: Re: In a screenplay, how do you show people talking over each other? When writing a script where you have two (or more) people talking at the same time, how is that formatted? Side-by-side columns?

@Yeniel532

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There are a number of variations that are recommended in various on-line screenwriting guides, including side-by-side or linearly but using a directive like 'during'
At Story Sense they say

When writing dialogue in two columns to indicate simultaneous speeches, the left margin of the first dialogue column must be inset slightly. It must not start in the same column as the action or description margin.

That is all the information they give (no examples).
Screenwriting.io just says that most screenwriting editing software will format it for you as side-by-side.

When two characters are talking at the same time, it is referred to as “dual dialogue,” and the two speakers’ text blocks go side-by-side.
Most screenwriting programs have an option for this.

Again no examples.
At Screenwriting Goldmine, they suggest using 'during this' as a directive to the following dialog to say that it should be spoken simultaneously.
Lazy Bee Scripts says to use 'at the same time' and gives an example:

Eric: (At the same time as Jane.) Come on, Jane, you've known for weeks that he was coming, there's no point in making a fuss, just relax and let's hear what he has to say.
Jane: (At the same time as Eric.) He can't come in. Not with you here, Fred. You've got to do something. Anything! Get in the cupboard!

None of these looks like a satisfying explanation to me.

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