Untitled Flashcard Set

Here’s a compact and study-friendly Knowt-style guide covering figurative language, dialogue principles, and screenwriting technique. It’s structured for quick recall and clarity.

Screenwriting & Poetic Technique Study Guide

1. Figurative Language

Definition: Using words or expressions that go beyond their literal meaning to create vivid imagery or emotional impact.
Common Types & Examples:

• Metaphor: A comparison without “like” or “as.”
  Example: “Her heart was a locked room.”

• Simile: A comparison using “like” or “as.”
  Example: “He ran like a storm through the crowd.”

• Personification: Giving human traits to nonhuman things.
  Example: “The wind whispered secrets through the trees.”

• Alliteration: Repetition of initial consonant sounds.
  Example: “Silent seas shimmered softly.”

• Imagery: Language that appeals to the senses.
  Example: “The coffee’s bitter steam curled into the cold morning air.”

Use in Screenwriting: Adds rhythm, tone, and emotional texture to dialogue and scene direction—makes writing visual and alive.

2. Why Reading Poetry Helps Screenwriters

• Trains sensitivity to word rhythm, compression, and emotion.

• Teaches how to say more with less, a vital skill in screenwriting.

• Enhances sense of imagery and symbolism, helping writers evoke subtext visually instead of relying on exposition.

• Encourages attention to sound and silence, which influences pacing and tone in dialogue.

3. “Dialogue is Not Conversation”

• Conversation = small talk, filler, or realistic chatter.

• Dialogue = purposeful expression of character, conflict, or theme.

• Every line should reveal something (intention, relationship, or emotion), move the scene forward, or create tension.

Example: In a breakup scene, “You forgot the umbrella again” might actually mean “You don’t think about me anymore.”

4. “Dialogue is Action, Not Talk”

• In screenwriting, dialogue does something—it manipulates, seduces, resists, provokes, or shields.

• Each line should serve as a move in a power dynamic, not idle exchange.

• What characters want drives what they say.

Example: Saying “I’m fine” can act as a defense, avoidance, or emotional weapon—depending on context.

5. Charged Dialogue

Definition: Dialogue that carries unspoken tension, subtext, or emotional stakes.
Characteristics:

• Words contrast with feelings.

• Power shifts within the exchange.

• Often fueled by the unsaid.

Example: When a character says, “You did great,” but their tone and body language imply jealousy or resentment.

6. Empty Talk

Definition: Dialogue with no emotional weight or story function.
Indicators:

• Characters explain plot points both already known.

• Small talk unrelated to conflict.

• Lines that could be removed without changing the scene.

Fix: Replace empty talk with motivated subtext—make each line count.

7. Active vs. Passive Voice

• Active Voice: Subject performs the action.
  Example: “The detective solved the case.”

• Passive Voice: Subject receives the action.
  Example: “The case was solved by the detective.”
  In screenwriting: Use active voice for clarity, immediacy, and drive.

8. Scene Description Technique

Write scene descriptions that are:

• Present: Use present tense (“She opens the door, not ‘She opened.’”).

• Active: Show energy (“Rain lashes the window”).

• Lean: Avoid clutter; keep only visual, necessary details.

• Specific: Show exact actions, moods, or visuals rather than vague generalities.

Example:
Weak: “It’s a messy room.”
Strong: “Clothes spill from drawers, and a pizza box slumps on the bed.”

Would you like me to format this into a downloadable Knowt flashcard set layout (with question-answer pairs or sections as study prompts)?