QuoteProject
There is no such thing as realistic dialogue. If you [simply recorded] the real conversation of any people and played it back from the stage, it would be impossible to listen to. It would be redundant . . . . The good dialogue writer is the one who can give you the impression of real speech.
Joseph L. Mankiewicz
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

Realistic dialogue is often unengaging, and skilled writers must create dialogue that feels authentic yet is more compelling.

Joseph L. Mankiewicz highlights the difference between real speech and crafted dialogue. While actual conversations can be disjointed and repetitive, an effective dialogue writer captures the essence of how people speak while enhancing clarity and engagement, making their work shine in storytelling.

Themes

DialogueWritingAuthenticitySpeechStorytelling

In practice

Example use cases

Using this quote in a screenwriting workshop to discuss the importance of crafting believable dialogue.

More from Joseph L. Mankiewicz

The difference between life and the movies is that a script has to make sense, and life doesn't.
Joseph L. MankiewiczRead
Funny business, a woman's career: the things you drop on the way up the ladder so you can move faster. You forget you'll need them again when you get back to being a woman. It's one career all females have in common, whether we like it or not: being a woman. Sooner or later, we've got to work at it, no matter how many other careers we've had or wanted.
Joseph L. MankiewiczRead

Similar quotes

A film is - or should be - more like music than like fiction. It should be a progression of moods and feelings. The theme, what's behind the emotion, the meaning, all that comes later.
Stanley KubrickRead
But you listen to Coltrane and that's something human, something that's about elevation. It's like making love to a woman. It's about something of value, it's not just loud. It doesn't have that violent connotation to it. I wanted to be a jazz musician so bad, but I really couldn't. There was no way I could figure out to learn how to play.
Wynton MarsalisRead
I decided to sell my drawings. However, I didn't want people to buy my drawings because the professor of physics isn't supposed to be able to draw - isn't that wonderful - so I made up a false name.
Richard P. FeynmanRead
Willows whiten, aspens quiver, little breezes dusk and shiver, thro' the wave that runs forever by the island in the river, flowing down to Camelot. Four gray walls and four gray towers, overlook a space of flowers, and the silent isle imbowers, the Lady of Shalott.
Alfred Lord TennysonRead
With me poetry has not been a purpose, but a passion.
Edgar Allan PoeRead
Roaming through the jungle of "Ohs" and "Ahs", searching for a more agreeable noise, I live a life of primitivity with the mind of a child and an unquenchable thirst for sharps and flats.
Duke EllingtonRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.