Thirty lines of dialogue in a script from a reporter. I would like to break it up into 6 paragraphs. I prefer not to use (Pause, or Beat or breaks to for drinking water, etc.,). Can I show clean breaks in between paras with a clear line of space?
Screenwriting : To Pause or Not to Pause by Charles V Abela
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I'd seen writers do it that way, Charles V Abela.
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You can break it up with action. They notice something, they need to take a moment before delivering the next line etc. If you read the script for the Martian there are some great bits of non-verbal cues that are included in events that break things up. Or if you want something with journalists, see if you can see how others have written similar roles.
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Ewan Dunbar The whole purpose here is to keep it in one piece (six paras) in digestible bites with paras kept to a minimum and no pause words in between (five in all).
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To echo Ewan a little bit, while the character's delivering their speech, it's always good to use those in between spaces to heighten the visuals where you can. Film/TV are visual mediums so giving the audience little visual bits and pieces to bite into, while the speech is playing out, can be really useful in your scene writing and help include more character dynamism, symbolism, etc.
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Pat Alexander Yes, that makes sense. e.g. adjusting the mic, waving her hand, interrupts momentarily for the cheering crowds etc.., I will have to look again at an Obama speech.
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Like a good speech with gestures and motions to accent, script in gestures and motions of your speaking character. Since this whole situation is controlled on the page, add crowd reactions/mood/etc... You're not delivering a speech, you're creating a scene where a speech is delivered.
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To Cut dialog or to Not cut dialog...
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Since you want to write a long monologue, if I interpret you correctly. Any director knows that actors will easily err in such a case. So write in such a way that after the first sentence, the camera is on something else than the actor. Because that makes it possible to edit together different sound recording of the actor who is talking.
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Göran Johansson It's an interesting thought. But my original question still seeks an answer as to whether it is technically wrong to have six paras with intervening 'line of space' in but no words such as (pause, beat or a short action line in between.)