Nofilmschool iconNofilmschoolSep 25, 2026 ~1 min source read

How to Stop Overexplaining Your Screenplay

Earlier this week, we covered how the late, great Sir Sean Connery passed on several prominent projects because he didn't "get" them. Granted, those are expansive works with huge amounts of worldbuilding, but we're guessing the scripts were, um, pretty solid, considering the films that we eventually enjoyed.

How to Stop Overexplaining Your Screenplay

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Earlier this week, we covered how the late, great Sir Sean Connery passed on several prominent projects because he didn't "get" them.

Granted, those are expansive works with huge amounts of worldbuilding, but we're guessing the scripts were, um, pretty solid, considering the films that we eventually enjoyed.

"I didn't get it." "What was that about?" "Why did the character do that?" And, oof, it hurts.

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The useful part

Earlier this week, we covered how the late, great Sir Sean Connery passed on several prominent projects because he didn't "get" them. Granted, those are expansive works with huge amounts of worldbuilding, but we're guessing the scripts were, um, pretty solid, considering the films that we eventually enjoyed. "I didn't get it." "What was that about?" "Why did the character do that?" And, oof, it hurts.

How it works

  • Something that seems so obvious to you is not translating somehow.
  • Or give the character something to say that just spells out what you meant.
  • He's a Toronto-based advertising copywriter who writes the Andrew MacKay thriller series, which includes Half Made Up and Plausible in Parts.

Details worth keeping

Like, he didn't understand The Lord of the Rings. You'll probably get that note yourself someday. So you might go back in, add a little line of explicit description.

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