1. What is a Monologue?

A monologue is a long speech delivered by one character. The form originates from theatre, where a character will deliver a long passage of speech either to another character, to themselves or to the audience.

2. How Long is a Monologue?

There is no strict necessary length for a monologue. However, a monologue will rarely last less than a minute of screen time. Often rather than literal length, it's the rhythm and tone of a speech coupled with its length that makes a monologue. A monologue is a character talking for a long time. But it's also a mood, a certain way of a character talking that is different from the surrounding dialogue.

3. How Do You Write a Monologue?

A monologue needs to come at an appropriate point within a scene, otherwise, it will feel jarring. There's a reason that great monologues often come at certain points within a script, commonly at the end, beginning or a turning point. Literally speaking, executing a monologue within a screenplay is as simple as it being a long passage of text on the page. However, pacing is crucial to the monologue coming off convincingly. An ill-timed monologue, one coming seemingly out of nowhere, can really throw off the pacing and flow of a scene. Make sure your monologue comes at a place where it can signal a shift, either narratively, thematically or in terms of character arcs.

4. What Makes a Great Monologue?

A great monologue needs to strike a balance between giving away too much and leaving a tantalising feeling of wanting more. It needs to reveal something that couldn't be revealed in a more regular dialogue exchange. A great monologue is an opportunity to give insight into a character or theme in a unique way, a way that only a monologue could do. A great monologue is not just about the language used. It's about timing and pacing within the rest of the script. Utilise the uniqueness of this dramatic form to really hammer home a theme, character or plot development to the audience.

What Makes a Great Monologue? 10 Great Monologues Screenwriters Can Learn From

In film and TV, great monologues have the power to hit an audience more than any other moment in a story. They can be gut-wrenching emotional confessions, pivotal moments of characterisation or grand thematic statements. Audiences remember monologues for these reasons. And great monologues are ones that condense and encapsulate a key part of a story. In this article we’ll look at: What is a Monologue? How Long is a Monologue?How Do You Write a Monologue?What Makes a Great Monologue?10

Members only

This article continues in our Members Area

Join SCREENWRITING: EVOLVED for full access to 700+ guides, whitepapers, the script library, industry interviews and much more.

Join SCREENWRITING: EVOLVED — just $9.99/month

Cancel any time · No commitment