Screenwriting : The most important thing when you write dialogue is? by Phillip E. Hardy, "The Real Deal"

When I worked in the Writer's Room, I liked to have the Actor playing that character with me to explore, adjust, fine tune and share the dialog. Now when I do dialog passes, I try to become that character and do that for each dialog pass for each character - even for some of the minor ones. It's the only way I know - you got other ideas?

When I write dialogue, I say it in my head and ask if its realistic? Do people actually talk that way? Does each character sound the same?

Not that I have sold anything, lol, but I love to run the story in my head. Heck, when I am driving to work I have my characters talking and taking actions. It is a lot of fun to create, change, and wonder what they will say.

I just spend a lot of my time listening and less time talking : )

If you know your characters innately, dialogue just happens.

It also helps to know what their ultimate goal is as well. Does the dialogue relate to it? That always helps to guide me.

I write down character traits. What makes them tick, things like that, until I "hear" the voices.

If the process is flowing as it should, I get out of the way and the dialogue will write itself.

Once you think you got it; go for a table read.

Delete dialogue, make sure my action reveals character, delete more dialogue. Give to Editor, delete more. Finish.

I verbal vomit through the scene until its finished. I don't care too much about specific dialogue until I reach the end of the scene, then I take a step back and appreciate the mess that I just made.

I caught myself "talking" through my character's scene yesterday. I really focus on the opening line, and what note I need the scene to start and end with. The opening line is going to set the tone for each scene. I read the lines out loud, try different inflections, and then improv alternatives until I have an opener that I like.

I hope you guys don't think I'm insane but I talk to myself. Out loud. I just wrote an interrogation scene last week and argued with myself for about an hour.

I agree Katya. To me that's the most natural way.

I agree with Dan MaxXx ; whatever your process is for getting the dialogue down in the first place is fine. Then go back and cut. Then go back again and cut. Then, when you think you've cut every superfluous word out of every line of dialogue, go back and cut more. :)

I agree with Laura and sometimes I do with what Katya does. The main thing is I don't want my characters to sound like you are watching someone's home movie. I don't imagine too many Chief of Police run around screening obscenities at police officers like they do in movies.

I struggle with dialogue at times and, depending on the character, to varying degrees.

Dialogue is usually a multi-pass endeavor. Meaning I rarely hit it right the first time I write it. I'll write the gist of the conversation for the situation but then I'll revisit it and tweak, change, etc. later. As others have said above, it's about knowing the thoughts of each speaking character in each scene. Sometimes speaking the dialogue helps and I've written some really stupid "on the nose" dialogue before (probably will again). One recent thing I've been trying to get a handle on and I think I understand it and I just need to practice employing it at the right time is "subtext".

IMHO focusing on trying to write dialogue that has lots of subtext has actually improved the overall dialogue. I don't know if that's natural but approaching it as a two step process:

1. What are they thinking in this scene and this conversation and should their thoughts be audible?

2. How can I employ subtext in this dialogue?

So far it seems to be working IMHO but maybe it's not the best way for anyone else.

Basically, I think of dialog as just another of the character's traits. A shy nerd speaks differently than a weather beaten cowhand, a longshoreman or a slimy lawyer. Give each character a unique voice.

Talk to people. If you want to write a character with a certain accent or from a certain place, talk to someone from that place. Make your character sound like them.

I have a strange mind. As a writer with autism, I have a hard time sometimes with language and people in general. So, I try to watch films, read dialogue and actually watch people to see how they speak. I try to emulate it. Not always successfully, but lord love me, I try.

...Have fun writing the dialog!