Dialogue

1. Dialogue Encompasses All Character Speech, Not Just Conversation

Dialogue: Any words said by any character to anyone.

Expanded definition. Traditional views limit dialogue to talk between characters. This book broadens the scope to include all character speech, whether spoken aloud to others, thought internally to oneself, or addressed directly to the reader or audience.

Three modes. Character talk operates on three distinct tracks: duologue/trialogue/multilogue (to others), inner dialogue (to oneself), and narratized dialogue (to reader/audience). All require the writer to create a unique, character-specific voice.

Verbal action. Regardless of the mode, all character speech is a performative action. Words are deeds, driven by a character's needs and desires, propelling the scene and the character's journey.

2. Dialogue Serves Three Core Functions: Exposition, Characterization, and Action

Dialogue, dramatized and narratized, performs three essential functions: exposition, characterization, action.

Exposition delivery. Dialogue subtly conveys necessary background information about setting, history, and characters. This must be paced and timed carefully, often smuggled in unnoticed through narrative drive or used as "ammunition" in conflict.

Character revelation. Dialogue is crucial for creating and expressing a character's unique personality (characterization) and revealing their deeper moral and psychological being (true character) through their choices and actions under pressure.

Driving the plot. Dialogue is a primary vehicle for character action—mental, physical, and verbal. What characters say and how they say it drives the plot forward, creating action/reaction beats that progress scenes.

3. Effective Dialogue Reveals Subtext: The Unsaid and Unsayable

Dialogue unites these realms because the spoken word resonates through all three spheres.

Layers of meaning. Dialogue operates on multiple levels: the "said" (explicit words), the "unsaid" (conscious thoughts/feelings withheld), and the "unsayable" (subconscious drives beyond awareness).

Transparency. Skillful dialogue creates transparency, allowing readers/audiences to intuit the unsaid and sense the unsayable beneath the surface words. This makes them feel like mind readers, gaining deep insight into characters.

Action vs. activity. Dialogue is not just the activity of talking; it's the action taken through talk. The subtextual action (e.g., comforting, bribing, ridiculing) is the true meaning behind the textual activity (the words spoken).

4. Dialogue Form and Quantity Vary Greatly Across Media and Genres

All dialogue, dramatized and narratized, performs in the grand symphony of story, but from stage to screen to page, its instruments and arrangements vary considerably.

Medium dictates style. Theatre favors auditory dialogue (poetic, heightened language), film favors visual storytelling (concise, naturalistic dialogue), and television balances both. Prose offers the widest range, from naturalistic scenes to extensive inner monologues and narration.

Genre influences form. Action genres use less dialogue; personal/private conflict genres use more. Nonrealistic genres (fantasy, farce) allow for highly stylized, sometimes on-the-nose dialogue, while realism demands subtext.

Credibility is key. Regardless of medium or genre, dialogue must sound plausible and vernacular within the story's specific world, not necessarily imitate real-life banality.

5. Craft Expressive Dialogue Through Specificity, Economy, and Imagery

Vigorous writing is concise.

Omit needless words. Economy is paramount; every word must count. Avoid clutter, generic terms, passive voice, and overly long speeches unless intentionally characterizing pretentiousness or other specific traits.

Specificity and imagery. Use concrete, specific nouns and verbs, and evocative modifiers and tropes (metaphors, similes) to make dialogue vivid and character-specific. Sensory language resonates deeply.

Avoid clichés. Shun tired phrases and predictable exchanges. Strive for originality by exploring numerous options and choosing the most unexpected yet truthful expression for the character and moment.

6. Avoid On-the-Nose Writing; Dialogue Should Imply, Not State

Dialogue should imply, not explain, its subtext.

Show, don't tell. On-the-nose writing explicitly states a character's full thoughts and feelings, eliminating subtext and making dialogue flat and unactable. Real people rarely say exactly what they mean or feel.

The trialogue. A powerful technique to avoid on-the-nose dialogue is the "trialogue," where two characters in conflict funnel their struggle through a "third thing" (an object, idea, memory, or other character) rather than confronting the core issue directly.

Conflict and implication. The greater the conflict and pressure, the more characters tend to imply rather than state their true intentions and feelings, forcing the reader/audience to read between the lines.

7. Dialogue Problems Are Fundamentally Story and Scene Design Problems

Dialogue problems are story problems.

Subtext is foundational. Weak dialogue often stems from flaws in the underlying story structure, character motivation, or scene design, not just poor word choices. Fixing dialogue requires addressing these deeper issues.

Scene progression. Scenes must progress through beats of action/reaction, each topping the last, building to a turning point where the value at stake changes charge. Repetitious beats or lack of a turning point make dialogue dull.

Behavioral steps. Character behavior, including dialogue, follows steps: desire, sense of antagonism, choice of action, action/reaction, and expression. Understanding these steps is crucial for writing truthful dialogue.

8. Character-Specific Dialogue is Built on Unique Voice and Vocabulary

Ideally, every character is a walking dictionary of his or her unique collection of words.

Voice is a result. A distinctive character voice isn't self-consciously created; it emerges naturally from the character's unique blend of personality, experience, knowledge, culture, and emotional state.

Vocabulary reveals character. A character's word choices (nouns, verbs, modifiers) reveal their knowledge, background, and personality. Specific, image-rich vocabulary makes a character's inner life transparent.

Culture and locution. A character's cultural background, education, and life experiences shape their locution—their specific way of naming things and modifying those names, creating a one-of-a-kind verbal style.

Last updated: May 9, 2025