Screenwriting : Dialogue - How much? by Adam J Wonnacott

It sounds like you're fixating more than anything. The 1 page per minute ratio is also just a loose guide. There are lots of scripts that have pages with no dialogue or ones where the entire page is dialogue.

It's subjective to your story and possibly the genre and its expectations.

I have several pages that are saturated with dialogue because of the nature of the scene setting. I would say if it flows well in the story then there should be no worries.

The 1 page = 1 minute rule is about screen time. Has nothing to do with how much dialogue you have on the page or action. It's a rough average. So, if you have a 90 page script, the movie screen time will be somewhere around 85 to 95 minutes. That's all that matters.

At the end of the day, tell your story. Then when it's shot, the director and the actors and the camera people will do their thing. When the editor gets a hold of it, they will do their thing.

Don't worry, just write. There is no formula. You'll see if it has flow and if it hasn't you'll know you need to edit it a little more.

I completely agree with the above comments. It doesn’t so much matter about how much dialogue you have so much as the fact that it flows smoothly and doesn’t feel forced. The worst thing you can do is add or take out dialogue just to satisfy a screenwriting rule.

You climb, right? So how do you climb a mountain?

Oh, you just throw yourself at it.

Shouldn't I have some ropes and know some basic knots?

You're just fixating.

Sorry if that seems unappreciative. I don't mean to belittle but I wasn't asking for a pat on the back and "All roads lead to Rome" or "There's more than one way to skin a cat."

I asked what YOU (note the UPPERCASE format) would do.... based off percentage of page or word count. Not flow, feel, etc...

Or should I simply change; the font type and size, fiddle with margins... based off what I feel is correct and tell anyone I pitch to that their opinions (and prevalent standards) are completely irrelevant

Or here;

Given the choice between A, B & C - what is the answer?

Obviously it's 42. (Got an idea for a writing exercise right there -lol)

The answer appears to be 50-200, with 125 being the average. Though as 'flow' is concerned, yes, pages without dialogue are entirely possible.

And though less common - pages that are wholly dialogue.

Thanks anyways.

There is no set calculation for story elements. Stories don't work like this. There are simply too many storytelling variables. Can depend on genre, scene purpose, writing style and so on.

Right CJ, plus a line of scene direction on a page otherwise filled with dialog can also help orient--or re-orient--the reader in the imagined physical setting. The same advice for the same reason is given to novelists.

CJ is write. People never just stand and speak. As human we always do something. Fidget, hold somethgin, point, roll eyes...

I kill dialogue. I try to get fewer words.

So you found the Gospel, huh? You seem to be fixated on stuff like word count rather than story rhythm and flow, plot, character development and all that bothersome other little stuff. Right off - Courier 12 pitch is not 10 characters per inch. Let me give you something to chew on: A really well crafted FL script tends to hover around a 20K word count (most scripts average out to about 197 words per page.)

With no action in there, you're talking laying out a 'talking heads' script - very boring.

Hi Adam,

I guess that all depends how confident you are in your work. Me personally....I'm pretty sure what needs to go in each scene. Some have more dialogue or more narration/action than others.

If you're maybe struggling at times, remind yourself what is the purpose of the scene, and what are the purposes of the characters in those scenes. Or let people you trust read your scripts - or let a reputable script consultant critique it.

You should also check out the latest round of Oscar-nominated scripts. They vary greatly in amounts of dialogue/amounts of action and narration, scene-by-scene. Every word and every line has a purpose.

Best fortunes in your creative endeavors, Adam!

Once more thank you, to those of you who expressed it in some form, for the best wishes. It just wasn't what I was looking for.

Again - it is NOT my intention to outright DISMISS the suggestions/advice.

Doug, my reference to 1 page = 1 minute as GOSPEL was an allusion to the basic principle consistently refferred to as an industry standard (that you can prompty ignore since it is meant as a guideline). I didn't claim to have found the GOSPEL - that's just how YOU chose to interpret the phrase. As to "10 characters/inch, with proper formatting, etc... " and the rest of my question it is meant as a guideline to my thinking of what a page consists of....

Now while Phil Clarke stated/suggested there were other variables, that it "Can depend on genre, scene purpose, writing style and so on" - he did so without the condescension I find that your comments routinely have within the lounge.

