Selection

— How to write cool dialogues?

Top books

— Do you hate it too? — Hate what? — Awkward silence. Why do people feel the need to say something stupid just to avoid feeling out of place? — I don’t know. Good question. — You only realize you’ve found someone truly special when you can just shut up for a minute and enjoy the silence together... [Pulp Fiction]

Good writers strive to make dialogue feel like a natural, spontaneous conversation. However, no dialogue in fiction is ever born spontaneously by the writer.

— Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere

We’ve selected a few books that will help you improve your skill in writing engaging dialogues

— Dialogue: The Art of Verbal Action for Page, Stage, and Screen, Robert McKee

The author reveals the secrets of crafting dramatic dialogue by focusing on its function, content, form, and the speech techniques of the characters. This is a research-based textbook that examines both the most effective techniques of "dialogue writing" and the pitfalls that await the author during the process, including clichés, verbosity, and implausibility.

— Are You Talking to Me? How to Write Captivating Dialogues for Film and Stage, Linda Seger, John Rainey

You will learn tips on how to give your characters those unique and unforgettable lines. All advice is accompanied by illustrative examples from plays, adaptations, and films. The book will be of interest to writers working in any genre and at any skill level—be it beginners or seasoned professionals.

— How to Write Dazzling Dialogues in Novels and Screenplays, James Scott Bell

The author offers a series of practical exercises and techniques for working with text that will help you refine any manuscript: make a comedy hilariously funny, a detective story gripping, and a historical novel engaging.

— Games People Play, Eric Berne

The book will help you understand the psychological motives behind people's actions and words. Although it’s not specifically about writing captivating phrases, it might just be the key to creating truly unique dialogues.

— How can you tell a cool dialogue from a lame one? — A cool dialogue sounds natural and believable, adding energy and vibrancy to the script. It also conveys important information about the plot, characters, or their relationships, driving the story forward and deepening the audience's understanding. That’s it. — Got it.

In cinema, there are no rules. Only sins. And the greatest sin — is boredom.

Remember, your dialogues will be voiced by actors — they will help bring your words to life

When I’m about to write a new script, the hardest part for me is going to the stationery store and buying a notebook — Quentin Tarantino