How to compare a conversation between two characters to tennis.
[The following post on how to write dialogue between two characters is an excerpt from our screenwriting book: Master Screenplay Dialogue: The Ultimate Practical Guide on How to Write Dialogue Like the Pros.]
Learning how to write dialogue between two characters is One of the key skills You need to have a thorough grasp of conversational writing. But aspiring screenwriters often find it difficult to miss the wood for the trees and realize when they’re making a rookie mistake in a conversation between two characters.
After reading this article, you will be able to:
• Recognize the number one mistake when it comes to dialogue between two characters in your own writing
• Use a little-mentioned theoretical hack (involving tennis balls) to tackle the problem head-on about how to write dialogue between two characters
• Learn our conversation examples and apply these techniques to your own work
• Know how to move forward and expand your conversation in the future
The first question when writing dialogue.
You may have heard that if your movie dialogue doesn’t reveal character or advance the story, it can be removed. While this may be easy to understand intellectually, it’s often difficult when you implement it in a script Deep in the story and wanted the characters to talk however they wanted.
How do you know how to write good dialogue when you think what you’ve written is already good?
In other words, it is difficult to tell the difference between effective dialogue This should be in the script, whereas regular small talk is not. The latter often results in a scripted conversation between two characters that goes on for a long time, with the characters giving speeches or just sitting around chatting, which means you’re rewriting it.
Stick to 3 lines or less (generally).
When dialogue stretches to four, five lines or more, or is just a friendly, conflict-free conversation, it may not seem like much of a problem when you’re writing it, but it really drags on the screen.
So the key to learning how to write dialogue for two really great characters is knowing how to build dialogue and what to cut.
While the advice to “remove any dialogue that doesn’t reveal character or advance the story” is sound, we think it’s easier to achieve if you approach it from the character’s perspective fight.
How to write dialogue by reframing it as a tennis match.
This is a great theoretical tip on how to write dialogue between two characters. Use this sample conversation and exercise to really help tighten Your scripted dialogue.
The best moments of dialogue often occur between two characters who are at odds with each other—when they use words like weapons. Or in this analogy – a tennis racket.
A great way to edit a conversation and inject some conflict and stakes into it is to think of it as tennis match.
Simulate the back-and-forth nature of a real conversation.
Especially in confrontational scenes, the characters’ dialogue should give the feeling that they are trying to make the other person feel uncomfortable. realize something important.
They take turns defending or attacking while trying to gain the upper hand. And their words put a lot of pressure on each other, causing a lot of stress.
Instead of thinking of dialogue writing in casual dialogue terms, try thinking of it as a tennis match between characters – each hitting a line across the net until the last person hits the “winner.”
Example of dialogue between two characters.
This is an example of a conversation between two characters in the movie Girl on the train. In this scene, the main character, Rachel, confronts Detective Riley about whether she killed her neighbor.
Pay attention to the conversation a battle Between the two characters, until Riley wins “the game” and says “Did you murder Megan Hipwell?”
See how there’s no room for waffles here? every line is included for some reason Because it’s either an offensive shot or a defensive return over the net.
Remember: writing dialogue isn’t always about combat.
Of course, you shouldn’t apply this tip to how to write a dialogue between two characters every dialogue in the script. Not all movie dialogue is all-out confrontation Move the plot forward, like a tennis match.
Sometimes dialogue can be very low-key and friendly, revealing only the characters or backstory.
Exceptions to the rules.
Check out these sample conversations: road, way back In it, the teenage protagonist Duncan has his first formal conversation with the girl next door Suzanne.
or one of them wildernessin which Cheryl meets another female hiker on the trail and all they do is talk about their lives. or one of them skeleton twins Maggie and Milo sit on the floor talking about high school.
While the tennis match analogy may not fit these scenes, if the balance of dialogue in your script resembles a conflict-free exchange rather than a battle where both sides are fighting for the upper hand, you may be lacking conflict in the overall story.
In this case, reframing the conversation as a tennis match – with each character playing defense or offense – can really help add some pressure, Conflict and stakes. This, in turn, will help prevent characters from chatting for the sake of chatting, as you’ll be forced to focus the conversation only on the important things.
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Learn more about writing dialogue between two characters and To get your dialogue written where it needs to be—with a pro—check out our latest book, Master Scripted Dialogue: The Ultimate Practical Guide to Writing Dialogue Like a Pro.
Let us know what you think of our approach to writing good dialogue in the comments below. Have you ever tried treating dialogue as a battle between characters? What techniques have you used yourself to ensure that the dialogue between the two characters remains engaging and drives the story?
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[© Photo credits: Flickr / Unsplash]
