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:

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