Fix This - 7.27.25

Good screenwriting is no easy task. You’ve only got about 110 pages to tell an entire story, which means every sentence has to be clear, concise, and compelling. Your job is to create vivid images in the reader’s mind—without wasting space on unnecessary detail. It’s a constant balancing act.

As you develop your writing style, start with clarity. Look through your script for anything that could be misread or misunderstood. Your goal is to make each line impossible to misinterpret. Ask yourself: “Would an actor or director know exactly what this means on the first read?”

Once your writing is clear, you can focus on trimming excess words and shaping your unique voice.

Take a look at the excerpt below. Can you spot the moment where the writing could be made clearer?

If you’re having trouble finding the problem, look at every sentence and ask if an actor would know precisely how to bring it to life. 

Ready for the answer?

The sentence in this excerpt that needs clarification is, “He seems to know what' he’s doing.” 

“Seems” means Jake could seem like he knows what he’s doing and know what he’s doing… OR he could seem like he knows what he’s doing and be completely clueless. How is the actor supposed to know which one is correct? 

Read the updated versions below, and see how it completely changes the scene to replace “seems” with something more concrete.

Version one…

Version two…

Version three…

See what a difference clarity makes?

Using “seems” is a common mistake because it feels clear to the writer, but there’s ambiguity for the actor. Search your script for the words “seem” and “seems” to see if there’s anywhere you should replace them with something better. 

To learn more about writing clear, concise and compelling sentences, sign up for our online Screenwriting Essentials program. In ten lessons, we’ll teach you our proven method for developing and writing a professional-grade script.