The advanced dialogue class begins later today! And I promise you

this will be an exciting class that will make a significant difference in your dialogue.

As with anything important, the ADVANCED DIALOGUE class has rules

and guidelines that are designed to increase your success.

This program is designed to cause breakthroughs in your screenwriting. It does that in a variety of ways that are listed below. If you want to get the most out of the program, follow the instructions on it as closely as possible.

1. Everyday, read the day's lesson at least once. Twice or more is better. Why? Because there are levels of depth here that you may miss on the first read.

2. Do the assignments every session. I can't stress this enough. You want to go through the entire learning process. Don't allow information to be enough. Information without action is just trivia! By doing the

assignment, you'll have to transfer that information into your own

screenwriting. You'll have to struggle with how to apply it and once

you've completed the scene, you'll have 10 times the depth of understanding.

So MAKE THE COMMITMENT right now to do the assignments everyday. Did you make it? Congratulations. You'll be glad you did.

Great, then start right now by sending in an introduction.

INTRODUCTION

Each session, we have new people that haven't taken programs with me and we have writers who have been through many programs. It is always good to get to know each other at the beginning. Please introduce yourself, telling us these items:

A. Name.

B. Writing experience.

C. What you're here to get out of this program.

D. Something interesting about you.

3. Give yourself permission to turn in poor writing!
What? Am I crazy? No. You'll understand in a minute why this is so

important. So relax. My only purpose here is to have you be successful.

This is unbelievably important. We want the focus to be on using the

skills and gaining a deeper understanding of them. Since no one is going to critique your material, this is an opportunity to experiment and try these skills on for size. You have total permission to turn in absolute crap...as long as you use the skill of the day. Remember, what matters is what you learn.

Imagine these two scenarios: A) a person turns in only perfect scenes, but doesn't learn much and never makes it. Or B) a person turns in crap scenes but learns from it and goes on to be a great screenwriter. Which would you rather be?

By giving yourself permission to turn in poor writing, you will take the stress out of the situation. Thereby freeing you up to be more creative and to learn more. This is not school. It's a learning environment that is designed to dramatically increase your learning over a period of time.

The only thing that matters here is that you do the assignments and learn as much as you can. As long as you learn these skills, you'll be able to apply them in your screenplays for the rest of your life. So for this program, I'd like you to turn in the assignments, no matter how bad they are and in exchange, you'll be a better screenwriter from now on. Okay?

4. No critiquing for the first 9 lessons. No posting about another's work.

We have four internal outcomes that will increase your learning and assist you to build better emotional states for writing. They are:

a. Increase confidence/reduce fear

b. Free up creativity

c. Increase motivation to write.

d. Foster the love of writing.

If you take a look at each of those outcomes, you'll instantly see that

being critiqued or the fear of being critiqued can reduce or completely

shut down one or more outcomes.

My training company has a proprietary list of 33 ways people learn. You

can see evidence of them in the "key areas of learning" list below. When I design any program, I look to use methods that increase learning and then delete methods that will decrease learning. For this program, I believe that using critiques will cost us more than it will provide in value.

Critique is 1 of 33 ways people learn. But it has a history of shutting

people down if delivered or accepted as negative. What we want here is to provide total freedom for people to create and focus on the skill of each day.

We need to set the right brain free. We can always critique and edit our writing later. But when we edit ideas before they're able to form

completely, we lose out on some of our best work. So for this program, we won't critique each other's work until the conclusion.

LEARNING IN THIS PROGRAM

Again, the key areas of learning in this program are:

1. Information about the skill.

2. Having to think through how you'll use the skill in your scene.

3. Writing the scene with the skill in place.

4. Reconsidering how you could use the skill in a better way.

5. Rewriting the scene to incorporate new ideas and learning.

6. Using the skills from previous assignments in your scene.

7. Learning that occurs after you post your scene. "I should've

done__"

9. Breakthroughs that occur throughout the process.

10. Increase in freedom because you're not worried about being

critiqued.

11. Training the unconscious to generate ideas daily.

12. Training the unconscious to generate ideas after you believe you

can't come up with any more ideas.

13. Gaining a healthy perspective on performance anxiety.

14. Additional learning and breakthroughs that occur when you apply the skills to your scripts.

So you'll be learning through information, through doing, and through

seeing how others write their scenes. Keep in mind that the information

you receive is a small part of the learning process. It's purpose is to

highlight that skill so you can improve your abilities in that area.

Remember, this is about increasing your ability and that comes from

translating information/skill into writing.

