The difference between life and the movies is that a script has to make sense, and life doesn't.
Joseph L. MankiewiczRead
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.
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
All quotes →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
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