Some Thoughts about Banter in Storytelling

In real life, banter probably peaks in high school. Often, it shows up as a combination of needling and borrowed catch phrases (and even memorized exchanges) from movies and TV shows. The expectations of the audience (fellow adolescents) with regard to intelligence and wit feel within range, and I suspect soaring hormone levels make everything funnier (especially if if provides escape from the tensions and anxieties of growing up). But crank up the anxiety and even a pair of unremarkable 15-year-olds can hit their stride and create an unforgettable moment.

As we get older, with the exception of flirting, banter requires wit. Improvising intelligent, fast-paced conversation in the moment — and having a partner in that enterprise — is fairly rare. Being smart and funny in the moment isn't easy, and, at the same time, listening intently adds to the challenge. Hearing two people do this for an extended period of time is a little like watching a volley between tennis masters, with each unable to put away the other.

Luckily, written banter can be composed over a long period of time, reworked, tested, and polished. In a screenplay, it can become a collaborative effort, with bits added by the director or improvised by the actors. Movies and television provide a lot of good examples of banter. It's actually an expected element for most romantic comedies and action films.

Banter generally takes place between equal characters: lovers, buddies, and protagonists and villains. Like a good boxing match, it's best when there are power shifts and the outcome is uncertain. I've been alternating between watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Gilmore Girls. By the same creators, they both have a lot of smart humor, but Mrs. Maisel has more banter because she faces other characters of equal intelligence. Gilmore Girls has a lot of witty mother/daughter exchanges, but the two "Girls" are almost identical in their approaches. Banter really requires differentiation between the characters. And often they need to be in conflict with very different strategies toward winning.

Romances, the differences in the banter are intrinsically interwoven with the differences (and concerns and goals) that keep the lovers apart and make the movie last for more than five minutes. Similarly, there are intrinsic differences between protagonists and villains that are reflected in their banter. In romances, the banter usually leads to a victory for one or the other lover and that has consequences. Very often, banter between a protagonist and a villain ends when the villain feels uncertain about victory, and moves to (often brutal) action or threats. The moment for protagonist/villain banter is often just after the tension has been built about danger, providing some relief before the danger gets real.

What about the buddies? Their banter sometimes harkens back to high school banter, raised to a higher level. There's usually needling and some care is taken to make sure their relationship isn't jeopardized. At the same time, a writer needs to actively work to distinguish the two characters. There is no intrinsic reason why they can't reflect each other (the way the Gilmore Girls do), so it becomes a deliberate storytelling choice. Part of the fun becomes anticipating how their different viewpoints and ways of speaking will show up in their responses.

In most cases, neither buddy wins the banter. The most that happens is an insult lands, and, rather than leading to a break in the connection, becomes something to appreciate about the friend.

Banter needs to be quick, usually a line or two for each character so there is a back-and-forth volley. It needs to surprise at times. And needs to be smart — impressive in its wordplay, strategy, and knowledge. It needs to be between equals without an obvious winner. Both characters need to be consciously involved and committed to the exchange (except with the villain, who usually opts out at the end). If possible, it needs to escalate, with the verbal challenges rising with its exchange like an entertaining insult argument (where each "your mother" remark becomes more absurd and risky over time). As much as possible, the exchanges should shift power back and forth each time. (An exception to that is, if the story goal is to move away from banter to crushing humiliation, which may happen to some especially loathsome antagonists.)

Above all, banter needs to be funny, and funny from two different points of view. I'm of two minds on this. On the one hand, I suspect those who haven't been able to master writing a scene with two characters being funny in different ways probably shouldn't try and do something as distilled as banter. On the other hand, I’ve seen dialogue open up people and break through their inhibitions. Just as in high school, nerves and anxiety can sometimes force a moderate person into a moment of verbal genius.