Dialogue

What is Dialogue: The Art of Verbal Action for Page, Stage, and Screen by Robert McKee about?

• Comprehensive exploration of dialogue: The book examines dialogue as any words spoken by a character, including self-talk and direct address, across novels, plays, film, and television.
• Dialogue as verbal action: McKee redefines dialogue as purposeful verbal action that reveals character, advances plot, and operates on multiple levels of meaning.
• Medium-specific analysis: The book details how dialogue functions differently in theatre, film, TV, and prose, considering each medium’s unique demands and opportunities.
• Practical guidance for writers: It provides actionable tools and frameworks for crafting expressive, character-driven dialogue that serves exposition, characterization, and story action.

Why should I read Dialogue: The Art of Verbal Action for Page, Stage, and Screen by Robert McKee?

• Definitive guide to dialogue: McKee’s book is a masterclass for writers aiming to elevate their dialogue from mere conversation to a powerful storytelling tool.
• Avoid common pitfalls: The book identifies and offers solutions for frequent dialogue flaws such as clichés, on-the-nose writing, and melodrama.
• Applicable across media: Whether you write novels, plays, screenplays, or TV scripts, McKee’s insights help you adapt dialogue to fit each form’s conventions and strengths.
• Deepen character and subtext: Readers learn to create layered, psychologically rich characters through dialogue that operates on the said, unsaid, and unsayable levels.

What are the key takeaways from Dialogue: The Art of Verbal Action for Page, Stage, and Screen by Robert McKee?

• Dialogue is action, not just talk: Every line of dialogue is a verbal action driven by character desire and intent, moving the story forward.
• Three essential functions: Dialogue serves exposition, characterization, and action, each requiring careful balance and craft.
• Medium matters: The demands of theatre, film, TV, and prose shape how dialogue is written and delivered.
• Character-specific voice: Authentic dialogue arises from a character’s unique knowledge, personality, and culture, not from superficial quirks or gimmicks.

How does Robert McKee define dialogue in Dialogue: The Art of Verbal Action for Page, Stage, and Screen?

• Broad definition: Dialogue is “any words said by any character to anyone,” including self-talk and direct address to the audience or reader.
• Three tracks of dialogue: These include talk to others (duologue, trialogue, multilogue), talk within oneself (inner dialogue), and talk to the audience/reader (soliloquy, voice-over).
• Verbal action: Dialogue is always an action, not passive, and is driven by desire and intent, whether dramatized in scenes or narratized outside them.
• Performative nature: Words are “through-speech,” meaning they do something and actively execute inner needs and tactics.

What are the main functions of dialogue according to Dialogue: The Art of Verbal Action for Page, Stage, and Screen by Robert McKee?

• Exposition: Dialogue conveys necessary story facts, such as setting, history, and character background, often using exposition as ammunition in conflict.
• Characterization: Dialogue reveals unique personality, worldview, and true character through vocabulary, syntax, and tone.
• Action: Dialogue is what characters do to each other, with subtextual actions beneath the words revealing desires and motivations.
• Layered meaning: Effective dialogue operates on explicit, subtextual, and subconscious levels, creating depth and complexity.

How does Dialogue: The Art of Verbal Action for Page, Stage, and Screen by Robert McKee explain the relationship between dialogue and different storytelling media?

• Theatre: Relies heavily on spoken dialogue, often using poetic and figurative language to convey story and character.
• Film: Primarily visual, so dialogue is concise and naturalistic, with subtext often conveyed through actors’ performances.
• Television: Blends visual and auditory storytelling, often featuring more dialogue-driven scenes due to budget and setting constraints.
• Prose: Offers flexibility with extensive narratized, inner, and indirect dialogue, allowing deep exploration of characters’ inner lives.

What are the three modes of dialogue discussed in Dialogue: The Art of Verbal Action for Page, Stage, and Screen by Robert McKee?

• Dramatized dialogue: Spoken or acted out in scenes between characters, including inner dialogues with conflicting selves.
• Narratized dialogue: Spoken outside the scene, such as soliloquies, asides, voice-overs, or direct addresses to the audience or reader.
• Indirect dialogue: Dialogue recalled or paraphrased by characters or narrators, allowing for summary and interpretation, common in prose and sometimes in plays and films.

