Character & Dialogue Skill

Invocation Triggers

• Introducing characters
• Writing dialogue blocks
• Formatting character names
• Handling dual dialogue
• Using character extensions

Character Name Format

Basic Format

• ALL UPPERCASE
• On their own line
• Preceded by a blank line
• Followed immediately by dialogue (no blank line)

SARAH
Hello, John.

Character Extensions

(V.O.)

(O.S.)

(O.C.)

(CONT'D)

(PRE-LAP)

(INTO PHONE)

(INTO RADIO)

(SUBTITLE)

SARAH (V.O.)
I never should have trusted him.

JOHN (O.S.)
Sarah? Are you home?

SARAH
In here!

She turns toward the door.

SARAH (CONT'D)
I wasn't expecting you.

Forcing Mixed-Case Names

@

@McCLANE
Yippee ki-yay.

@DeVITO
Don't start with me.

Dialogue Format

Basic Dialogue

SARAH
This is a line of dialogue. It can
span multiple lines naturally.

Dialogue with Parenthetical

SARAH
(hesitant)
I don't think that's a good idea.

JOHN
(laughing)
You always say that.
(serious now)
But this time I agree.

Parenthetical Guidelines

• Use sparingly
• Brief direction only
• Lower case
• On own line within dialogue block
• Don't overuse - trust actors

(whispering)
(to John)
(beat)
(re: the gun)
(into phone)

(angrily, as if she can't believe what she's hearing)
(walking across the room and picking up the vase)

Dual Dialogue (Simultaneous Speech)

JACK
I love you!

JILL ^
I hate you!

^

Dual Dialogue Guidelines

• Use for overlapping speech
• Second character gets the

  ^

• Both should be roughly equal length
• Don't overuse - can be hard to follow

Character Introduction

First Appearance Format

INT. COFFEE SHOP - DAY

SARAH CHEN (30s, sharp eyes, perpetually exhausted)
sits alone at a corner table.

Introduction Best Practices

• Age range, not exact age
• Brief physical impression
• One character-defining detail
• Active description when possible

JOHN MARCUS (40s, ex-military bearing, softened by life)

DETECTIVE PARK (50s, seen too much, says too little)

YOUNG SARAH (8, all skinned knees and fierce determination)

SARAH, a beautiful woman in her 30s, enters.  // "beautiful" is vague

JOHN is tall with brown hair and blue eyes.  // casting details

Character Consistency

Naming Rules

• Pick one name, use it consistently
• Avoid switching between SARAH/MS. CHEN/SHE
• If character is known differently by different people, pick one for script

Exception Patterns

// Character is introduced under false identity
STRANGER (later revealed as JOHN)
Nice to meet you.

// Later, after reveal
JOHN
Sorry about the deception.

Dialogue Best Practices

Line Length

• Keep lines speakable (read aloud)
• Break at natural breath points
• One thought per line when possible

Subtext

• Characters rarely say exactly what they mean
• Let action contradict words
• Use pauses and silence

SARAH
I'm fine.

She stares out the window, knuckles white on her coffee cup.

Avoiding "On the Nose"

JOHN
I'm angry because you betrayed me and now I can't trust you.

JOHN
(quiet)
I think you should leave.

Validation Checklist

• Character names in UPPERCASE
• Blank line before character names
• No blank line between name and dialogue
• Extensions in (PARENTHESES)
• Parentheticals are brief and necessary
• Mixed-case names use @ prefix
• Dual dialogue uses ^ on second character
• Character names are consistent throughout