Here's the tip... Don't use it in your SPEC script... And IF YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST USE THEM, shoot for maximum usage of 5%.
Why?
Excessive use of passive sentence structure will make your action paragraphs flat and less interesting. Plain and simple. Additionally, passive sentence structure shouts inexperience.
For those of you who do not even know what passive sentence structure is, here's an example...
Rex is seen walking down the sidewalk.
Many new writers and writers new to writing spec screenplays often end up with excessive use of passive sentence structure...
*NOTE: If you're writing your own screenplay to make your own film, you can obviously do whatever you like.
It's fairly easy to recognize passive sentence structure because the verb phrase almost always includes on of the following:
be, am, is, was, were, are, or been.
Find those passive sentences and turn them into active sentences... Active sentences are much more powerful... Let's take the above example and turn it into an active sentence...
Rex walks down the sidewalk.
Overusing passive sentence structure (also known as passive voice) in your action/description sentences can cause readers to lose interest or even become confused and you NEVER want that to happen with your spec script.
Generally speaking (although not always), active sentence structure (also known as active voice) is clearer and more direct than those in passive voice. Use of active sentence structure keeps your action and description flowing.
Passive sentence structure does make sense when the character performing the action is obvious, unimportant, or unknown or even when a writer plans to postpone mentioning the character until the last part of the sentence or to avoid mentioning the character at all.
Passive sentence structure is effective in such circumstances because it highlights the action and what is acted upon rather than the character performing the action but be warned... Excessive use can get your screenplay tossed.
I know readers and now, one major producer that flips through screenplays LOOKING for excessive use of passive sentence structure.
*NOTE: If you've sold screenplays and have a reputation, you can get away with a lot more use of passive voice but even then, it is considered to be a sign of weak writing.
What if your screenplay is outstanding? It all depends on who's reading the script... Get a gatekeeper who won't read past 10 pages because of typos, incorrect format, passive sentence structure, etc., and it won't matter how outstanding your screenplay is...
After all... It often comes down to a numbers game so why take chances?
filmy
edit...
Links with more explanation:
http://www.asu.edu/duas/wcenter/passive.html
http://web.uvic.ca/wguide/Pages/SentPassiveVoice.html
Nice PDF file on passive voice:
http://www.uvsc.edu/owl/handouts/revised handouts/writing style/active passive voice.pdf
Why?
Excessive use of passive sentence structure will make your action paragraphs flat and less interesting. Plain and simple. Additionally, passive sentence structure shouts inexperience.
For those of you who do not even know what passive sentence structure is, here's an example...
Rex is seen walking down the sidewalk.
Many new writers and writers new to writing spec screenplays often end up with excessive use of passive sentence structure...
*NOTE: If you're writing your own screenplay to make your own film, you can obviously do whatever you like.
It's fairly easy to recognize passive sentence structure because the verb phrase almost always includes on of the following:
be, am, is, was, were, are, or been.
Find those passive sentences and turn them into active sentences... Active sentences are much more powerful... Let's take the above example and turn it into an active sentence...
Rex walks down the sidewalk.
Overusing passive sentence structure (also known as passive voice) in your action/description sentences can cause readers to lose interest or even become confused and you NEVER want that to happen with your spec script.
Generally speaking (although not always), active sentence structure (also known as active voice) is clearer and more direct than those in passive voice. Use of active sentence structure keeps your action and description flowing.
Passive sentence structure does make sense when the character performing the action is obvious, unimportant, or unknown or even when a writer plans to postpone mentioning the character until the last part of the sentence or to avoid mentioning the character at all.
Passive sentence structure is effective in such circumstances because it highlights the action and what is acted upon rather than the character performing the action but be warned... Excessive use can get your screenplay tossed.
I know readers and now, one major producer that flips through screenplays LOOKING for excessive use of passive sentence structure.
*NOTE: If you've sold screenplays and have a reputation, you can get away with a lot more use of passive voice but even then, it is considered to be a sign of weak writing.
What if your screenplay is outstanding? It all depends on who's reading the script... Get a gatekeeper who won't read past 10 pages because of typos, incorrect format, passive sentence structure, etc., and it won't matter how outstanding your screenplay is...
After all... It often comes down to a numbers game so why take chances?
filmy
edit...
Links with more explanation:
http://www.asu.edu/duas/wcenter/passive.html
http://web.uvic.ca/wguide/Pages/SentPassiveVoice.html
Nice PDF file on passive voice:
http://www.uvsc.edu/owl/handouts/revised handouts/writing style/active passive voice.pdf
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