If I have a character speaking, pauses, then continues speaking, what is the correct way to type that?  This is what I did, but it looks a little funny:


                    ERIC

            Bite me.

                    ERIC (CONT'D)

            So, who did Patty find to come to the game tonight?

                    NEIL

            Not sure.


Or should I just use an action line between the two to tell why there is a pause in Eric's dialog?

Thanks!

ERIC
Bite me.
(beat)
So, who did Patty find to come to the game tonight?

NEIL
Not sure.

This is generally frowned upon but this is the way I've done it in the past and the most common way I've seen it done.

Three ways to skin this cat. The example provided isn't one of them, although your action line solution is.

One:
                    ERIC

            Bite me. (beat) So, who did Patty
            find to come to the game tonight?

                    NEIL

            Not sure.


Two:
                    ERIC

            Bite me... So, who did Patty
            find to come to the game tonight?

                    NEIL

            Not sure.


Three:
                    ERIC

            Bite me.

He looks back at his computer.

                    ERIC
            So, who did Patty find to come to
            the game tonight?

                    NEIL

            Not sure.


Largely, it's a judgement call often depending upon relevant information that can be inserted to create a pause.

Fourth option is to just skip the pause. The director and actors are gonna know when to put in a pause or they won't care or they're gonna do whatever they want anyway.


                    ERIC

            Bite me. So, who did Patty find
            to come to the game tonight?

                    NEIL

            Not sure.

If major sequences can get entirely re-written little tiny tidbits are hardly worth fussin' and nudgin' about.

And turn off your software's (CONT'D) feature. It's unnecessary. Everyone can figure it out. Same for page breaks.

Quoted from RayW                     ERIC             Bite me. (beat) So, who did Patty             find to come to the game tonight?                     NEIL             Not sure.

Do this James' way unless you have some really good reason to be saving that extra line.  But overall, I would recommend method three because it's the most invisible.

Thanks everyone!  Here is what i did:


                    ERIC
            Bite me.

The light changes to green, Eric continues driving down the street.

                    ERIC
            So, who did Patty find to come to
            the game tonight?

                    NEIL
            Not sure.


It just seemed to flow nicely this way.  Thanks again,
Dave

Word. I think that's the best way to go about it. You can definitely add breaks in dialogue while still keeping the invisible style.

Quoted from RayW And turn off your software's (CONT'D) feature. It's unnecessary. Everyone can figure it out. Same for page breaks.

Really?  I always found those 2 pieces to be rather annoying myself, but hadn't heard that it's ok to ditch them.  Any easy way to fix this in Final Draft?

Quoted from kendg8r Really?  I always found those 2 pieces to be rather annoying myself, but hadn't heard that it's ok to ditch them.  Any easy way to fix this in Final Draft?

Just go to Documents, then Mores and Continueds and uncheck them.

Quoted from RayW And turn off your software's (CONT'D) feature. It's unnecessary. Everyone can figure it out.

I'm still against this. I always use(Cont'd). I just think many people in the biz skim scripts based on dialogue. At least until they find something interesting enough to get into the story.

It is old school, But helpful. Try skimming a script as fast as you can on dialogue only. Then tell me I'm wrong.

You think nobody would ever do that?

(beat) on the other hand is in the trash IMO.

James

I dunno.
MORE's and CONT'Ds seem like crossing guards for school aged children too stupid to look both ways before crossing the screenplay.


                    RAY
            You put your left foot in.

He jumps to the first chair and sticks out his left foot.

                    RAY  (CONT'D)
            You take your left foot out.

He lowers his left foot.

                    RAY  (CONT'D)
            You put your left foot in.

He sticks out his left foot.

                    RAY  (CONT'D)
            And you shake it all about.

He shakes it all about.

                    JAMES
            You're retarded.  D'you
            know that?

                    RAY
            You do the hokey pokey and

                                                                 (MORE)        
                                                                                 Pg 2

                    RAY  (CONT'D)
            you turn yourself about.

He turns himself about.

                    RAY  (CONT'D)
            That's what it's all about.

He does a little Broadway routine.

                     JAMES
             Can we go now, Liza?



See?
It's just kinda stupid.

No sh!t, Sherlock. The same dude CONTINUED  talking and there's MORE.

How stupid do you gotta be to not read that in B&W, 12pt courier?
Duh!

Argument is not with you.
I fully acknowledge you're right and that I'm a rabble rousing troublemaker, prone to Quixote-esque rails against perpetuating self inflicted injuries such as having two letters in our alphabet that make the exact same sound, "c" and "k", which infuriate me even more when we all stand around the dead body and point while doing nothing about anything, especially when "c" and "k" are side by side in the same word: hack, bucket, smack, lock.

MEDIEVAL ENGLISH IDIOT ONE - How should we write the ending to the word "lock"? With a "c" or a "k"?
MEDIEVAL ENGLISH IDIOT TWO - I dunno. Phuckit. Just... use 'em both.
MEDIEVAL ENGLISH IDIOT ONE - Doesn't that seem rather redundant?
MEDIEVAL ENGLISH IDIOT TWO - Do you wan't to be safe or sorry?
MEDIEVAL ENGLISH IDIOT ONE - What do you mean?
MEDIEVAL ENGLISH IDIOT TWO - Do you want the King to be happy with your records or with your head on a pike?
MEDIEVAL ENGLISH IDIOT ONE - "C" and "k" it is!

A thousand years later, here we are still perpetuating this tripe.

Same for MOREs and CONTINUEDs.

By all means!
Lettuce perpetuate the madness!

Wtf are they doing in chairs?

How do they do they put their back side in and out?

I'm just preaching what I practice. (Cont'd) is the only thing I'm defending here. Next to a dialogue box. It doesn't take up a line in your script like (beat). Which you fucked up on in your first teaching seminar, wrylies are on A line of their own.

I read your example without action, blew through it. To me the (Cont'd)'s helped.  Went back and read it with all of the meaningless action. Same result. But slowed down.

You don't think interns who are hired to read a certain amount of scripts a night don't skim dialogue?

Trust me, These are reasons I'm just starting to stick to story and nothing else when I review. To avoid arguments with other amateur screenwriters who think they know what the world wants now.

James

You sound like you need a drink, J?

Ray W, do you ever post short n sweet? If you speak like this, you must drive your wife crazy.

Now, to Dave. If there's a 'beat', I would concur with your initial estimation, that there's usually something happening (the light turning) i.e. description/action, and that it's missing from your written script.

Lot of people hate the 'beat' - I know Balt's a big fan.
Write in what's happening, that'll fix it.

Quoted from LC You sound like you need a drink, J?

Pouring one now. Hopefully I pass out before i go on a rant again...

James

LC -
Yes.

Have you stopped beating your dog?

Oh my.  This thread seems to have taken a turn. :)

jwent: You're right, sofas seem much more appropriate for putting your backside in and out.  And poring one at 7:17?  I think I have found my mentor!

LC: I shall keep an eye out for the action during those not-s-awkward pauses.

RayW: Nice avatar.  Thanks for the dance lesson!  Point taken.  Watch out for those pexky windmills.  And lastly... Phuckit is wonderfult this time of year!  

When in doubt (...) is always acceptable.  It's gotten me out of many issues in life.  See after I write this I don't have to come back into this thread and defend my reasoning.  I simply need to put (...) and walk away.

So, with that said...