What is Robert McKee’s advice for creating character-specific dialogue in Dialogue: The Art of Verbal Action for Page, Stage, and Screen?

• Two creative talents: Story talent shapes events and characters, while literary talent sculpts dialogue’s verbal design to express unique voices.
• Originality in voice: Each character’s dialogue should reflect unique vocabulary, syntax, rhythm, and tone, revealing personality and worldview.
• Authenticity over gimmicks: Character-specific dialogue arises naturally from psychology and situation, not from quirky mannerisms.
• Cultural influence: A character’s culture, knowledge, and background shape their vocabulary and references, enriching dialogue with subtext.

How does culture shape dialogue in Dialogue: The Art of Verbal Action for Page, Stage, and Screen by Robert McKee?

• Culture as knowledge source: Characters absorb language, family, society, art, and religion, which shape their worldview and vocabulary.
• Cultural references add depth: Dialogue can be enriched by referencing shared cultural touchstones, creating layered subtext and resonance.
• Trialogues and icons: Using cultural icons in conversation can create “trialogues,” adding complexity and meaning to scenes.
• Examples from literature and media: McKee cites Shakespeare, Elmore Leonard, and 30 ROCK to illustrate how culture informs authentic dialogue.

What is the "Principle of Creative Limitation" in Dialogue: The Art of Verbal Action for Page, Stage, and Screen by Robert McKee?

• Constraint breeds creativity: Imposing discipline and limitations on language use forces writers to develop mastery and originality.
• Struggle leads to richness: Writing vivid, three-dimensional imagery in dialogue is challenging but results in more truthful, powerful voices.
• Avoiding generic writing: Easy, undisciplined dialogue leads to generic, irritating results, while embracing difficulty builds talent.
• Mastery through limitation: The best dialogue emerges from working within constraints, not from unlimited freedom.

What are the most common flaws in dialogue identified in Dialogue: The Art of Verbal Action for Page, Stage, and Screen by Robert McKee, and how can they be fixed?

• Credibility flaws: Empty talk, overly emotive or knowing speech, and excuses mistaken for motivation can be fixed by grounding dialogue in honest, character-driven desires.
• Language flaws: Clichés, character-neutral language, and clutter dilute dialogue’s power; fix by choosing fresh, specific, and character-appropriate words.
• Content flaws: On-the-nose writing, monologue fallacy, and shallow exchanges can be improved by embedding subtext and creating dynamic action/reaction.
• Design flaws: Repetition, misshapen lines, and mistimed cues disrupt flow; fix by careful editing, pacing, and ensuring every line advances story and character.

What are the "Five Steps of Behavior" for writing dialogue in Dialogue: The Art of Verbal Action for Page, Stage, and Screen by Robert McKee?

• Desire: The character’s conscious and subconscious wants that drive the scene and story.
• Sense of Antagonism: Recognition of forces blocking the character’s desires, whether internal or external.
• Choice of Action: The decision to take a specific verbal or physical action to overcome antagonism.
• Action: The execution of the chosen behavior, including speech.
• Expression: The crafting of dialogue that carries the character’s action into the scene, shaped by vocabulary, tone, and subtext.

What are some of the best quotes from Dialogue: The Art of Verbal Action for Page, Stage, and Screen by Robert McKee, and what do they mean?

• “Dialogue: Any words said by any character to anyone.” Expands the definition to include self-talk and direct address, emphasizing dialogue as verbal action.
• “Dialogue is what characters do to each other.” Highlights dialogue as a form of action, not just talk, quoting novelist Elizabeth Bowen.
• “Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, / Creeps in this petty pace from day to day...” (Macbeth) Used to illustrate subtextual action—Macbeth’s denouncement of existence beneath poetic language.
• “Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world she walks into mine.” (Rick in Casablanca) Demonstrates how dialogue conveys lament and lost love uniquely through character voice.
• “Not that there’s anything wrong with that.” (Jerry in Seinfeld) Shows how simple, understated dialogue can express ridicule and social commentary with humor.