Two Techniques To Improve Dialogue by Christine Conradt

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#writing #screenplay #screenwriting

[ajtaylor]

I take an hour out of my day and go to different areas within my city and just walk around jotting down the different conversations I hear, and study everything to see how people really talk in society. It helps when it comes to writing dialogue for a script.

[alessandracarrillo]

Thank you so much Film Courage, I had a horrible writer's block lately but with your videos I just came to life again lol

[RioBroski]

I love writing dialogue. I think people tend to talk more than move in action.. unless they doing something from the time they get up from bed then from the time they leave the house for example.

[thomaskubrak]

Would love a list of recommended reads in Screenwriting.

"People rarely say exactly what they mean"

Love that

and

'Go to coffee shops to figure out dialogue and how different people talk'

Love Love love

That's where I do a lot of my work in cafes and bars

[gnarthdarkanen]

Great video and subject! Mostly I agree here...
Part of what's actively changing the dialogue is the way marketing has to keep whittling away at the time allowance for a slot in order to further push those commercials. It gouges at the space left for dialogue to still have Character(s) in mind while being its usual utensil self and carrying plot with the points and messages that have to be covered... SO you get faster and faster paced dialogue that cuts straight toward the point or purpose of the scene and less and less fluff, flavor, or filler that exposes Character, establishes growth or thought, creates emotional context... The network big-wigs shrug it off and feed film schools money to say, "The audience doesn't care about all that fluff and nonsense..." while the "golden oldies" channels continue to persevere with archaic serials and themes that predate most of the audience's lives... so... maybe some balance needs leaned a bit toward that so-called "fluff" that "nobody cares about"... (just a thought from a facetious type)...

In response to the question, techniques... I prefer to start with answering the question "what does this scene do?" and "what does this scene have to say about these characters?"
From those notes, I can start to build the conversation. Since we're talking dialogue (purely?) the conversation is the visual and audible expressions of the characters saying what THEY specifically need to say, whether for plot, for themselves and their growth or arc(s), or for some other communicable purpose... including occasionally some exposition to the audience, but the audience is NOT supposed to know that.
One would be well advised to start with the dialogue, "On the nose" in creating the scene, most of the time. That's to say, just write out what has to be said the way it "should be meant" (at least in theory)... Get all the "I hate you" and "I want you anyway" context out in words, so you have something to work with... along with the physical "plot driving" message, "This thing over here needs work" and "Somebody else can do it because I'm busy being pissed at someone else." or whatever...
Once the scene's message is affixed to that scene, between those particular characters, you can start with filtering. Get rid of nonsense, not by stripping blindly and throwing it away, but by translating it to body language, spacial position(s) or movements, and posturing... and the little side notes about "why is s/he standing right there like that?" {easily kept in margins or on sticky notes}... Filtering shouldn't be just about getting rid of text that "no normal person would say in his/her right mind"... They translate that text into other means of expression, cutting down the service time of the dialogue and building and shaping a character's attitudes, emotional ties and responses, posture or lack there of, and vocal intonation along with adding meaning and context, subtext, and all those wonderful things to the remaining lines to actually get spoken on screen (on camera?).
Finally, as one whittles all this down to the working mechanical dialogue, it can shape and function through the last bit of translation, to the character's personal jargon. We ALL have our own jargon... Our own very personal rank and file vocabulary system, and it might generally have very little difference from one person to another, but where everyone else might just respond to " 'sup..." with the same exact syllable and word, I'm quite likely to glance around theatrically, slink close, and lean in, whisper and point upward, "It's that way, but don't tell anyone... It makes me feel important when they keep asking me."
I enjoy presenting myself as just that kind of facetious ass. It's silly enough to elicit a chuckle out of even the most hardened and dour personalities, and practically speaking NOBODY is ready for it. BUT it also disarms their original impressions and makes further conversation much easier most of the time (in my experience)... given of course, the few moments patience invested for the laughing to subside.
Maybe it's about something more... responsibly important, and to break the nervous tension, a fire-arms instructor just pops off at a student, "Oh... hell, son. There's no finesse to it. Just put your booger-hook on the bang-button and squeeze. Make sure you point the thing at something you don't want to keep... and hold it tight to your shoulder, or it'll knock the f*** right out of you... I mean, you'll only learn that lesson once, and you'll be all out of f***!" To whit, the group will likely start giggling and the serious nature of practical gun handling will subside so they can concentrate on the business of learning... instead of being too nervous to pay attention.
BUT it's still a matter of personal jargon. Everybody has it and employs it. Trading around terms for stuff unexpectedly also adds flavor, without a whole lot of effort... AND occasionally just coining a new word out of an old one, not only raises your value as a "word smith" or a "word merchant" but catches listeners, readers, and audience off guard... serving occasionally as a punctuation to action and drama, or lending a validity to a momentous pause.
AND no, for the record, terms of "booger-hook", "bang-button" and even "whit" are not my own originals... so you're about as free as anyone to use 'em... I generally keep a rule not to share stuff online that I wouldn't happily give away. Ain't nothin' original under the sun, noways... ;o)

[ClintLoweTube]

You need fast-paced dialogue with purpose, but the balance is not to hamper the heart of the character's voice.

[scottslotterbeck]

I struggle with dialogue. It's great to get really natural dialogue, but it's a struggle.