Never underestimate the importance of dialogues. The ability to create virtuoso dialogue often distinguishes a brilliant writer from a mediocre one, and dialogue is always the most dynamic and lively ...

Writing dialogue is one of the most difficult aspects of screenwriting. When it's good, it's almost invisible, but when it's ...

I think a lot of beginning writers are always looking for cheat codes or fast ways to improve their writing. When really, the best way to get better is just to write a lot. But dialogue is one of ...

Whether you write fiction or drama, your ability to capture a reader’s attention and drive your story forward depends heavily on dialogue. But what makes good dialogue? How does dialogue drive a ...

Given how fraught writing for publication can be, it’s understandable for faculty to perceive the process as dehumanizing. Even soul-crunching, as one of our colleagues lamented. College and ...

When my teenage son picked up “Elmore Leonard’s 10 Rules of Writing” (Morrow, 96 pp., $14.95), it fell open to Rule 3: “Never use a verb other than ‘said’ to carry dialogue.” “I wish my teachers could ...

Dialogue shouldn’t sound natural. Maybe that’s a hot take, especially given the sage advice that usually comes from well-meaning writing teachers or trusted mentors. Because of course we need dialogue ...

Maybe you’re thinking about writing a screenplay, but don’t know where to start. Or maybe you’re interested in following in the footsteps of writer-directors such as Mindy Kaling or Jordan Peele.