As authors and screenwriters, we imagine characters that speak themselves into existence. And if they don’t sound out a word, there’s an expression, a look, a gesture that can speak volumes, i.e., the unspoken dialogue. It’s all comes down to communication, both verbal and nonverbal.
No doubt, every moviegoer has favorite lines of dialogue. One that always resonated with me is from “Cool Hand Luke,” the 1967 drama featuring Paul Newman in one his most iconic roles. Luke is a petty criminal sentenced to a Florida prison farm. The sadistic warden, played by Strother Martin, elevated Luke to hero status in the eyes of other inmates. Luke defied authority by escaping three times. His stints in solitary confinement served to intensify his non-conformist persona. Strother Martin a/k/a The Captain, hit Luke and pushed him to the ground before uttering his droll yet foreboding line, “What we’ve got here is failure to communicate” quoted by yours truly in a variety of instances. The story is based on a novel by Donn Pearce, a former convict who wrote about his experiences of working on a chain gang. The line uttered by Strother Martin is listed as number 11 on the American Film Institute’s list of 100 most memorable movie lines.
There are a few others I’ve incorporated into my personal repertoire, like “I’ve got a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore,” and “I have always depended on the kindness of strangers” (complete with Southern drawl a la Blanche DuBois) and, when feeling particularly exasperated, “Oh…what a world, what a world!” from the steamy, melting Wicked Witch of the West at the hands of Dorothy and her pail of water.
Last year, I signed up for an online workshop entitled “Dazzling Dialogue” hosted by Pipeline Artists. The guest speaker, Kuros Charney, a Gotham Writers teacher claimed in his online bio that he “fell in love with the theatre by way of film.” His studies at USC’s film school inspired him to “take the leap from the screen to the stage.”
The workshop was a marvel of insights from beginning to end. I’ll share a few of those practical words of advice! Even if you’ve heard these suggestions or claim to already know the secret to successful dialogue, it never hurts to be reminded!!
Let’s start with the basics. Dialogue’s purpose is to: (1) Move the plot forward; (2) Reveal character; (3) Set tone; (4) Express themes; and (5) Create memorable lines MOTIVATED by character! But, remember, characters are NOT mouthpieces for the writer.
Next is dialogue’s aim. First, dialogue must sound like real talk. On the flip side, dialogue must avoid the pitfalls of real talk which meanders. Dialogue, conversely, needs a sense of direction. As Charney stated, “Our conversations are not geared to motivation.”
He continued, “Each scene has a beginning, middle, and, some kind of climax and resolution by the end of the conversation.” I underlined his next bit of advice! “Writing great dialogue starts with being a great listener.” He advised to watch movies and eavesdrop on conversations! What are the tensions? What do they want? How do they feel (subtext that tells us how they feel!)? Everyone has different ways of phrasing their speech. He mentioned “doing impressions of voices you hear in your head when writing dialogue.” Is your character book smart or street smart? Profane? Slangy? Blunt or long-winded? Warm or cold? Sincere or sarcastic? You get it, and the list could go on! BUT, make sure you show different sides of your character. For instance, a person could be cold or ruthless and suddenly turn warm when someone else enters the room! Another quote from the master teacher, “We talk differently to someone we want something from than others we don’t want something from.”
He also touched on desire and conflict. “Characters should want something, and another character should put up resistance. Opposing objectives create tension.”
He illustrated the tension with the following example:
Jane: Where did you get that dress?
Leyla: Keep your voice down.
Leyla avoided the question and conversation about the dress and an inherent conflict is established.
Charney also cautioned against “tennis match” conversation. “Small talk itself is driven by an objective,” he stated and offered an example, “making polite small talk can have tension…opposing office workers in an elevator that make small talk to avoid an argument.”
The next point dealt with brevity. “Try keeping lines brief, allowing a back and forth between characters until the dialogue escalates to a point where one character dominates.” Brevity can lead up to a lengthy monologue that’s unleashed BUT make sure your monologue is earned!!
The last point is focused on rhythm and technique. Give dialogue its rhythm. “Interrupt! Don’t let your characters always finish their sentence.” Overlap! He gave the example of Edward Albee’s play “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” where the dynamic of the relationship is established. The 1966 film version with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor had Mike Nichols in his directorial debut. Words laced with profanity, spewed with vitriol, and fueled by alcohol carry the main characters, Martha and George, through a night of scandalous dialogue and dysfunction as witnessed by the young couple in their company.
But there’s more to learn from the “Dazzling Dialogue” workshop, and I’ll leave the rest for a subsequent blog! In closing, words are powerful, life-changing, and the stuff of creation. Words, spoken and unspoken in the realm of thoughts manifested by actions, will shape your character and your story! Make them count! Happy writing!!