Writing Compelling Dialogue for Film and TV: The Art & Craft of Raising Your Voice on Screen from Focal Press is a practical guide that provides you, the screenwriter, with a clear set of exercises, tools, and methods to raise your ability to hear and discern conversation at a more complex level, in turn allowing you to create better, more nuanced, complex and compelling dialogue. Written by veteran screenwriter, playwright, and screenwriting professor Loren-Paul Caplin, Writing Compelling Dialogue is an invaluable writing tool for any aspiring screenwriter who wants to improve their ability to write dialogue for film and television as well as students, professionals, and educators.
The process of understanding dialogue writing begins with increasing writers' awareness of what they hear. This book provides writers with an assortment of dialogue and language tools, techniques, and exercises and teaches them how to perceive and understand the function, intent and thematic/psychological elements that dialogue can convey about character, tone, and story. Text, subtext, voice, conflict, exposition, rhythm, and style are among the many aspects covered. This book reminds us of the sheer joy of great dialogue and will change and enhance the way writers hear, listen to, and write dialogue, and along the way aid the writers' confidence in their own voice allowing them to become more proficient writers of dialogue.
Fade In: Introduction
PART ONE: On Dialogue
Chapter One: Understanding Dialogue
Intro: Understanding Dialogue
Function & Purpose
Defining Better Dialogue
Tone
Text & Subtext
Voice
Conflict
Exposition
Style
Chapter Two: Illuminating Character Through Dialogue
Introduction: Understanding Character
Character Arc
Outer and Inner Goals
Wants, needs, drives, passions
Externalizing the Internal
Putting It All Together
Chapter Three: Types of Dialogue
Introduction: Types of Dialogue
Basic Dialogue
Repartee
Monologues
Asides & Soliloquies
Heightened & Stylised Dialogue
Realistic/Naturalistic Dialogue
Chapter Four: Voice-Overs & Narrations
Introduction: Voice-Overs and Narrations
So, what is it?
Structure Markers
Asides & Soliloquies
Emotionality
Literary Dimension
The Three Basic Types of Voice-Over:
The Voice of God V.O.
Looking Back V.O.
Part of the Narrative V.O.
When is it appropriate to use voice-overs?
Chapter Five: Platforms
Introduction: Platforms
Theater
Film
TV
Prose Fiction
Film Dialogue vs. TV Dialogue
PART TWO: Tool Kits for Improving Your Dialogue
Chapter Six: Tool Kit - Writing Dialogue
Introduction: Writing Dialogue
Starting - What do you do?
Intention - What do you want?
Structure, Shape and Pace
The Do's, Don'ts and Exceptions
Chapter Seven: Tool Kit - Specificity
Introduction: Specificity
Nouns
Modifiers
Unique Words
Technical, Authentic Word,
Colorful Words
Colloquial Language and Vernacular
Chapter Eight: Tool Kit - Writing Singular Characters
Introduction: Writing Singular Characters
Finding Character
Conflict
Quirks and Unique Logic
Energy: Passion & Pop Content
Chapter Nine: Tool Kit - Naturalistic Dialogue, Themes & Exposition Problems
Introduction: Naturalistic Dialogue, Themes & Exposition Problems
Naturalistic Dialogue
Theme Words
Remedying Exposition
PART THREE: Exercises: Better Hearing & Voicing Your Characters
Chapter Ten: Accessing Character & Application
Introduction: Accessing Character & Application
Character Complexity
Character Bios for Dialogue
Application: What to do
Chapter Eleven: Better Hearing
Introduction: Better Hearing
Ear Tuning
Nine Aspects of Dialogue
Eavesdropping
Collecting Dialogue
Chapter Twelve: Voice Exercises
Introduction: Voice Exercises
Character Channeling - Mimicking
Character Channeling - Other Voices
Listening to & Improving Your Own Voice
Improvisation
Fade Out: Conclusion
Index