@ownyouressay: How to show, don't tell in your college essay: the camera test. A screenplay can only hold what a camera can film. "John is insecure" can't be filmed. John laughing a second after everyone else can. "I was nervous" fails. "I counted the ceiling tiles outside the audition room. Twice." passes. Send this to a senior who's stuck on a draft. #writingtips #classof2027 #commonapp #showdonttell #collegeessay

Tally Ho! :

Because an essay is exactly like a movie

Rhetorical Nostalgia :

🤯 This is cool. Nice way to recontextualize 'show don't tell'.

therealdill :

you're talking about essays I'm using this for fanfics 😭

brynne :

my peer feedback needed a softer tone and walter helped with that

Jamesnadauld :

Great writing tip, but impractical for college essays. That example sentence has 60 characters, which is too many for a character limited essay. Economy of words is necessary to convey information. If I’m trying to impress with my writing style, sure.

undisputedtruths6969 :

That’s stupid. I know countless pros who do otherwise.

Melora :

That’s why Dolly Parton’s song 9 to 5 has brilliant lyrics

turgutmakbak :

Essay, script, and novel are three different things. You can apply the script rules to essays and novels, but it’s not nearly as universal there. Like, have you read Dostoyevsky or Faulkner?

Serf in USA :

this advice directly applies to kids picture books too

AQ :

of course i'm putting it through walter writes first

mencuddling :

Show, don’t tell.

The Story Whisperer :

I’ve been asked is film school worth it lately. As someone who went to Usc the “best of the best.” I have to pause before I answer. But one thing it absolutely nails is how your script is going to sync or Swim on set. And it’s exactly this kind of instruction you’re giving. Yes, it’s great to make a short film. But standing on a live set, trying to defend your script to a director and an actor that doesn’t know you and has never seen the story before is an incredible exercise and build that muscle real quick. Good writing to All thanks for the great content.

chair ❤️‍🔥💋 :

proofademic flagged my draft and i’m not sure what part triggered it

Serafim :

This is so much better than " Don't tell me, show me." Great tip.

ThinLion Films :

a actor cant do insecure? 😭

🎥 Richard Fleming, filmmaker :

Kiarostami used to say “action and images.” What do we see? What do characters do?

YNWA🔴🔴 :

ok essay cleaner is officially bookmarked on all my devices

MONICA@60 :

user6392029205619 :

This is the best advice about writing in general, not just screenwriting. The reader should be able to visualize what they're reading at every step as they go along. Stephen Pinker gives the same advice in his book, The Sense of Style."

user856370322853 :

It was a dark and stormy night…

Pedro Rascal :

All do this is false. You can 100% write “John is insecure” because the actor will read this and then act like he’s insecure.

Paul Guyot :

100% wrong. This is not a rule in any way, the only people who think it is a rule are people who have absolutely no informed opinion about actual Hollywood screenwriting. ✌️

paul :

What terrible advice. Essays aren't screenplays. Ever wonder why movies are worse than the books they're based on? This is why.