Fix This - 6.30.24

Pretty much all screenwriting books talk about structure, character, dialogue, etc. but very few focus on what we call “physical writing”, which means the words on the page. 

When a Hollywood reader picks up your script, they don’t know you have an amazing midpoint. But they can tell right away if you’re a good writer.

Take a look at the lines below. Can you spot the two changes that would fix this excerpt?

The first thing to do is remember that if a character yells a line of dialogue, that line should be written in ALL CAPS.

Once you make that change, there is still one more thing to fix. Can you spot it?

The second change is to get rid of the sentence that says, “She screams at him.”

We know from the dialogue that Sally is screaming at Frank, so there is no need to also say it in the scene description. Cut the unnecessary repetition for stronger and more concise writing.

You can also think of this second change as showing, not telling. You’re showing us Sally screaming at Frank in the dialogue, not telling us she screams at him in the scene description. Double check your script to see if there are places you can make this fix.

For more step-by-step guidance on how to write a standout screenplay, sign up for our online Screenwriting Essentials course.