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Creating a Narrative Style
Like an M.C. Escher drawing, a good screenplay is an illusion. It uses words on a page to convince readers to see something very different in their minds’ eye.
The way language, grammar, and punctuation are used in a script defines the reader’s experience of that script. When it’s done well, a script is said to have a “voice.” That voice is a distinct style and tone, usually crafted by the writer over years of experience.
So how do you do it?
Find your voice.
When writing narrative and description, it’s important to find your “voice.” When people talk about a writer’s voice, they’re talking about style and tone.
How a writer expresses him or herself is what connects him or her to the reader. How a story is told — the words the writer chooses to convey his or her ideas — defines the experience for the reader.
Three times a screenplay.
This challenge is compounded in a screenplay. The words must paint visual pictures. They must do it efficiently and economically. And they must convey the impression of how a scene is being directed — not just to the reader, but to actors, directors, cinematographers and producers who might be considering making the script — without actually doing so.
