subtext.
Good dialogue subtext causes the reader to instantly perceive the underlying meaning or it causes the search that will later yield the deeper meaning.
Rate your dialogue:(1) My characters say what they mean, so there’s no need for audience interpretation.
(4) There is sporadic subtext in my dialogue.
(10) My dialogue often delivers deeper levels of meaning.
WHAT TO DO?
Even if your dialogue doesn’t live up to a 10 in any area, don’t feel bad. Dialogue is the easiest part of a script to improve. If you have some good dialogue techniques, just brainstorm different ways to use them to bring out these important aspects of your dialogue.
We also offer the “Advanced Dialogue Screenwriting Class”, designed to make your dialogue absolutely amazing, no matter the genre.