A handful of subscribers asked me to write about storytelling. I’ll do this in a few weeks, but first, we should look at scripting. I’ve been doing these video calls with subscribers. Quite a few of the calls focus on reviewing written scripts. Some advice I’ve said a few times to these talented magicians is simply…

Show, don’t tell.

When you sit down to write a script, in any capacity, it’s pretty easy to end up packing the dialogue full of exposition and action. It’s okay; even the best Hollywood movie writers include exposition and action in dialogue. Your goal should be only to do this when absolutely necessary or when it enhances the performance.

An audience is not always full of morons. You don’t always need to spell out precisely what you’re doing or why you’re doing it. Besides, it’s more engaging to have to figure things out as an audience. You get a sense of comfort, reassurance and smugness when you figure out what’s happening or what’s going to happen.