(MORE) and (CONT'D) — Splitting Dialogue Across a Page Break

(MORE) and (CONT'D) are the two markers that handle split speech in a screenplay. (MORE) sits at the bottom of a page when a character's dialogue continues onto the next page; (CONT'D) follows the character cue at the top of that next page. (CONT'D) is also used when the same character keeps talking after an interruption of action.

The Page-Break Pattern

                                    page 12

                         MARA
          The night of the accident,
          nobody wanted the facts. Not
          the police, not the insurance
          man, not my mother --

                    (MORE)
          (cont'd on next page)

                                    page 13

                         MARA (CONT'D)
          -- and I was nine years old,
          holding the only map.

The rules:

• (MORE) — centered at the bottom of the page, inside the dialogue column, always the last line on the page
• Never end a page on a character cue or parenthetical — break inside the dialogue, at a natural pause
• The next page repeats the cue with (CONT'D) — "continued"
• Never orphan a single line of dialogue onto the next page; move at least two lines over, or pull two back

Screenplay software does all of this automatically when repaginating — this is one of the strongest arguments for using a real editor instead of a word processor.

The Same-Speaker (CONT'D)

When a speech is interrupted by action (not a page break) and the same character resumes:

                         MARA
          You knew what the bridge was
          like that night.

          She sets down the cup. It
          rattles against the saucer.

                         MARA (CONT'D)
          You knew, and you handed him
          the keys.

Rules of thumb:

• The action interruption must be brief (2–3 lines) — a full scene beat means a new speech, not a continuation
• (CONT'D) also attaches after extensions: MARA (V.O.) (CONT'D)
• Some writers abbreviate (con't) — (CONT'D) is the safer, standard form

When NOT to Use Them

• New speaker — never (CONT'D) on a different character's cue
• Scene change — a new scene is a new speech, always
• Long pause or time cut inside a scene — that's a new beat; drop the (CONT'D) and let the cue stand alone

Spelling and Placement Summary

Frequently Asked Questions

Does (MORE) get its own line?

Yes — it's the last line of the page, placed directly under the final line of split dialogue, traditionally four spaces below it.

Is it (CONT'D) or (CON'T)?

Both appear in produced scripts; (CONT'D) is the standard modern form used by Final Draft and Fountain.

Do I need (CONT'D) if software adds it automatically?

If you're writing in a screenplay editor, no — it's handled. If you're in Word or plain text, you own every marker.

Can a parenthetical end a page?

No. Never break between the cue and the speech or between a parenthetical and the speech. Break inside the dialogue text.

Related Pages

• Formatting Dialogue — the block being split
• Character Cues — what (CONT'D) attaches to
• How Long Is a Screenplay? — why pagination matters