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

Editor’s Note: Arash Azizi is a writer and a historian. He is the author of “What Iranians Want: Women, Life, Freedom” (Oneworld, 2024). The views expressed here are his own. Read more opinion on CNN.

Dialogue shouldn't sound natural.

In the world of fiction, dialogue is the lifeblood that pumps through the veins of every great story. It’s the invisible thread that weaves characters together, propels plots forward and breathes life ...

Keeping things vague for a purpose and being unclear about what to say are two different things. As a writer myself, being stuck on vague ideas sucks. It slows you down and makes your writing dull.