Watched the premiere of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip last night. Really enjoyed it. Great cast, great concept, great execution.

And really great dialogue.

The intelligent, sharp, rat-a-tat exchanges between the characters were one of the best parts of the show. And one of the best parts of TV and movies in general.

The truth is that you just can’t do that kind of rapid-fire dialogue in books. Oh, you can have great dialogue, no question, but you can’t go overboard with it the way you can in other mediums. After a couple of lines in a book or short story, people lose track of who’s talking. Without any visual aids to cue them in … well, it’s just not as thrilling as it is in the movies and on TV.

What about you? Do you love great dialogue? Or does description make your heart sing? Inquiring minds want to know …