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SCRIPTWRITING WRITING

Say What? Fundamental

Approaches to Writing
‘Realistic’ Dialogue
BY KIM LEONARD ON MARCH 1, 2020

riting dialogue is the best part of writing a screenplay. It’s the part of
W
the writing where you get to be an actor for a while and cast powerful
magic spells, or save an innocent man from prison, or lead an army into battle
– at least in your mind.

But dialogue is also something a lot of screenwriters struggle with. So, in this
post we’re going to talk about how to write realistic, natural-sounding dialogue.
We’ll give you some good examples from different genres, and we’ll show you
how to properly format dialogue using the StudioBinder’s free screenwriting
software.

1
DIALOGUE
REFLECTS
CULTURE
SCREENWRITING TIPS

SCREENWRITING CULTURAL DIALOGUE

Culture and dialogue

You’ve probably already learned that when writing screenplays, the dialogue
should reveal more insight into the characters. We learn about a character by
both the things she says and the things other characters say about her. But a
huge facet of any character is the environment and times they live in - in a
word, their culture.

Culture describes the accepted ways people interact with each other, and the
way people speak comes directly from their culture. Culture can be as specific
as immediate family, church, or workplace; or culture can simply refer to the
social norms and customs of the region and era.

Think of any period film. We get a lot of our clues about the era from the set
decoration and costumes. But we get a sense of the culture by the way the
characters speak.

Take, for example, The Favourite which is set in the royal court of Queen Anne.
The culture at court is one where maintaining social rank and favor with the
queen are constantly, quietly battled over by everyone around her.

When Abigail Hill, a lady born of noble rank but now impoverished and
destitute, shows up at the queen’s palace asking for a job from her cousin - who
just happens to be the queen’s best friend - the battle for rank becomes
exponentially higher. Here’s how the scene looks on StudioBinder's
screenwriting software:

View Sample Screenplay

Scene 9 • Abigail Arrives • Read Full Scene

The language is, by our standards, formal and always civil, even when
delivering the most cutting remark.

There is also a clear linguistic boundary between social groups. Servants use a
local dialect, for example, while the nobility, who travel frequently between
residences, have a less regional way of speaking.

In the filmed scene, we can hear Abigail code switching from the coarser
language of her current low social station to the quiet erudition of her
upbringing the moment she realizes that she has been led to the queen’s
private drawing room.

The Favourite • This Mud Stinks

Another example is the Coen Brothers’ True Grit. Again, the dialogue is much
more formal and, by our standards, kinda bulky. But it gives insight about how
people are expected to treat each other, even in the context of “the wild west”.

In True Grit, young Mattie Ross hires Rooster Cogburn, a crusty old booze-
hound of a U.S. marshal, to find her father’s murderer and bring him to justice.
A Texas Ranger called LeBoeuf is after the same killer for a different murder,
and wants to join their search.

View Sample Screenplay

Scene 21 • Mattie Meets LaBoeuf • Read Full Scene

Notice that, despite being just a teenager and totally vulnerable to the grown
man LeBoeuf, young Mattie keeps him in his place by mere words. She can do
this because of the cultural expectations of “a simple farm girl”.

Mattie’s subversion of those expectations blindsides everyone she interacts

with, especially LeBoeuf, and is what creates comedic moments in the film.

True Grit (2010) - LaBoeuf introduces himself to Mattie

True Grit • Meeting LeBoeuf

Let’s look at one more example. This time, we have a story set in the
authoritarian world of Soviet Russia.

HBO’s series Chernobyl is based on an actual nuclear reactor explosion that

happened in the Soviet Union in 1986. Writer Craig Mazin did meticulous
research on the sequence of events surrounding the explosion, as well as the
way people spoke to each other during the Soviet era.

In this scene, through her own professional knowledge and contacts, Ulana
Khomyuk has broken the rigid Communist Party protocols and taken it upon
herself, at great personal risk, to confront the local government official about
what needs to be done for ordinary citizens following the Chernobyl disaster.

Chernobyl Shoe Factory Scene

Chernobyl • Get out of Minsk

The dialogue in Chernobyl reflects a world where people assume they are being
observed and recorded at all times. Therefore subtext does all the heavy lifting
in almost any conversation.

So what makes the dialogue from these examples realistic?

Research.

We have plenty of historical documents like letters, diaries, and newspapers to

tell us the way people spoke. And in the case of Chernobyl, which happened
just a generation ago, we also have video and audio recordings, along with
living memory, to tell us what the culture was like and how people talked in a
world where the KGB was always listening.

