The Power of Saying Less

Words don’t take us as far as we think.

It has taken me years to realize the power of saying less. I’m a good talker. I enjoy it. But I’ve had to face the fact that in persuading other people, very little is accomplished through the force of words. (more…)

Pictures Say More than Words

Who to write without words. [video]

Writing novels and films is very different. In fact, one of the biggest differences between novels and films is how the emotions and thoughts of characters are conveyed. In novels, this is done primarily though a narrator or character telling the reader their inner thoughts. In writing parlance, this is also known as the inner dialogue. Assuming that the characters have a colorful inner life, this can make for a great novel. But in films this present a unique challenge because there is no way to hear it.
Show it, don’t say it.

The challenge for the screenwriter is how to get this powerful inner dialogue to the screen. If characters speak their thoughts, it often seems forced or didactic. Another method is narration. But this can only be used for one character, and get’s old fast. And narration doesn’t use films greatest power – the image.

A foundational rule in good writing is, show it, don’t say it. It’s best to learn the characters through the choices that they make. Choices demonstrate motivations. Actions do speak louder than words.

A THOUSAND WORDS, directed by Ted Chung.

The short film below tells an engaging story with no dialog. It has a clear narrative, inciting incident, romantic goal, road trip and some surprising twists. Great use of the camera, too. See it all done in just four minutes.