character-dialogue

Character & Dialogue Skill

Invocation Triggers

Apply this skill when:

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

Character Name Format

Basic Format

Character names must be:

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

SARAH
Hello, John.

Character Extensions

Extensions appear in parentheses after the name:

Extension	Meaning	When to Use
(V.O.)	Voice Over	Character narrating or not in scene
(O.S.)	Off Screen	Character in scene but not visible
(O.C.)	Off Camera	Same as O.S. (alternate)
(CONT'D)	Continued	Same speaker after action interruption
(PRE-LAP)	Pre-lap	Audio starts before scene
(INTO PHONE)	Delivery	Speaking into phone
(INTO RADIO)	Delivery	Speaking into radio
(SUBTITLE)	Translation	Foreign dialogue translated

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

Use @ prefix for names that aren't all caps:

@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

Good parentheticals:

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

Bad parentheticals (avoid):

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

Dual Dialogue (Simultaneous Speech)

Characters speaking at the same time:

JACK
I love you!

JILL ^
I hate you!

The ^ after the second character name triggers side-by-side formatting.

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

When a character first appears, their name is typically CAPITALIZED in action:

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

Good introductions:

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)

Avoid:

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"

Instead of:

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

Try:

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