screenplay-izing

More woes from writers on Reddit. One of them asked how she could avoid constantly repeating that her character “looked up at the…” and “looked across to…” and “looked around to see a…” and otherwise look, look, looked here and there and everywhere.

If you’re writing from the character’s point of view, then anything you mention is being seen by said character— there’s no need to tell readers who’s looking at it. If your readers actually need help figuring that out, the issue isn’t repetition of a word. It’s a sign they aren’t identifying with the character.

But maybe that’s not it. Maybe bein’ hooked on looked is just a habit after all. If so, where does it come from?

Redditor u/NelsonisNelson suggested it originates from something he called “screenplay-izing”— the tendency to write everything as though giving direction to an actor.

Writing can indeed be that fun process of jotting notes about the movie that’s unfolding in your imagination. It’s a great feeling, to be sure. But you can’t just leave it at that, dust your hands off and walk away. You’re creating a work meant to be read, not watched. That comes with the duty to craft the words with care.