Directed by: Punctuation (part i)

One of the secrets that all great screenwriters understand is how to direct through punctuation.

Direct without directing

Instead of camera angles or the royal “we,” as a screenwriter you can force your reader to see the movie you want them to see by simply using the tools at your disposal: punctuation and grammar.

Write your movie the way it should be seen

Describe the action on screen in a way that focuses the reader’s attention on the single most essential element in that moment.

Utilize word choice, intentional grammatical usage, and specific punctuation to convey your ideas.

Grammar never gets old

Most people don’t know how to use grammar correctly. A lot of people don’t even know the rules of grammar. But adult native-English speakers (i.e. the people who will be reading your script and evaluating whether they like it) have been reading words for a long time. Even if it’s just menus and instruction manuals. Readers know when a sentence looks right and when it looks wrong.

When you use grammar incorrectly, it catches a reader’s eye. They may not know why it’s wrong, but they will stop — if even for a nano-second — and try to understand what is intended. Or worse, they’ll misunderstand.