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You Talkin' to me?: How to Write Great Dialogue

Dr. Linda Segar | John Winston Rainey

At Last! A book on dialogue that shows you how to get from, "I dare you to shoot" to " Go Ahead. Make My Day” and how to dramatically build dialogue up to an unforgettable line like, "You had me at 'hello”.

You Talkin’ to Me?: How to Write Great Dialogue is a practical yet detailed guide, expertly crafted by Linda Seger, international script consultant and author, and John Rainey, successful screenwriter & script consultant.

Every writer who works with dialogue will benefit as they learn how to write and re-write more effectively.  At the end of each chapter are examples of poorly written dialogue annotated by Linda and then re-written by John. If you want to learn how to write quotable iconic lines that will be repeated for years, then you need this book! 

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What are experts saying?

“While story details from movies I’ve watched can flatten and fade, great lines of dialogue remain grooved in my mind for years. What makes great dialogue so memorable? Seger a­nd Rainey have astutely analyzed its essential qualities, and they suggest invaluable techniques for grappling with the elusive art of making people sound like people.”


– Robin Swicord, Oscar nominated and WGA nominated screenwriterI

Meet the Authors

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Dr. Linda Seger

Dr. Linda Seger has been a script consultant since 1981, is the author of 10 books on screenwriting, including Making a Good Script Great, and has given screenwriting seminars in 33 countries around the world.

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John Winston Rainey

John Winston Rainey has written 25 screenplays of which 3 have been produced and 10 have been optioned. He has been a script consultant since 1989 and is the author of Screenwriting Style That Sizzles.

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