Writing dialogue for a screenplay can make or break the believability of your story. Great dialogue can capture a character’s voice, advance the plot, and immerse the audience in the story. Poor dialogue, on the other hand, can pull viewers out of the story and make characters feel flat or bland. Here are ten tips to make sure your screenplay’s dialogue is both convincing and interesting.

1. Know Your Characters Inside and Out

Before you write a single word of dialogue, you need to deeply understand your characters. Their backgrounds, personalities, motivations, and quirks will all heavily influence how and when they speak. A teenager from Brooklyn will have a different way of expressing themselves than a retired professor in London. Similarly, two characters from different fantasy kingdoms will not have the same expressions or tones. When you know your characters you will understand how they speak and their dialogue will naturally reflect their individuality. 

One way to help with this would be to create a detailed character profile for each main character in your story. Include specifics like their education level, regional accent, and favorite phrases to help you remember.

2. Avoid On-the-Nose Dialogue

Real people rarely say what they mean or explain their thoughts in a lot of detail. In film, dialogue that spells everything out can feel unnatural, unrealistic, and clunky. Instead, let the subtext carry the meaning of your character’s words. Characters should express themselves indirectly, through tone, implication, and body language, leaving room for interpretation. 

Here is an example of what you should not do versus what you should do when writing dialogue:

  • On-the-nose: “I’m angry because you never listen to me.”
  • Subtext: “Don’t bother asking me what’s wrong. You won’t hear it anyway.”

3. Read Your Dialogue Aloud

Dialogue that sometimes looks good on the page does not always sound natural when spoken. Reading lines out loud can help you catch awkward phrasing, unnatural rhythms, and sentences that are too complex. If the dialogue feels clunky or forced in your mouth, it will most likely sound the same when performed by an actor. 

If you cannot decide if something sounds off, try having someone else read the line aloud to see how they interpret the rhythm and tone. This can help you get a better understanding of your writing and how to write more naturally.

4. Use Distinct Voices for Each Character

In real life, no two people speak exactly the same way. In your screenplay each character’s dialogue and way of speaking should be affected by their personality and worldview. Pay attention to differences in vocabulary, sentence structure, and speech patterns. A reserved, analytical character might use precise, formal language, while a free-spirited artist might speak in colorful metaphors.

One way to test if your characters actually sound unique is by removing the character names from a scene and seeing if you can still tell who is speaking based on the dialogue alone.

5. Cut the Small Talk

While everyday conversations often include pleasantries and filler, screenplays are not real life and have limited time. Every line of dialogue should serve a purpose, whether that be advancing the plot, revealing something about a character, or building tension in the story. Cut out unnecessary greetings, mundane exchanges that people will find repetitive, or excessive pleasantries unless they are absolutely essential to the story.

Here is an example of what you should not do versus what you should do when writing small talk:

  • Real-life small talk: “Hi, how are you?” “I’m fine. How about you?” “Good. How was your weekend?”
  • Streamlined small talk for film: “You’re late.” “Traffic.”

6. Use Action to Complement Dialogue

Dialogue is not used by itself, it is often paired with action. When writing dialogue, always combine it with action, expressions, or meaningful silence to add depth and realism to your characters’ conversations. A character’s non-verbal cues can reveal as much, or more than, what they are saying.

An example of this is:

  • Without action: “I don’t care anymore.”
  • With action: “I don’t care anymore,” (Tosses the photo into the fire without looking back.) 

7. Eavesdrop on Real Conversations

One of the best, and most fun, ways to write realistic dialogue is to listen to how people actually speak. Observe people’s rhythm, word choice, and the flow of real conversations. Notice how people interrupt each other, trail off mid-sentence, or pepper their speech with filler words like “um” and “like”. 

A great way to do this daily is to keep a notebook or notes app handy to jot down snippets of interesting conversations or dialogue you overhear throughout your day.

8. Do Not Overload Exposition

Exposition is necessary to provide context and backstory, but delivering all of the exposition through dialogue can be tedious and potentially boring for viewers. Avoid having characters give long, unnatural monologues filled with information they already know. Instead, find creative ways to place the exposition into the story realistically. 

Here is an example of what you should not do versus what you should do when writing exposition:

  • Bad: “As you know, I’ve been a cop for 15 years, and this is the most dangerous case I’ve ever worked on.”
  • Better: “In fifteen years I’ve never seen anything like this.”

9. Use Silence and Pauses

In real life, people do not talk in perfectly timed, uninterrupted sentences. They pause, hesitate, and leave a lot of things unsaid. These moments of silence can add tension, realism, and emotion to your dialogue. Do not be afraid to let a meaningful pause speak louder than words. 

An example of this is:
Character A: “Do you still love me?” 

(Beat. Character B looks away.)

Character B: “It’s late. We should get some sleep.”

10. Rewrite, Rewrite, Rewrite

The first draft of your dialogue will never be perfect. Great dialogue often comes after many revisions. After completing a scene, revisit the dialogue with fresh eyes. Tighten long-winded speeches, refine awkward phrasing, and make sure that every line serves a purpose. 

Consider removing the dialogue altogether in certain scenes to see if the action or visuals can carry the meaning. If a line is not absolutely necessary, it might not belong.

Writing convincing dialogue takes practice, patience, and attention to detail. By understanding your characters, listening to real conversations, and being willing to revise many times, you can create dialogue that feels authentic and takes your screenplay to a whole new level. Remember, great dialogue is not just about what is said, it is about what is left unsaid.