action-description

Apply this skill when:

• Writing scene descriptions
• Crafting action sequences
• Describing visual storytelling
• Formatting action paragraphs

Basic Rules

1. Present tense: Always "walks" not "walked"
2. Active voice: "John opens the door" not "The door is opened"
3. Third person: Describing what camera sees
4. Visual: Only what can be filmed

Paragraph Structure

```fountain

INT. WAREHOUSE - NIGHT

A single bulb swings overhead. Shadows dance on concrete walls.

SARAH creeps forward, gun raised. Her breath mists in the cold.

A SOUND. She freezes.

```

• Short paragraphs (2-4 lines)
• New paragraph for new beat
• White space suggests pacing/cuts

Show, Don't Tell

Wrong:

```fountain

Sarah feels nervous about entering the room.

```

Right:

```fountain

Sarah hesitates at the threshold. Her hand trembles on the doorframe.

```

Filmable Only

Wrong:

```fountain

John thinks about his ex-wife and wonders if he made the right choice.

```

Right:

```fountain

John stares at a photograph. His jaw tightens. He turns it face-down.

```

Economy of Words

Wrong:

```fountain

Sarah is a woman in her thirties with brown hair and she walks across

the room very slowly and deliberately, her high heels clicking on the

hardwood floor as she makes her way to the window where she looks out

at the city lights below, thinking about everything that has happened.

```

Right:

```fountain

SARAH (30s, sharp) crosses to the window. The city glitters below.

```

What to CAPITALIZE (First Appearance Only)

• CHARACTER NAMES on first introduction
• Critical SOUND EFFECTS
• Important PROPS
• Key VISUAL ELEMENTS

```fountain

INT. APARTMENT - DAY

SARAH CHEN (30s) enters. She drops her KEYS on the counter.

A PHONE RINGS. She ignores it.

On the table: A GUN. She stares at it.

```

Don't Over-Capitalize

Only capitalize what's truly significant. Not every sound or prop needs emphasis.

Fast Pacing (Action)

Short sentences. Short paragraphs. Lots of white space.

```fountain

Sarah runs.

GUNSHOTS behind her.

She dives behind a car. Glass SHATTERS above her head.

Returns fire. Two shots.

Silence.

```

Slow Pacing (Dramatic)

Longer sentences. More description. Fewer line breaks.

```fountain

Sarah stands at the window. The rain traces patterns on the glass,

distorting the city lights into abstract impressions.

She presses her palm against the cold surface. Breathes.

Behind her, the apartment is dark. Still.

```

The Golden Rule

Avoid camera directions in spec scripts.

Wrong:

```fountain

CAMERA PANS across the room to reveal John.

CLOSE-UP on the photograph.

WE SEE Sarah through the window.

```

Right:

```fountain

John sits in the corner, unnoticed.

The photograph: a family at the beach. Happier times.

Through the window: Sarah, alone.

```

Acceptable Exceptions

Minimal, when the shot is the story:

```fountain

ANGLE ON: The bomb. 00:03... 00:02... 00:01...

```

Character Entrance

```fountain

The door opens. JOHN MARCUS (40s, worn suit, wary eyes) enters.

He scans the room before committing to it.

```

Environmental Description

```fountain

INT. ABANDONED FACTORY - NIGHT

Rust and shadows. Broken windows let in slants of moonlight.

Somewhere, water DRIPS.

```

Reaction Without Dialogue

```fountain

Sarah reads the letter.

Her face changes. Something breaks behind her eyes.

She sets the letter down. Walks to the window. Doesn't speak.

```

Simultaneous Action

```fountain

INTERCUT:

Sarah sprints down the hallway—

John breaks through the window—

The timer hits 00:05—

They COLLIDE at the door.

```

Scene Endings

End on strong images or moments:

```fountain

Sarah looks at the gun. Reaches for it.

CUT TO:

```

Time Passage

```fountain

EXT. CITY - NIGHT (LATER)

The streets are empty now. A single car passes.

```

Montage Format

```fountain

.MONTAGE - SARAH'S INVESTIGATION

• Library: Sarah searches through newspapers
• Street: Sarah photographs a building
• Bar: Sarah interviews an OLD MAN
• Home: Sarah pins photos to a board, steps back

.END MONTAGE

```

Common Mistakes

1. "We see" - Remove. It's implied.
2. "begins to" - Just do the action.
3. Passive voice - Use active.
4. Camera directions - Avoid in specs.
5. Internal thoughts - Make external.
6. Purple prose - Keep it lean.

Before and After

```fountain

// Wrong

We see Sarah as she begins to slowly walk across the room

toward the window where she will look out at the view.

// Right

Sarah crosses to the window. She looks out.

```

• [ ] Present tense throughout
• [ ] Active voice used
• [ ] Only filmable content
• [ ] Short paragraphs (2-4 lines)
• [ ] Key elements capitalized appropriately
• [ ] No camera directions (spec script)
• [ ] Strong visual imagery
• [ ] Economy of language