You decided you needed to educate me - "Let me give you something to chew on... scripts average out to about 197 words per page."

Something I think I covered in the original question -

"175-300 words per page is considered the norm (based off average length of English words) - so 250 is the average."

-OR DID YOU JUST NOT READ IT.

Thankyou Bill C (100% sincere and legit). I am confident in my work. I am aware of when something is off, lacking, awkward, not true to character, forced choose your descriptor/euphemism.

We are our harshest critics (aside from perhaps Doug) and my question wasn't about writing per se and more about knowing when to leave it alone - when to stop editing and worrying - and when to simply let it exist. Especially since once it leaves your hands someone else is going to colour all over it anyways. :D

So again, thank you, Martyn, Sam, Christopher, Geoff, Hunter, Phil, CJ, Eric, Craig, Bill - and (grudgingly) even you Doug.

Best of luck.

A.J.W. - The thrill of sorrow

AJW, I think people expressed in “some form” as there is a disconnect between your title and your question .

Too much dialogue, implies a craft question. Are my characters talking unnecessarily?

But then you discuss typography. Craft such as dialogue is important. Fonts and characters per inch unimportant.

You may hear? This is an amazing story, the format is bizarre. You will never hear this is crap, love the font.

Software can will do everything except create a compelling and well crafted narrative.

Visit Frequently Asked Question Stage 32 or the lounges for ideas.

Wow. You're really overthinking this. Screenplays don't deal with word count so you shouldn't either, and as for how many spoken words per script? It doesn't matter and it's not really relevant. Write a great and compelling story and it doesn't matter how many lines of dialogue it contains.

Craig my question doesn't ask about "Too much dialogue"

The typography, and characters per inch is provided to indicate I understand the basic form of a scripted page whether submitting to UK - BBC - Writer's room or (when it seemd worth the try) Amazon Studios.

The fraction based example is usually used by comedians. The term "inches" is also used.

It also in my mind made it possible for someone commenting to simply look at their page (and the 'white space') and offer a fraction of said page as response - rather than have them seek out 'word count' or the like.

I didn't ask are they speaking too much or too little - instead I pointed out a personal feeling that there was not enough.

MY QUESTION HOWEVER WAS NOT IF I HAD ENOUGH - it was WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER ENOUGH?

Despite the tone - DOUG gave me HIS belief/opinion that

"A really well crafted FL script tends to hover around a 20K word count (most scripts average out to about 197 words per page.)

With no action in there, you're talking laying out a 'talking heads' script - very boring."

His post was the most useful - as it directly related to what I asked.

Your last question -

Have you ever written to a budget?

"I have some good camera gear, lens, editing stuff. I also have writing chops (healthy ego as some people know).

I am setting myself a challenge. Nearly no cast, small number of locations, no horror, no gore.

I am going to try and make a good drama on a super low budget. Dramas don’t sell. Trust me I know. But if I only have to recover 10k or so. It could be worth a try.

Have you ever tired writing down to a budget? How successful were you? What did you learn?"

It includes information that may seem unimportant but has value in so much as the person answering has a start or jump-off point. They know you have equipment which will reduce your expenses and which as a result will effect HOW they answer. Or at least how your experiences will differ if they did not have equipment from the get-go.

I did the same. I included information with purpose.

Pierre - I asked about a page, not a script - A SINGLE PAGE.

But since many people here choose to overlook the actual question or read through the ongoing comments --- depending on network, medium, etc... screenplays do deal with wordcount as a rough guide to the flimed length. White space, at a glance, can indicate to a script reader if it is dialogue heavy or not 'talking heads' as Doug pointed out. They can also decide quickly whether or not it should be multi-camera or not.

BUT I DIDN'T ASK ABOUT writing a screenplay to personal or network specific guidelines.

I ASKED ABOUT A PAGE.

And since everyone merely continues to assume an inability to write - some lacking

This is over a decade old - copyrighted - untouched since - AND I AM A FAR BETTER WRITER NOW -

From then on I would watch the procession of mourners, the queue of which he and later his coffin is the main attraction. I would play an usher unfit for any other part in the spectacle. A mute seeing to the congregation. Sightseers demanding a show, calling for the curtain because they heard so much. Drove so far. Because this was a once in a lifetime opportunity never to be performed again.

