THE NON SEQUITUR
I ASKED FOR YOUR NAME, NOT YOUR ADDRESS!
When characters seem to be talking to the audience instead of one another, we call the run of
dialogue a non sequitur. This is so easy to unconsciously write it’s almost scary. A good way to spot
them is to analyze your dialogue by asking yourself, “Are these people talking to one another?” or “Are
they repeating information for the benefit of the audience?” The trick to remedying this problem is to
make sure the characters talk directly to one another.
Of course, there will be times when you want to use the non sequitur to your advantage. For example,
when a character wants to avoid answering a question or wants to change the subject. So, you
might use “avoiding” or “change of subject” in the parenthetical to avoid reader confusion.
A more advanced technique is to run two different conversations simultaneously. The effect is
that both characters try to avoid dealing with the problem at hand. Then the non sequitur converges
and the two characters come to grips with the discussion at hand.
A visual way to use dialogue non sequitur is to have the characters talk about something that has
absolutely nothing to do with what they’re doing on screen or that sharply contrasts with what
they’re doing on screen. There’s a wonderful sequence in Network where a married near-retirement
network executive has his first weekend fling with a pretty ambitious executive. The visuals show a
romantic dinner, a stroll along an empty beach at sunset, lovemaking. But the only thing the ambitious
woman can talk about is her job.
