6 Screenwriting Tips on Writing Effective Dialogue

A major issue most beginning screenwriters encounter revolves around writing dialogue. Too many beginners hope to write memorable lines and funny quips that viewers can quote to their friends or that will stick in the mind of producers. 

These writers miss the entire point of a character's words: to move that character closer to his or her goal. Any words serve to block or detour characters from accomplishing the goals they set out to accomplish interfere with telling the story.

Here are some tips to help your characters sound both believable and memorable.

Three Acts vs. Four Quarters: How a Super Script Resembles the Biggest Football Game

Nearly every screenwriting class teaches the classic “three-act structure”. In a two-hour film, Act I takes up the first half-hour, Act II takes place over the next hour, and Act III runs through the final half-hour.

However, most rookie writers run into problems with their scripts halfway through Act II. How do they fill that entire hour between the end of Act I and the start of Act III? 

With less than one week to go before The Super Big Game With That Trademarked Name, we'll look at how to break down a script into four equal quarters and how the story's dramatic tension should move like a thrilling football game.