What Can Fiction Writers Learn From Screenplay Dialogue?

You know the drill—storytelling is storytelling. Whether you’re writing novels, scripts, games, or even podcasts, the core principles overlap more than they don’t.

But here’s the thing: fiction writers often underestimate how much they can steal from screenwriters, especially when it comes to dialogue. And I get it—screenplay dialogue has all these constraints: limited space, no internal monologue, no fancy description. But maybe that’s why it’s so sharp.

In this post, I want to show you a few ways I’ve seen fiction writers elevate their game by borrowing a few tricks from screenplay dialogue. If you already know this territory, great—maybe this will still nudge you to think about it a little differently. I’ll toss in some examples so we can keep this practical.

Make Dialogue Do Something

In fiction, it’s dangerously easy to let dialogue meander. We’ve all read pages where characters chit-chat without affecting the story. Screenwriters, on the other hand, don’t have that luxury.

On screen, every line of dialogue is action. Dialogue drives the scene forward—it creates conflict, reveals desire, turns the emotional temperature up or down.

Take Aaron Sorkin’s “The Social Network.” Remember the first bar scene between Mark Zuckerberg and Erica Albright? It’s not “dialogue” in the conversational sense—it’s two characters in a power struggle. Every line escalates the tension and leads to a breakup. The entire scene moves because of what they say and how they say it.

As fiction writers, we can ask:
Is this dialogue changing something? Is a relationship shifting? Is a secret being revealed? Is a decision being forced? If not, maybe that conversation belongs in the recycling bin.

Learn the Micro-Techniques Screenwriters Rely On

Be precise

Screenplays run about a minute per page, which means screenwriters obsess over every word. A line that’s too long or too flowery drags the pacing.

Read Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s “Fleabag” scripts sometime. The precision is breathtaking—short, jagged lines that feel like real human speech but land like punches.

When we bring this into fiction, it forces us to respect the reader’s time and attention. You can still write lush dialogue, but it has to earn its place.

Layer subtext

The best screenplay dialogue is about what’s not said. Characters dodge, misdirect, hint, and dance around their real feelings.

Watch “Lost in Translation.” That hotel bar scene between Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson’s characters? They never say “I’m lonely” or “I’m falling for you.” But the subtext bleeds through every word.

In fiction, especially when you’ve got access to inner thoughts, it’s tempting to make everything explicit. But if you learn to trust subtext, your dialogue can crackle with tension.

Think about rhythm

Dialogue is music. Pacing, interruptions, overlaps, beats—they all matter.

Read any Quentin Tarantino script. The rhythm is unmistakable. Look at the way characters interrupt each other in “Pulp Fiction” or “Inglourious Basterds.” There’s a bounce to it—a sense of timing that makes the conversation feel alive.

In fiction, that might mean breaking lines differently, using white space more creatively, or letting your characters talk over each other sometimes. It pulls readers into the flow.

Capture messy reality

Real people don’t speak in clean paragraphs. We interrupt, we change our minds mid-sentence, we trail off.

Screenwriters capture this messiness because actors have to perform the lines. It’s why a line like “Yeah, I… no, forget it, never mind,” feels more authentic than a polished monologue.

Fiction writers can absolutely lean into this. If your characters sound too perfect on the page, steal this bit of screenwriter wisdom and mess them up a little.

Embrace economy

Finally, economy is everything. Fiction lets us luxuriate in language, but dialogue often works better when it’s lean.

Look at “Mad Men.” So much of Don Draper’s character is conveyed through sparse, charged lines. One of my favorites:

“If you don’t like what is being said, change the conversation.”

That’s eight words of pure character and theme. I’ve seen novelists who usually write lush prose absolutely snap their dialogue into shape after studying scripts.

Think Visually When Writing Dialogue

Here’s one of the biggest differences: screenwriters always think visually. Dialogue doesn’t float in a void—it’s grounded in what’s happening on screen.

In fiction, we sometimes forget this. A lot of writers will write pages of dialogue with no sense of physical space or visual movement. But when you write dialogue like a screenwriter, you start thinking:

What is the character doing while saying this?
What are we “seeing” during this exchange?
How does physical action punctuate or counterpoint the dialogue?

One trick I like is to imagine each scene as if I were blocking it for a camera. In “Breaking Bad,” watch any conversation between Walter White and Jesse Pinkman. The dialogue is powerful, but it’s intertwined with what the characters are physically doing—packing meth, cleaning equipment, moving nervously around the space.

