dialogue-craft

Overview

Dialogue craft is the strategic scripting of character interaction. It moves beyond "chat" to directed action. By applying McKee's "Subtext" principle, Sorkin's "Intention and Obstacle" model, and McPhee's "Dusting" technique for clarity, the writer ensures that every spoken word serves the plot and reveals character through behavioral exchange.

Guiding Principles

Principle 1: Dialogue is Action/Reaction (Source: McKee, Story)

Dialogue is not a monologue or a prepared speech; it is an exchange of behaviors. Every line is an action aimed at eliciting a specific reaction from the other character. If characters are just talking at each other without reacting, the scene is dead.

Principle 2: The Text is Not the Subtext (Source: McKee, Story)

Characters rarely say exactly what they are thinking or feeling. Subtext is the hidden emotional reality beneath the spoken words. Avoid "on the nose" dialogue where characters state their internal states (e.g., "I am very angry with you").

Principle 3: Intention and Obstacle (Source: Sorkin, dialogue principles)

Every line of dialogue must be driven by an intention (what the character wants) meeting an obstacle (what stands in their way). Dialogue is the character's weapon used to maneuver, bargain, or fight past that obstacle.

Principle 4: Dusting and Straightening (Source: McPhee, Draft No. 4)

In non-fiction, spoken speech must be "dusted"—trimmed of "ums," "uhs," and false starts—to make it legible in print. You trim and straighten to achieve clarity, but you do not invent or manufacture meaning.

Principle 5: The Suspense Sentence (Source: McKee, Story)

Use periodic sentences to keep the reader engaged. Delay the core meaning or the "punch" of the sentence until the very last word. This forces the audience to listen to the end of the line.