At the conclusion of the program, we'll spend five days where the group

will critique each other's work. Then, I'll select two specific submissions and give a critique just to reinforce the skills taught.

5. Everything here is copyrighted.

There are two copyrights in place here. First, I hold the copyright to all my materials delivered to you as part of this program. Second, each of us holds the copyright to our plots, characters, and scenes. When you post your scene, according to the US copyright laws, you own it.

IMPORTANT: By implication, each person here agrees to maintain

confidentiality about the other member's scenes and movie ideas. You also agree not to publish, circulate, or provide the information from this program to anyone for any reason without Hal Croasmun's written permission.

By following those instructions, you'll have much more success in this

program. And by the end, your writing will have improved dramatically. So take a deep breath, relax and let's get to the fun part.

6. Formatting your scenes.

It is not required that you format your scenes, but it does make it easier to read them. If possible, I'd like you to send your scenes in with the formatting intact. That means it will look like this:

INT. COUNTY JAIL CELL -- DAY

THIRTY MEN in an overcrowded 20-man-cell. Some with bunks,

some on the floor. Sounds like a shopping mall. Chatter,

taunts, laughter. In the back corner, NED HURT (30) plays

chess with a YOUNG MAN on his bunk.

IN THE HALLWAY

A GUARD steps to the door with two PRISONERS.

Open seventeen.

The door automatically opens.

In most email programs, that will look just like a script. But in Yahoo,it may look a little strange.

BELOW are the solutions that Michael Hockney send in (during the April

class) on how to keep your formatting if you are using Movie Magic or Final Draft. My guess is that this applies to other software too. If you aren't using a software program, then try to create some type of formatting by spacing the name and dialogue over a bit.

Once you've gone through the process below once or twice, you'll find it to be simple and it will make your scripts so much easier to read.

END OF RULES

Finally, every day of this program is an opportunity for you to have some kind of breakthrough. It may not happen on some days, but as long as you do the assignments, I promise you will have a serious improvement in your screenwriting by the end of the program.

That's what I'm committed to.

I'd like you to make the commitment to do whatever it takes to dramatically improve your writing during this program. Now that you've made the commitment, the learning process has already begun for you. Send in your introduction and join the group for the program.

Day 1: What Makes Great Dialogue Great?
In the next 18 days, we'll discover many keys to writing dialogue that will gain respect in the industry. Our objective is to dramatically improve the quality of our dialogue, hopefully, to the point where it exceeds any expectations you may have previously had for your dialogue.

Is that really possible?

I think it is and you'll see that for yourself by the end of this

program. We'll be dealing with deeper levels of character, colorful

language, contrast, twists, dialogue structures, suspense, and

subtext. On each of these subjects, we'll look for deep for insights that will improve your writing.

If you've been through the Great Screenwriting Series and the Revealing

Subtext program, some of this will be familiar ground...and that is

good. It will give you a chance to enhance what you learned in those

classes. Remember, no matter how much you already know, you can always

learn more. No matter how good your dialogue already is, you can always

improve it.

Ready for the most important part of this program: It is your commitment to learn. Make a commitment right now to learn everything you can from this program.

Now that you've done that, let's get on with the show.

WHAT MAKES GREAT DIALOGUE GREAT?

Let's start with the basics. Much of this is explained in great detail in the Great Screenwriting Series. While dialogue can do a lot of things, and we'll discuss some of them, it is not there to do all things. Here are a few important points about dialogue:

1. What dialogue is not:

Dialogue doesn't "tell" the story. It is not a substitute for story. If

you have characters telling each other what they're doing, your scene and dialogue will come across as dull exposition.

That is the primary mistake that new writers make -- having their

characters tell each other the story. Don't make that mistake.

2. What dialogue is:

Think of it this way: Dialogue is a screenwriting tool just like visuals, music, character, etc. The two main activities of dialogue are:

- An constant expression of character

- Consistent attack/counterattack

This is why it is absolutely possible for the Jules and Vincent (in Pulp Fiction) to spend their time, on the way to murder four people, talking about Big Macs, foot massages, and their bosses wife, and we enjoy it...because it expresses character and has consistent attack/counterattack.

"Dialogue IS a TOOL of attack and counter attack. Watch again the

movies you love, but this time turn off the picture, and just

listen. Good dialogue advances plot and conflict. In fine films,

characters don't just chat, or complain or whine, they parry and

thrust with a few well chosen words."Eric Edson, Executive Director, The Hollywood Symposium

This is why a show like SEINFELD could work. As you may know, they often referred to their show as "a show about nothing." Besides the comedy, what made the dialogue work there was their attention to character and their consistent attack/counterattack...about the smallest, least important issues you can imagine.