When we bring this mindset to fiction, we avoid the dreaded “talking heads” problem and root our dialogue in the scene. It suddenly becomes cinematic—something the reader can see and feel, not just hear.

How to Steal the Good Stuff – Micro-Techniques from Screenplay Dialogue

Let’s get honest: if you’ve ever read a sharp screenplay, you’ve probably felt the urge to steal a trick or two. I know I have. The best screenwriters are ruthless about making every line count, and as fiction writers, we can absolutely poach some of their micro-techniques to elevate our own dialogue.

Be Precise: Every Word Earns Its Place

The first thing that jumps out at you when you read a killer script? Precision. Screenwriters don’t have the luxury of wasted words. They’ve got about 100 pages—one minute per page, max. If a line doesn’t move the story or reveal something essential, it gets cut. Ruthlessly.

Take a look at Greta Gerwig’s “Lady Bird.” Every line between Lady Bird and her mother feels loaded. When Lady Bird blurts, “I wish I could live through something,” her mother’s clipped reply—“Aren’t you?”—lands like a punch. There’s not an extra word in sight. It’s a back-and-forth where both characters are speaking past each other, revealing more in what they don’t say than what they do.

Now, fiction lets us meander. We can write dialogue that’s flowery or meandering, and sometimes that fits our style. But ask yourself—could you trim a few words and make it hit harder? Try this as an experiment: take a scene you’ve written, rewrite all the dialogue as if it had to fit into a 30-second film scene, and see what you learn. You’ll be surprised by how much emotional weight you can pack into a single, well-placed phrase.

Subtext: Say One Thing, Mean Another

Screenwriters are absolute ninjas with subtext. They know that the most interesting conversations happen when the real message is bubbling under the surface.

Think of “Lost in Translation.” Bill Murray’s and Scarlett Johansson’s characters barely say what they mean. In the famous whisper scene, we never hear what Bob says to Charlotte. The power is in what’s not said. The audience leans in, desperate to fill the silence.

Fiction writers, we’re guilty of sometimes spoon-feeding our readers—laying all the cards on the table. But what if we let our characters hide their motives, dodge the truth, or speak in code? Subtext pulls your readers deeper into the story, turning them into participants, not just observers. If you want to see this in action, grab a copy of Raymond Carver’s stories—his dialogue is all about what’s left unsaid.

Rhythm: Create a Music in Your Dialogue

Ever read a script by Quentin Tarantino? The dialogue sings. There’s a rhythm—beats, pauses, interruptions. Tarantino is a master at capturing the messy, energetic music of real conversation.

Let’s talk about the diner scene in “Pulp Fiction.” The dialogue bounces between Pumpkin and Honey Bunny. Their lines overlap, interrupt, and sometimes just trail off. It feels alive because of the rhythm.

When writing fiction, listen for the music. Let your characters cut each other off, change their minds, ramble, or say nothing at all. The white space—the pauses and silences—matters just as much as what’s said.

And if you want to geek out, try reading your dialogue aloud. It’s amazing how often a line that looks fine on paper sounds off when spoken. That’s how screenwriters workshop their scripts—table reads, rehearsals. We can steal that, too.

Messiness and Interruptions: The Human Touch

Screenwriters capture reality by embracing messiness. In real life, nobody delivers perfect soliloquies. People get interrupted. They fumble for words. They contradict themselves.

For example, in “Fleabag,” Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s characters rarely finish a thought without getting sidetracked, interrupted, or contradicting themselves. It makes the scenes feel raw and authentic.

In fiction, you can get a lot of mileage from this. Throw in a character who can’t finish a sentence, or who keeps losing their train of thought. Let conversations spiral off-topic. That kind of messiness makes your scenes more alive—and more believable.

Economy: Less Is (Almost Always) More

When you’re writing a script, space is at a premium. But that’s not just a limitation—it’s an opportunity. Dialogue gets stronger when it’s lean. Look at how much can be packed into a line like Don Draper’s iconic, “If you don’t like what is being said, change the conversation.” It’s short, but it hits hard and says everything about who Don is.

In fiction, even if your prose is lush, try to make your dialogue lean and focused. Challenge yourself to trim two or three lines from every conversation. More often than not, you’ll find that what’s left is sharper, more charged, and more memorable.

The big takeaway? Screenwriters are obsessed with cutting everything that doesn’t serve the story. It’s not a bad habit for us, either. When you treat dialogue as action, as music, as a dance between what’s said and what’s hidden—you start writing scenes readers can see and feel, not just read.

