This
week's answer:
Vertical
"Glibbing"
Gary, thanks for the letter. Actually, I haven't
had a pov for a very long time. I think I've
allergic to povs. Especially in the
springtime.
What bothers me the most about many current scripts
written by current screenwriters is how glibly many of
them are written by glib current screenwriters.
Many screenwriters put a few "clever" words
down, then leave a lot of white space and then put a few
more words down, believing they are correctly vertical
stacking, and expect the reader to know what is
happening without really delineating clearly exactly
what is actually happening. Or what
characters are feeling or how they are reacting.
It's a superficial and lazy way of writing, and,
unfortunately, it's showing up more and more in
scripts. There's a remarkable lack of emotional
depth in many of them. It's as though these
screenwriters think it's too below them to deal with
emotions and leave that to us, the readers or eventual
viewers. I find that kind of writing the kind of
writing I'd prefer to find as little as possible.
So, in case any of these types of screenwriters are
reading this, my advice to you is as follows:
Write with depth.
Good depth.
Let us know what characters are going through.
And don't use vertical
stacking as an
excuse to not write
clearly.
DcH
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