3. Great dialogue sounds natural, but isn't. It accomplishes a purpose.

Many writers justify bad dialogue by saying "That's what they would say in real life." But the reality is that great dialogue just sounds natural.

Dialogue is either setting something up, paying it off, providing other

meanings, highlighting something that needs to be in the foreground,

foreshadowing something coming up or a number of other things. So it is

essential that dialogue accomplishes a purpose. Otherwise, it doesn't

belong in a script.

Consider this very short scene from the beginning of TERMINATOR. A Police Officer has been chasing Reese through the downtown.

EXT. ALLEYWAY -- NIGHT

Without slowing, Reese leaps toward him, twisting in mid-air

like a cat. The cop FIRES. Misses. Goes down under Reese's

tackle and they slide together on the polished floor.

Before they even come to rest Reese snatches the cop's gun,

aiming it at the other's face two-handed.

What day is it? The date...

Thursday...uh...May twelfth.

(viciously)

What year?

So why is it so important? Because it tells us that Reese doesn't know

what year he is in. It also says that Reese came from a different year,

most likely the future. And most important, it says that it is essential for Reese to know the date. Later, it becomes clear that he had to arrive on or before the moment that the real Terminator arrived.

All of that from three very innocent looking lines. Notice that it sounds natural, but accomplishes a valuable purpose.

4. Great dialogue delivers on multiple levels.

As you saw in the scene above, that simple dialogue does deliver on

multiple levels. That can occur through metaphor, indirection, subtext,

or even silence. Over the next 18 days, we'll work with many ways to have

your dialogue deliver on multiple levels.

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO MASTER DIALOGUE?

Good question. From many years of designing training programs for major

corporations, these are the four keys that I see to your success in

mastering dialogue.

1. An understanding of the patterns, structures, techniques, and rules.

2. The ability to recognize and create opportunities for great dialogue.

3. Practice so your mind is prepared to take full advantage of those

opportunities.

4. A total commitment to learning and mastery.

Take any one of those out of the picture and your dialogue will never reach its full potential. In each day of this class, you'll be improving your level of performance in each of these three areas.

If a day goes by that you haven't learned something valuable in this

program, then take responsibility to learn and improve in some

way. Usually, when things like that happen, it means that the person

assumed that they were already highly skilled in that specific area and

weren't looking for improvement there. Please don't assume anything like that. There is something valuable for you to learn in every single day of this program. Even if it is from the other screenwriters here. Somewhere, somehow, your dialogue can improve every single day of this program.

FINALLY...

Don't underestimate today's assignment. I'll be asking you to find a

scene you think does a great job of demonstrating the skill I'm teaching and analyze it. This is always my starting assignment for any

program. Why? Because it accomplishes many purposes.

It focuses your mind on what makes great dialogue. It allows you to

discover something new about the scene you choose. It starts the process of you being selective about what is and isn't great dialogue. But more important than all of those, it causes you to begin the learning process that ultimately will result in you writing high quality dialogue.

So my recommendation is that you do this assignment with the full intention of having a great learning experience. If you do that, I promise you, you'll have many breakthroughs during this program that will result in you writing the best dialogue of your life.

ASSIGNMENT

----------

Our job on this first day is to discover some great dialogue in a produced movie. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Pick a 1 - 5 page scene of a script you love that you

believe has great dialogue. If you don't have any, go to

HYPERLINK "http://www.script-o-rama.com"

http://www.script-o-rama.com

and download five or ten.

2. Paste the scene into an email and make a note every time

you see an example of high quality dialogue. You're invited

to point out anything you believe causes that line to be

exceptional in some way.

3. Answer the question "What I learned from this assignment is...?"

Deadline: 48 hours

-------------------

As you do this assignment, look for how character is delivered in the

dialogue. Notice examples of attack/counterattack, how the dialogue has

purpose, and how it delivers on multiple levels. And, of course, point out anything else you believe makes the dialogue stand out as exceptional.

As you see, you have two days to complete this assignment. That will be

the case on all of the upcoming assignments. You may want to spend a few hours today skimming scripts and selecting your scene. Read it and start thinking about what makes the dialogue work so well. Then analyze it tomorrow and turn it into the group.

