style=”mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;”> Writing natural-sounding dialogue – the kind that
makes characters feel real – comes easily for a chosen few.The rest of us have to work hard at it.
style=”mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;”> Like anything else, it’s a skill that can be
learned and, with enough discipline and persistence, mastered.
style=”mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;”> But since mastery requires so much damn time and
effort, here’s a quick tool to use in the meantime.It’s a list of fifty common utterances that often
appear in natural-sounding dialogue.Work
a few of these into your script, and you’ll start sounding like a pro:
style=”mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;”> *Use that last one only in comic strip bubbles for
characters who are asleep.
style=”mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;”> So there you have it.It’s not an exhaustive list, but these are
some commonly used examples.
style=”mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;”> They show up a lot in Oscar winning films and
Pulitzer Prize winning plays.
style=”mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;”> Of course they’re only tools and are pretty much
just fillers, so you don’t want to go overboard with them, but when used sparingly
they can give your dialogue a genuine “real-life” feel.
style=”mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;”> What is the one thing every script needs to be if it’s going to get produced? style=”mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;”> style=”mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;”> Unique? style=”mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;”> style=”mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;”> Hardly. True originality often hurts more than it…
style=”mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;”> I’ve pitched original TV shows. I’ve judged TV scripts in a major screenwriting competition. And I’ve been hired to write for television. Based on these experiences, here, for what they’re worth, are three thoughts on writing for TV: style=”mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;”> style=”mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace:…
style=”mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;”> You’ve been working for months on your latest script, and it’s almost ready to market. Frankly, you’re just about out of steam. Of course you are. Screenwriting is hard work – at least if you’re trying to do it well. But it’s not all so damn laborious. Here are…
style=”mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;”> It’s a new year! Hope time! style=”mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;”> style=”mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;”> But this is the screenwriting biz, so it might be the case that things have happened in the past year to temporarily dash your hopes. style=”mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;”>…
> > There are some scripting tricks you won’t find in the screenwriting books. Here are three things I learned about setups and payoffs after years of writing and reading others’ work. > Expanding Your Setups > > Are readers not getting your big payoff? That can be really frustrating. I’ve seen it happen many…
> Today I’d like to talk about emotions. Seasoned screenwriters know how to trigger emotional responses, and intuitive newbies quickly learn to tug at the heartstrings. It is without question a skill you need to master. As in everything, however, there’s a catch. > > You need to generate the right emotions. > > If…