Only My Scriptwriting

Thirty-Two Single Paragraphs

Thirty-Two Single Paragraphs

Earlier today, I got thirty-two single paragraphs written for Part One, Younger-Than-Adults, of the movie introduction for my Water Wars scriptwriting project. that’s nine three-line paragraphs, seven four-line paragraphs, and sixteen five-line paragraphs for a total of thirty-two.

How I did that, I’m not sure. Especially, considering I did them on a weekday. The only thing I can think of about how is that I have written these paragraphs before. Not quite the same as before, but very similar. Mostly, what I have changed is the line-up for this Story Outline. The stories are still the same. It has just been written slightly differently.

It’s not just the number of paragraphs, though. It is how I have written them. True, the ‘Buts,’ and ‘Ands’ starting sentences have been eliminated, but that’s not all that has changed with this Story Outline. What makes these paragraphs different are how I have written them.

I’m not very good with Present Tense versus Past Tense. That’s why I prefer to write in Present Tense. Not only because that’s how scriptwriting is supposed to be, but because it’s easier for me to do. After all, they say to write what you know, and knowing that is how I prefer to write. What does that mean? It means that I prefer writing in Present Tense.

Whether it’s Present Tense or Past Tense, I have a lot of trouble not doing both. That’s not a problem when it comes to dialogue. Past Tense is okay then if your character is talking about the past in some way, but it’s very hard when it’s not dialogue. At least it has been for me.

I am getting better at Present Tense versus Past Tense. Sometimes it’s not easy to do, and I’m not sure if I’m writing it right, but I do think I’m getting better at it. Everyone also says that Past Tense is better than Present Tense. That may be true for short stories, but it’s not for scriptwriting. There is no other choice. Even in going into the past, it’s still Present Tense.

The right tense isn’t my only problem, though. I have a problem with telling instead of showing. I’m getting better at that too, but I still have a long way to go. Been a few times earlier today, when I wasn’t sure if I used showing instead of telling, but most of the time I think that I did.

Personally, I think telling and showing are the same thing. Only slightly different. With telling, you let the reader or viewer see what you are saying with their own minds and imaginations. Showing does the same thing, but without the minds and the imaginations. That’s what I mean by both being the same and yet different. Unfortunately, I’m a minority or loner in that belief.