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=”text-align: center;”> style=”text-align: left;”> I don’t want you to make this mistake. It’s a biggie. > > This mistake isn’t something forgivable like taking too long to get to your inciting incident. It’s not the unsavory practice of using “ing” words in your description. It’s not even — gasp — submitting a spec with more…
style=”font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;”> For a bit of extra motivation to push harder on our screenplays – and as an excuse to spend some time thinking about my favorite Hollywood area hotels – this month’s blog lists five great Los Angeles locales to celebrate a big break. style=”font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;”>…
style=”mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;”> A producer wants to develop a new project with you. It could be on spec. It could be a paid assignment. Either way, my advice remains the same. There is one thing you should never ever do. style=”mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;”> style=”mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;”>…
style=”mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;”> What do I mean by recycling in screenplays? style=”mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;”> style=”mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;”> I’ve seen a lot of writers do it. It’s basically any time you use material from one or more of your old scripts and try to repurpose that material…
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;”> 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…