Fix This - 8.11.24

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. 

Hollywood readers read dozens of scripts a week. They can tell right away when a script is well written and when it isn’t. Your goal in a screenplay is to have sentences that are clear, compelling, and concise.  

Concise means no unnecessary words.

Take a look at this sentence. Can you find the trim that would make this line tighter?  

The sentence paints a clear picture, but there are words in it you don’t need.

“In his hands” is unnecessary. When you tell the reader that Gregory is holding the statue, we assume it’s in his hands.

By cutting that part, you save a line. That’s space in your script you can use for something else.

If there is something remarkable or different about how Gregory is holding the statue, you can add that detail. Otherwise, don’t tell us something we' already assume.

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