So, whether you’re writing a historical drama like Pride and Prejudice or a
fantasy set in a fictional world like Game of Thrones, when dialogue reflects the
culture of the setting, it automatically sounds natural.

2
PERSONALIZE
DIALOGUE
PERSONALIZED WRITING

SCREENWRITING PERSONAL DIALOGUE

Let's get personal

Do. Or do not. There is no try.

Yoda is one of the most memorable characters ever written. Not because of his
pocket-sized stature and goblin green chihuahua ears, but because of the way
he talks.

Even people who have never seen any of the Star Wars films recognize Yoda-
speak when they hear it.

Do. Or do not. There is no try.

Master Yoda's Sage Adage

While dialogue doesn’t have to be Yoda-level unique, each character should

still have her own voice. Take Juno MacGuff.

Juno is a high school junior who, upon learning she is pregnant, quickly
decides to give up her baby to people who actually want a child. She finds a
couple she believes are the perfect would-be parents and makes formal
adoption arrangements with them.

View Sample Screenplay

Scene 14 • Adoption Arrangement • Read Full Scene

The success of Juno can be attributed almost entirely to the dialogue

screenwriter Diablo Cody crafted for the adorkable teen mom.

Juno • Meet the Parents

There’s actually an old screenwriting guideline that says anyone reading your
script should be able to tell which of your characters is speaking without
looking at the name. Because, just as people have behavioral traits, they also
have verbal ones.

Dr. Who is entirely dependent on this notion. You can’t have a character who is
portrayed by a different actor every few series unless people can immediately
recognize the title character.

The Thirteenth Doctor Arrives | The Woman Who Fell to Earth | Doctor Who

Dr Who • 13th Doctor

Now, that clip is a lot more meaningful if you’re a fan of the show. But it shows
that, even when The Doctor can’t recognize her (or him) self, the audience sure
can just by the way she speaks.

So, when you’re writing dialogue, try to give each of your characters something
about their speech that sets them apart from the others. But also remember
that your dialogue is going to get a lot of help from the performance the actors
bring, too. Here are some awesome examples of great actors delivering the
most iconic movie lines in cinema.

3
LISTEN TO
CONVERSATIONS
SCREENWRITING FROM EXPERIENCES

SCREENWRITING FROM REAL LIFE

Expose yourself to real conversations

If you’re working on a story that takes place now, in our world, the best way to
write realistic dialogue is to simply listen to people talking. Real conversations
are the most abundant source material you’ll ever have access to. Even in your
own social circles, there are undoubtedly things you and your friends say or
talk about that you can borrow as dialogue for your characters.

A great example is writer/director Mackenzie Crook’s Detectorists. He drew

heavily from his own metal-detecting hobby when he created the series about a
pair of hard-core enthusiasts whose life-long ambition is to find the Saxon
treasure reputed to be buried somewhere in the local hilly farmland.

In the following scene, protagonists Andy and Lance meet their soon-to-be
archrivals for the first time.

View Sample Screenplay

Season 1 • Episode 2, Scene 5 • Meeting Simon and Garfunkel • Read Full Scene

In this exchange, Andy and Lance seem unnecessarily hostile to the other
detectorists, who we don’t have any reason to dislike, at first. But having Andy
and Lance mock “Paul and Art” before even meeting them helps us understand
that, in the culture of metal detecting, one doesn’t simply barge in on another
detectorist’s patch.

Detectorists meet Simon & Garfunkel

Detectorists • Meet Art and Paul

Whether you’re at the grocery store, Starbucks, or riding your local public
transport, if there’s a conversation going on, take the opportunity to make a
few mental notes to file away. Don’t be afraid to draw from your own life. And
above all, listen.

R E L AT E D P O S T

Iconic Movie Lines in Cinema →

Essentials to Writing Great Screenplays →
The Secrets to Writing Great Exposition →

UP NEXT

Essential tips for better dialogue

Could writing better dialogue in your screenplay be that missing piece? Here
are twenty-two tips to tweak your screenplay's dialogue. Check these out and
who knows, maybe you could become the next Tarantino!

Up Next: Must-Have Screenwriting Tips →

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Tags: Screenwriting

Kim Leonard
Kim Leonard is a writer and director who specializes in Comedy. She has done just about
every job on set, from PA to Producer.

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