Dialogue Is Easy; Scripts Are Difficult
Dialogue is the written form of speech, and this type of text allows writers to show readers what a character is saying. The result is sentences that read exactly like a person talking. Sarah said, “Hello, Brad. Did you have a wonderful weekend?”
How does a writer come up with dialogue? I am unsure about other writers, but I think about what a character would say and then write my thoughts. Occasionally, I verbalize these words to get a feel for the tone and flow. Yes, my wife finds this activity amusing.
I have found dialog the easiest part of a story because I have spent years speaking and listening to others talk.
There is a bonus. Readers have low expectations because they have listened to awful dialog their whole lives. Our speech has poor grammar, incorrect words, lazy abbreviations, invented words, goofy sounds, and lots of nonsense. “Umm. Ahh, hey. Like, what are you doing dis weekend? You know, after Friday and such?” It’s awful, yet typical.
Fiction contains 10-40% dialogue, and my writing is around 30%. During editing, I only spend 20% of my time on the dialogue and rarely locate big problems. This is because dialogue sentences are simple in structure and message, but the supporting sentences are different. They are direct, full of feelings, elaborate descriptions, and plot.
Plays and movies are in a vastly different category. They use a short (compared to a book) script containing 90% dialogue. The remaining 10% are terse notes about the scene and the acting direction. The story within a play or a movie can only be told through dialogue, which makes every word hypercritical.
The script dialogue carries the entire story; a single spoken sentence can make or break the whole work. Want some proof? “Luke, I am your father.” Five flawless words.
But… What about all the missing details? Motivation, setting, location, pacing, flow, and emotion. It is the job of the actors, producers, and directors to fill in those big gaps. Since I have admitted to this being the most challenging part of writing, a script should be easy. This is the trap because a script must be so good that the people involved in the play or movie can look at it and instantly see those details. In essence, the dialog must leap off the page and right into their hearts. Very intimidating.
Still, I have an idea for two short plays and a movie. Are they any good? Err… If I worked on my concepts, I think I could improve them, but not to the minimum standard for writing. Well, why not leap? Spend a week writing a script and submit it. Perhaps I will get lucky, or somebody with more experience could polish it into something extraordinary.
I am failure-averse and do not begin something big unless I am confident in my success. The dialog must contain everything, which is a lot of pressure. Still, I have wanted to try this and might spend some outline time.
What about a fantasy world where my books became popular enough for a movie? Would I try writing a script? Of course, I have daydreamed about this, but if this ever occurred, I think my talents would be better suited for assisting a script writer to translate my book.
Besides, readers do not read scripts. Instead, they watch movies or plays. Have you read the original script for the epic movie Star Wars? I am sure it is available, but only the most devoted fan has ever read it. Why? People enjoy watching the film, and there is no need to read the script. Besides, scripts are boring. Talk, talk, talk.
A script is only worth something to a company that wants to turn it into a play or movie. Once accepted, many people get involved in production, which leads to another problem. When a movie/play fails, lots of people know about it. However, if a terrible book does not sell, it does not sell. The worst financial case is a warehouse full of unsold books. Meaning it is safer to write books.
Does this mean that scripts are the pinnacle of writing? Perhaps. Hey, I got this. I could write a script about writing a script. Call it “a play on words.”
You’re the best -Bill
Setember 08, 2020 Updated April 19, 2025
How does a writer come up with dialogue? I am unsure about other writers, but I think about what a character would say and then write my thoughts. Occasionally, I verbalize these words to get a feel for the tone and flow. Yes, my wife finds this activity amusing.
I have found dialog the easiest part of a story because I have spent years speaking and listening to others talk.
There is a bonus. Readers have low expectations because they have listened to awful dialog their whole lives. Our speech has poor grammar, incorrect words, lazy abbreviations, invented words, goofy sounds, and lots of nonsense. “Umm. Ahh, hey. Like, what are you doing dis weekend? You know, after Friday and such?” It’s awful, yet typical.
Fiction contains 10-40% dialogue, and my writing is around 30%. During editing, I only spend 20% of my time on the dialogue and rarely locate big problems. This is because dialogue sentences are simple in structure and message, but the supporting sentences are different. They are direct, full of feelings, elaborate descriptions, and plot.
Plays and movies are in a vastly different category. They use a short (compared to a book) script containing 90% dialogue. The remaining 10% are terse notes about the scene and the acting direction. The story within a play or a movie can only be told through dialogue, which makes every word hypercritical.
The script dialogue carries the entire story; a single spoken sentence can make or break the whole work. Want some proof? “Luke, I am your father.” Five flawless words.
But… What about all the missing details? Motivation, setting, location, pacing, flow, and emotion. It is the job of the actors, producers, and directors to fill in those big gaps. Since I have admitted to this being the most challenging part of writing, a script should be easy. This is the trap because a script must be so good that the people involved in the play or movie can look at it and instantly see those details. In essence, the dialog must leap off the page and right into their hearts. Very intimidating.
Still, I have an idea for two short plays and a movie. Are they any good? Err… If I worked on my concepts, I think I could improve them, but not to the minimum standard for writing. Well, why not leap? Spend a week writing a script and submit it. Perhaps I will get lucky, or somebody with more experience could polish it into something extraordinary.
I am failure-averse and do not begin something big unless I am confident in my success. The dialog must contain everything, which is a lot of pressure. Still, I have wanted to try this and might spend some outline time.
What about a fantasy world where my books became popular enough for a movie? Would I try writing a script? Of course, I have daydreamed about this, but if this ever occurred, I think my talents would be better suited for assisting a script writer to translate my book.
Besides, readers do not read scripts. Instead, they watch movies or plays. Have you read the original script for the epic movie Star Wars? I am sure it is available, but only the most devoted fan has ever read it. Why? People enjoy watching the film, and there is no need to read the script. Besides, scripts are boring. Talk, talk, talk.
A script is only worth something to a company that wants to turn it into a play or movie. Once accepted, many people get involved in production, which leads to another problem. When a movie/play fails, lots of people know about it. However, if a terrible book does not sell, it does not sell. The worst financial case is a warehouse full of unsold books. Meaning it is safer to write books.
Does this mean that scripts are the pinnacle of writing? Perhaps. Hey, I got this. I could write a script about writing a script. Call it “a play on words.”
You’re the best -Bill
Setember 08, 2020 Updated April 19, 2025
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