--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I like dialogue that is slightly more…" description: "\"I like dialogue that is slightly more brittle than life. I have always admired and wished to write one of those 1940s film scripts where every line is ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a00/tom-stoppard-437_admired_i-like-dialogue-that-is-slightly-more-br_2666039.jpg" --- # I like dialogue that is slightly more brittle than life. I… ![“I like dialogue that is slightly more brittle than life. I have always admired and wished to write one of those 1940s film scripts where every line is written with a sharpness and economy that is frankly artificial.” quote by Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a00/tom-stoppard-437_admired_i-like-dialogue-that-is-slightly-more-br_2666039.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a00/tom-stoppard-437_admired_i-like-dialogue-that-is-slightly-more-br_2666039.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a00/tom-stoppard-437_admired_i-like-dialogue-that-is-slightly-more-br_2666039.jpg) > “I like dialogue that is slightly more brittle than life. I have always admired and wished to write one of those 1940s film scripts where every line is written with a sharpness and economy that is frankly artificial.” [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He admires crisp, economical dialogue that feels artificial yet sharp, like 1940s scripts. **In simple terms:** Sharp, economical dialogue is admired. Key Takeaway Write concise, purposeful lines. Themes writing dialogue theatre Mood artistic introspective Type practical inspirational When to use this quote - scriptwriting - editing - dramatic pacing Key Concepts screenwriting literary style Questions to Reflect On - How to keep dialogue natural yet crisp? - What limits excessive economy in speech? A Different Perspective Artificial sharpness may feel inauthentic. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Economy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economy/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ## Related quotes > [Nowadays I construct my books as if they're film scripts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-de-winter/nowadays-i-construct-my-books-as-if-they-re-film-scripts/) Leon De Winter > [To the question of writing at all we have sometimes been counselled to forget it, or rather the writing of books. 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After that, you lose your edge, the language becomes clumsy, rigid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/you-should-not-translate-for-more-than-two-hours-at-a-time-after-that/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [No matter how imperfect things are, if you've got a free press everything is correctable, and without it everything is concealable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/no-matter-how-imperfect-things-are-if-you-ve-got-a-free-press/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [We must be born with an intuition of mortality. Before we know the word for it. Before we know that there are words. Out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/we-must-be-born-with-an-intuition-of-mortality-before-we-know-the/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [Eternity's a terrible thought. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/the-creation-of-george-smiley-the-retired-spy-recalled-to-hunt-for/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [I suppose I'm led to do so by the fact of what happened to my contemporaries - people whom I've admired, people who I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-woodcock/i-suppose-i-m-led-to-do-so-by-the-fact-of-what-happened-to-my/) [George Woodcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-woodcock/) > [I always admired virtue - but I could never imitate it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-always-admired-virtue-but-i-could-never-imitate-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I've always looked at guys who I've admired, like John Williams and Lalo Schifrin and Max Steiner, and looked at the choices they made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-giacchino/i-ve-always-looked-at-guys-who-i-ve-admired-like-john-williams-and/) [Michael Giacchino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-giacchino/) > [Admired as a saint, defined by my rank. Combined with my strength, my time and my length.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-wayne/admired-as-a-saint-defined-by-my-rank-combined-with-my-strength-my/) [Lil Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-wayne/) > [ \[On her father's death:\] Gone was the person who had known me better than anyone else on earth and who had loved and admired… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-brody/on-her-father-s-death-gone-was-the-person-who-had-known-me-better/) [Jane Brody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-brody/) > [I've always admired actors such as Tabu, Nandita Das and Shabana Azmi and I'd like to do the kind of roles that they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanam-saeed/i-ve-always-admired-actors-such-as-tabu-nandita-das-and-shabana-azmi/) [Sanam Saeed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanam-saeed/) > [In life, if you are intelligent then you will be admired but if you are prominent then you are envied meanwhile if you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeka/in-life-if-you-are-intelligent-then-you-will-be-admired-but-if-you/) [Jeka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeka/) > [ He \[A. 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