| name | action-description |
| description | This skill provides screenplay action and description writing techniques.
Covers present tense formatting, visual storytelling, action sequences,
and paragraph structure for scene descriptions.
Use when: writing scene descriptions, crafting action sequences, describing
visual storytelling, or formatting action paragraphs in Fountain format.
|
Action & Description Skill
Invocation Triggers
Apply this skill when:
- Writing scene descriptions
- Crafting action sequences
- Describing visual storytelling
- Formatting action paragraphs
Action Format Fundamentals
Basic Rules
- Present tense: Always "walks" not "walked"
- Active voice: "John opens the door" not "The door is opened"
- Third person: Describing what camera sees
- Visual: Only what can be filmed
Paragraph Structure
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
Visual Writing Principles
Show, Don't Tell
Wrong:
Sarah feels nervous about entering the room.
Right:
Sarah hesitates at the threshold. Her hand trembles on the doorframe.
Filmable Only
Wrong:
John thinks about his ex-wife and wonders if he made the right choice.
Right:
John stares at a photograph. His jaw tightens. He turns it face-down.
Economy of Words
Wrong:
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:
SARAH (30s, sharp) crosses to the window. The city glitters below.
Capitalization Conventions
What to CAPITALIZE (First Appearance Only)
- CHARACTER NAMES on first introduction
- Critical SOUND EFFECTS
- Important PROPS
- Key VISUAL ELEMENTS
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.
Action Sequence Pacing
Fast Pacing (Action)
Short sentences. Short paragraphs. Lots of white space.
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.
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.
Camera and Direction
The Golden Rule
Avoid camera directions in spec scripts.
Wrong:
CAMERA PANS across the room to reveal John.
CLOSE-UP on the photograph.
WE SEE Sarah through the window.
Right:
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:
ANGLE ON: The bomb. 00:03... 00:02... 00:01...
Common Action Patterns
Character Entrance
The door opens. JOHN MARCUS (40s, worn suit, wary eyes) enters.
He scans the room before committing to it.
Environmental Description
INT. ABANDONED FACTORY - NIGHT
Rust and shadows. Broken windows let in slants of moonlight.
Somewhere, water DRIPS.
Reaction Without Dialogue
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
INTERCUT:
Sarah sprints down the hallway—
John breaks through the window—
The timer hits 00:05—
They COLLIDE at the door.
Transitions and Pacing
Scene Endings
End on strong images or moments:
Sarah looks at the gun. Reaches for it.
CUT TO:
Time Passage
EXT. CITY - NIGHT (LATER)
The streets are empty now. A single car passes.
Montage Format
.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
Things to Avoid
Common Mistakes
- "We see" - Remove. It's implied.
- "begins to" - Just do the action.
- Passive voice - Use active.
- Camera directions - Avoid in specs.
- Internal thoughts - Make external.
- Purple prose - Keep it lean.
Before and After
// 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.
Validation Checklist
