Dialogue Craft Skill

Invocation Triggers

Apply this skill when:

• Polishing dialogue
• Developing subtext
• Differentiating character voices
• Handling exposition

Dialogue Principles

The Purpose of Dialogue

Every line should:

1. Reveal character - How they speak shows who they are
2. Advance plot - Move the story forward
3. Create conflict - Tension between characters
4. Entertain - Be engaging to read/watch

Ideally, each line does 2-3 of these simultaneously.

Subtext

What is Subtext?

The meaning beneath the words. Characters rarely say exactly what they mean.

Surface vs. Subtext

// Surface level only (BAD)
JOHN
I'm angry at you for lying to me.

// With subtext (GOOD)
JOHN
(quiet)
The coffee's cold.

Creating Subtext

Displacement: Talk about something else entirely

SARAH
Did you feed the cat?

JOHN
You know I always forget.

// They're talking about how he always lets her down

Deflection: Avoid the real subject

SARAH
We need to talk about last night.

JOHN
Have you seen my keys?

Contradiction: Say the opposite of truth

SARAH
Are you okay?

JOHN
Never better.

He won't meet her eyes.

Indirection: Circle around the point

SARAH
I saw the ring in your drawer.

JOHN
It was my mother's.

SARAH
It's beautiful.

JOHN
She would have liked you.

// Neither mentions the proposal

Voice Differentiation

Elements of Voice

Voice by Background

• Education: Vocabulary complexity, grammar
• Region: Slang, rhythm, expressions
• Profession: Jargon, verbal habits
• Age: Generational references, formality
• Personality: Introvert vs. extrovert patterns

Example: Three Characters, Same Information

// Academic
PROFESSOR
The statistical probability of survival decreases
exponentially beyond the 72-hour threshold.

// Street
MARCUS
Three days, man. After that? You ain't coming back.

// Military
COMMANDER
Window's 72 hours. Then we write them off.

Handling Exposition

The Problem

Audiences need information, but "info dumps" kill scenes.

Exposition Techniques

Conflict: Characters argue about the information

JOHN
The company's been laundering money for years.

SARAH
That's insane. My father built this company.

JOHN
Then he built it on dirty money.

Discovery: Character learns with audience

Sarah finds the document. Her eyes scan it.

SARAH
(reading)
"Project Nightfall. Initiated 1985..."
(looks up)
This goes back forty years.

Need to Know: Character explains to someone who needs it

VETERAN
You're new. First rule: Never go below deck 5.

ROOKIE
Why? What's down there?

VETERAN
That's rule two. Don't ask.

Conflict of Interest: Information becomes ammunition

SARAH
I know about the money, John.

JOHN
(carefully)
What money?

SARAH
The hundred thousand in the offshore account.
The one you opened the week before you proposed.

What to Avoid

• Characters telling each other what they both know
• "As you know, Bob..." constructions
• Long explanatory monologues
• Information that doesn't serve a scene purpose

Dialogue Rhythm

Varying Line Length

SARAH
I loved you.

JOHN
I know.

SARAH
I would have done anything for you. Given up
everything. My career, my family, my future.
Everything.

JOHN
I know.

Beat and Pause

SARAH
I found the letters.

(beat)

JOHN
I can explain.

SARAH
Can you?

Long silence.

JOHN
No.

Overlapping Dialogue

Indicated by -- for interruption:

SARAH
I just think we should--

JOHN
--Not now.

SARAH
But if we could just--

JOHN
I said not now.

Common Dialogue Problems

On the Nose

Characters stating emotions directly.

// BAD
SARAH
I feel betrayed and hurt by your actions.

// BETTER
SARAH
(sliding off ring)
Here. I won't be needing this.

Greeting Rituals

Unnecessary pleasantries.

// BAD
JOHN
Hello, Sarah. How are you?

SARAH
I'm fine, thanks. And you?

JOHN
Good, good. Thanks for meeting me.

// BETTER
JOHN
(seated, waiting)
You're late.

SARAH
(sitting)
You're lucky I came at all.

Identical Voices

All characters sound the same.

Test: Cover character names. Can you tell who's speaking?

Speechifying

Characters make speeches instead of conversation.

Break long speeches with:

• Interruptions
• Action beats
• Other character reactions
• Internal contradiction

Dialogue Polish Checklist

Per Line

• Could this be cut? (If yes, cut it)
• Does it reveal character?
• Does it advance plot?
• Is there subtext?
• Is it speakable?

Per Scene

• Is there conflict in the conversation?
• Do voices sound distinct?
• Is exposition earned?
• Are there moments of silence?
• Does rhythm vary?

Per Script

• Can characters be identified by voice alone?
• Is subtext consistent per character?
• Are relationships clear through dialogue?
• Does dialogue evolve as characters do?