Professional Spec Screenwriting, Part 4: Dialogue

Dialogue:

The key(s) to good or great dialogue writing is knowing the pitfalls most people encounter. These are the dialogue errors I see repeatedly, and how to avoid them.

1) Too much dialogue, or too many lines and words dedicated to dialogue.

First, try to limit your dialogue blocks to an average of FOUR OR LESS TYPED LINES. You won’t find this “rule” anywhere else, as it is something I’ve discovered on my screenwriting journey.

Not sentences, but lines.

This is about space on the page, and it will be explained down the line. This doesn’t mean you can only write four lines of dialogue. This is an AVERAGE over the entire screenplay.

Fewer words in the screenplay = Fast reading spec scripts.

Fast reading spec scripts = better spec scripts.

Better spec scripts = More successful spec scripts.

As an AVERAGE, you will occasionally have dialogue of eight typed line blocks, but they will be offset by the many times you’ll have a one-word dialogue block.

2) Exposition.

Avoid expositional dialogue; having one character impart information to another character; information that they should already know; for the sole purpose of informing the audience (“You know Mom died when I was only eight, so…”). When two characters tell each other things they both already know, that’s almost always exposition. 

3) Derivative dialogue.

Avoid clichés and lines we’ve heard in other movies. 

"I'll give him an offer he can't refuse"

"We're not in Kansas anymore!"

"Yippy Ki Yah!"

"You can't handle the truth!"

"You complete me."

4)        Everyday pleasantries.

Tom: “Hi!”

Mary: “How are you?”

Tom: “Fine.”

Mary: “How’s the business?”

Tom: “We’re doing well. And yours?”

Boring.  This is a writer who hasn’t planned out their screenplay thoroughly enough. When writing, we want to reduce the overall wordweight, keep the story moving forward, keep the dialogue interesting and relevant to the A or B story, while keeping it realistic.

5) No subtext.

The art of subtext is a bit difficult to understand AND to integrate. Basically, it is saying “something” without actually saying it, and if you’ve ever been snarky on a text or in an email, you’re probably a master at it and don’t even know it. You write the dialogue where the character may be “implying” or “suggesting” something without being “on the nose”.

A current boyfriend meeting his girlfriend’s ex-husband for the first time, whom she accused of physical violence in the past, MIGHT be feeling a bit froggy at the moment, and might feel out his adversary with some undertones of accusations:

Ex: “Wonderful to finally meet you, Tom!”

Tom takes his extended handshake, grips tightly.

Tom: “Bill. Still working the heavy bag?”

The ex is probably a bit flummoxed by the question, but the implication is clear.

Conclusion: 

Writing dialogue IS an art within the craft itself. In my opinion, the two best at it are Aaron Sorkin and Quentin Tarantino. Reading their dialogue will help you better understand this art, but when starting out with spec scripts, try to avoid the mistakes listed above and you should be fine.

WRITER'S BIO: Mr. Scala spent 24-plus years in the Hollywood community and was the Executive Director for the 72nd Annual Academy Awards, as well as The Soul Train Awards, The Grammys, The Blockbuster Video Awards Show and The Saturn Awards Show. With three produced features- "Assassin 33 A.D.", "Black Easter" and "The Tombs" (all are currently available on Amazon Prime and Tubi).

The Script Mentor continues to mentor over 550 new writers and authors and is available-for-hire for original screenplays, adaptations, ghostwriting, or rewrites.

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