Chapter | six
Description and Word Choice: Say What You Mean
Mark Twain, that quotable old bastard, once said that “the difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter –'tis the difference between the lightning-bug and the lightning.” Screenplays might live and die by their dialog, but those little action paragraphs in between need love, too.
Nothing's sadder than watching a writer use a word they don't fully understand to convey a meaning they don't really intend. When the close-enough-is-good-enough instinct takes over, script readers find themselves dealing with descriptions of “five-star hovels,” and “star-crossed lovers” who are apparently destined to be together. Poor word choice and bad description ...
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