I hope you're already enjoying this. I believe we're about to have some

amazing learning experiences and I can't wait to see the dialogue that

comes from them.
Day 2: Expressing Character
I really enjoyed reading your scenes and interpretations of what made that dialogue so good. It is amazing how many times simple-sounding dialogue can truly captivate a reader or viewer. Now that you've analyzed a scene with high level dialogue, it is time to start writing.

SPECIAL NOTE to those who haven't taken the Great Screenwriting Series

and/or the Revealing Subtext program: There are about 15 sets of dialogue techniques in those two programs and much of this program is an expansion of those. If you start to feel a loss because you haven't gone through those programs, I'd like you to apply this strategy: Just work with what is here, assuming that you know enough to use these techniques and you'll be fine. Somewhere in your unconscious, you have enough experience from reading and writing scripts to be able to jump to this level. Then, later, you are invited to take the other classes in order to fill in any gaps.

Today is about Character Traits!

"What?" you ask. "We've already been through character traits!"

Don't panic. The key to success is not about whether you use character

traits, but about TO WHAT DEGREE you use character traits. If you want

your characters to be unique, interesting, and attractive to A-list actors, you'll want their character traits to stand out in their dialogue.

Today is about TURNING UP THE VOLUME on your Character Traits.

In the scene below, you can clearly see a difference in each of the main character's dialogue. It is from the movie TOMBSTONE. The Earp brothers,(Morgan, Wyatt, and Virgil), are relaxing on a porch after being in a shootout that resulted in the death of two Cowboys. The Cowboys are the gang that rules the town. Ringo is the toughest of the Cowboys.

ALLEN STREET/ORIENTAL

NIGHT

MORGAN

BREAKENRIDGE

(turns to them)

I don't want to talk to you. Those

men you killed were my friends.

I'm just a nothing, but if I wasn't

I’d fight you, I’d fight you right now.

So I don't wanna talk to you.

NOTE: In one quick exchange, Breakenridge gives us two of his character

traits -- Loyal and Weak. Throughout the movie, you'll see him presenting these traits but here, all three sentences he says demonstrate one or more of those traits.

He hurries away, eyes tearing up. The Earps look on in

amazement.

All they ever did was make fun of

NOTE: I'd say that one of Wyatt's traits is Compassion. Here, he shows

compassion for Breakenridge. You'll see it many times in his

dialogue. He's constantly trying to understand the other side in this

weird city of Tombstone.

O.S. VOICE

Sister Boy should’ve stuck around.

They turn. A liquored-up RINGO stands behind them on the

sidewalk like an apparition, murder in his eyes, hands thrust

into the pockets of a long black buffalo coat, ivory gunbutts

peeking out.

VIRGIL

you want, Ringo?

I want your blood and I want you

Souls and I want them both right

Don’t want any more trouble, Ringo.

NOTE: There it is: Another of Wyatt's traits. I'm going to call it

"Reluctant." Throughout most of the movie, Wyatt is holding himself back from fights, from love, and from becoming the law in town. It shows up in his dialogue (as above) and in his actions.

And Ringo: Three traits are clear in this one line of dialogue: Killer,

Poetic, and Demonic.

BTW, these are my labels for these character traits and you may have

different ones. They also may not be exactly what the writer

thought. But let me justify one of these -- Demonic. At different

places in the script, Ringo is referred to by others as a "devil," as

someone who came from Hell, and even above, as an "apparition." Notice in his line, he says "...and I want your souls...".

This is one way to make a character really stand out. Give him or her ONE character trait that goes to an extreme for that character. My bet is thatRingo was a part that lured an actor.

(steps up to Wyatt)

Well you got trouble and it starts

with you.

I’m not gonna fight you, there’s No

money in it. Sober up. Come On, boys.

NOTE: Once again, Wyatt is Reluctant. And here, we have a hint of another trait -- Money-motivated. But, in this case, Wyatt is using that as a justification, which we'll discuss more in the next lesson.

Wyatt turns into the Oriental. His brothers follow. Ringo

howls:

Wretched slugs, don't any of you

NOTE: Ringo even does name-calling through Poetic language. "Wretched slugs."

QUESTION: If we blocked out the names and just showed the dialogue, could you tell which is Ringo and which is Wyatt?

My guess is that you just answered "YES." That is what you want with your dialogue. You want your character traits well PRONOUNCED!

THREE KEYS TO WELL PRONOUNCED CHARACTER TRAITS

1. They represent the CORE of that character.

I've seen too many scripts where a character expressed twenty different

character traits throughout a script. For the writer, I'm sure they felt like they had more freedom and were creating a more interesting

character. But when you ask an actor to be that character, they