Because, as many would tell me, “He's an old friend of ours.”

For some of them it was even true.

Whatever their past many didn't notice how changed He was. Attributing that difference to the years, decades of absence. To brief and infrequent meetings that didn't afford an opportunity for the details of His features to take on a definitive form. Neither parties, the 'Nostalgics', or the 'Well Wishers' recognizing the emaciated figure for what it was. The body ravaged by something small and microscopic. Something indiscernible and unapparent til' it altered His appearance.

Still, the wake persisted.

Listening to the reminiscing – the eulogies – I waited, marking the changes, the deterioration. How he cradled the blue kidney dish in His right hand. Held it at the ready like it would ward off nausea. Noting the struggle, the lethargy, that may or may not have been accompanied by a moment of recognition.

Unfortunately He is still him, still in there - even if cancer sometimes makes it hard to distinguish the two. Later it will be His body... but He won't be in it. And only the resemblance will make it painful.

NO, screenplays do NOT deal in word count, they deal in page count. No one gives a rat's how many words are in your script, only how many pages it is, and if you've got a kick-ass story then they won't really care about page count either. You're crapping on about 10 characters per inch and all that other garbage. No one cares about that. Try putting that in your query letter and see what sort of response you get.

Safdie Bros said their shooting draft of Uncut Gems was about 180 pages and their response to producer Scott Rubin about page count was “don’t worry, Scott. The characters talk really fast.”

“Rocky I” has virtually 0 dialogue in last act. It’s two Boxers fighting.

Imagine Impact fellowship is using AI software to weed out applicants. They got their own beliefs on good and bad writing samples.

It’s called screenwriting for a reason. Writing for the screen. It’s not a radio play or stage play or novel writing.

Did I dismiss page count? Or say it was irrelevant? No - I simply stated it had nothing to do with my original question.

As to everything else, why bother "discussing" it. You have your opinions and I have mine.

To your original question: What I consider enough dialogue either for a single page or a script as a whole is dependant on the specific context of that specific screenplay within its story and characters and the specific creative intention of its creator(s) and the work. Simply put, it solely depends on the context. Consider films with very little or no dialogue, such as All Is Lost, or films with little spoken dialogue, such as A Quiet Place. The one-minute-per-page thing is just a broad-stroke general guideline. It is not gospel. Again, it truly depends on the context of that specific page and the substance of the writing itself. Plus this is a subjective field. There is no one formulaic or fit-all mathematical answer to approximate how much dialogue is appropriate for each page. Why impose some outside notion that has no relevance and may hinder a creative work? It's whatever works best for the specific context and desired effect of that single page within the context and desired effect of the script and story as a whole.

If you are reviewing a page of your screenplay and pondering if there is enough dialogue or not, then ask yourself would more dialogue be necessary for the context of the story? For needed clarity? For the character? For the scene to be effective? For the script as a whole? Ask yourself is there a purpose for this possible addition? Your review and consideration should be informed by the context of the work itself, not by some irrelevant imposed outside notion. Anyway, that's my two cents. I hope it helps! Best to you, Adam! ;)

Oh, a side note... please add a profile image. Not only do our members prefer to see to whom they are interacting with, but also do add a pic for the site's algorithms; a member account without a profile pic may be considered "incomplete." Again, best to you!

Okay, another dose of reality: A script page with nothing but dialog suggests two (or more) characters. Talking heads is pretty boring. From the shooting perspective; you'll need a couple of master shots, along with some OTSs, some reaction shots. Every shot requires a camera relocation, lighting tweeks (not to mention audio). It gets a lot more complicated if you get into 3-shots (A blocking, L blocking?); keeping track of eye lines and camera angles. That 1 min run time may need days of shooting and can drive an Editor crazy. But it's just 1 page of the script.

Action scenes can run for several pages but the whole sequence can be shot pretty quickly - I often use a multi camera setup from 2 or 3 POVs, shoot 2 or 3 run throughs and give the Editor the whole mess to work with. Although it may be several script pages long, a fast action scene is often less than a 1 min RT.

The truth is that the 1 minute per script page is false. It's just a very basic guideline.

Adam, I think if you post the scripted page to let your fellow scribes help, it would be more productive, IMHHO. Wish you all the best in your writing and producing journey