If you want to try this, grab a favorite script and read it like a writer. Steal the tricks that resonate. Trust me, you’ll feel the difference in your next scene.

Make Your Dialogue Cinematic: Think Visually, Write Visually

Here’s a dirty little secret: screenwriters think visually every single time they write dialogue. They have to—if it’s not “seeable,” it can’t be shot. Fiction writers, on the other hand, have the luxury (and sometimes the curse) of living entirely in words. But if you want your scenes to feel cinematic, start seeing them as you write.

Dialogue Doesn’t Happen in a Void

Screenwriters always have the camera in mind. They know exactly where a character is, what they’re doing, what’s in their hands, how close the shot is. That’s why their dialogue is always attached to action.

Let’s look at a moment from “Breaking Bad.” When Jesse Pinkman and Walter White argue in the lab, they’re never just standing still. Jesse’s fiddling with the meth equipment, Walt is pacing, there’s a tension in the way they move around each other. Their words land differently because of what they’re doing.

So, when you write fiction, anchor your dialogue in the physical world. If two characters are arguing, what are their hands doing? Are they washing dishes, packing bags, or fiddling with a lighter? Little gestures can change the entire emotional charge of a scene.

Use Physical Beats to Show What’s Unspoken

Great scripts are loaded with physical “beats”—moments when the action says what words can’t. In “Manchester by the Sea,” when Lee Chandler tries to comfort his nephew, the dialogue is awkward and stilted, but the way Lee fumbles with his hands, looks away, and shuffles his feet tells us everything we need to know about his grief.

Fiction can do this too, but we sometimes forget. Instead of a character saying, “I’m nervous,” show them tapping their foot, glancing at the clock, biting their lip. The dialogue is supported by action, and the whole scene feels richer.

Visualize the Scene as You Write

Screenwriters always imagine the blocking—where characters are, how they move, what the camera sees. Try this trick: before you write a line of dialogue, close your eyes and picture the scene like a film. Where’s everyone standing? Who’s close, who’s far? Is someone looming, retreating, hiding? Then let your dialogue flow from what you see.

I’ve seen writers transform flat scenes just by “staging” them in their minds. Suddenly, there’s space, tension, physicality.

Avoid Talking Heads

We’ve all read (or written) those scenes where two characters just sit in a room and talk, talk, talk. No action, no movement, no sense of place. Screenwriters know this is a death sentence onscreen. The scene dies if it’s just two floating heads exchanging information.

Bring this to your fiction: make sure your dialogue scenes are rooted in the world. Are they walking? Driving? Playing chess? The dialogue will be more interesting if it’s shaped by the environment. That’s why some of the most iconic conversations in film happen in dynamic places—bars, cars, rooftops, diners.

Leverage the Senses

Screenplays are mostly visual, but they still find ways to evoke sound, texture, even smell. As a fiction writer, you have an even bigger palette. While you keep the focus on action and visuals, sprinkle in sensory details that anchor the reader.

If your characters are arguing in a kitchen, let us hear the kettle whistle, smell the burnt toast, see the sunlight on the floor. Dialogue becomes part of the world, not just words in space.

Example: From Script to Page

Let’s take a simple line—“Are you coming or not?”

In a flat scene, it’s just a question.
In a more cinematic scene:
- Character A is already at the door, keys jangling, backpack slung over one shoulder.
- Character B is hunched on the couch, staring at their phone, not looking up.
- Character A asks, “Are you coming or not?”—but their tone is sharp, impatient, because they’ve already started to leave.
- B sighs, shoves the phone in their pocket, but doesn’t move.
- The tension is all in the blocking and action.

Try writing your next dialogue scene this way. Stage it first, then write the lines. Your readers will “see” the scene, not just read it.

Before You Leave…

Honestly, if you’re deep into storytelling, you already know that stealing from screenwriters is not just allowed—it’s recommended. Screenplay dialogue is lean, sharp, and packed with lessons for anyone who wants to level up their scenes.

Every time you write dialogue, ask yourself:

Is this line doing something?
What’s being left unsaid?
Does the rhythm feel real?
Is there action and movement that gives this scene life?

And most of all: can you see it? If you can see the scene as if it’s playing on a movie screen, chances are your reader will too.

So next time you’re stuck or want to up your game, pull up a script, watch how the masters do it, and see what happens when you let a little bit of “screenplay magic” slip into your pages. Happy writing!