by Trevor Mayes | May 17, 2016 | Dialogue, Formatting, Proofreading, Writing
The Problem In a previous post, I discussed the difference between using dashes (hyphens) and dots (ellipses) at the end of a sentence — a common source of confusion. Recently, I’ve discovered a new and erroneous trend with hyphens. With increasing...
by Trevor Mayes | Jun 6, 2014 | Dialogue, Grammar, Writing
Are you a sloppy writer? Of all the common, lazy mistakes I encounter when reading scripts, the one that possibly irks me the most can be found in the following dialogue exchange. Have a look: TOOKY Look, I ain’t playin’ with you. Give me the money, or you...
by Trevor Mayes | Jun 4, 2014 | Dialogue, Writing
Whether I’m providing script notes or I’m proofreading scripts, I often find instances where the writer has used three dots (…) where she should have used two dashes (–), or vice versa. When used at the end of a sentence in scene description,...
by Trevor Mayes | Apr 15, 2014 | Dialogue, Formatting, Quick Screenwriting Tips
Never end a dialogue block with a parenthetical. I’ve been seeing this kind of thing a lot lately in the amateur scripts I’ve been reading: DEMON You think that puny gun can kill me? (laughs) If you need to indicate an action that follows a block of...
by Trevor Mayes | Oct 21, 2010 | Dialogue, Quick Screenwriting Tips
Quick Screenwriting Tip: The comprehension of a scene or scene sequence should never depend solely on a single line of dialogue. I’m still surprised by how often I see this mistake, in both scripts and movies. If something significant needs to be revealed in...
by Trevor Mayes | Apr 28, 2010 | Dialogue, Formatting, Quick Screenwriting Tips
If a parenthetical provides obvious information, it should be removed. Example of UNNECESSARY parenthetical usage — (angrily): JAKE (angrily) I’m going to kill ALL of you! We know Jake is angry because of what he says and how he says it. The parenthetical...
