I’ve always had a problem with present tense and past tense. Even in this article I’m sure I’ll shift back and forth without being aware of it. Screenplays are supposed to be written in present tense. I didn’t know this until someone working in the industry brought it glaringly to my attention.

So if you’re like me and can’t grasp the difference between present and past tense, here’s a trick. Kill the ings. If a word ends with “ing”, it’s probably past tense. This is not always the case, but 90% of the time it is.

Example:

Past Tense

“Jack is leaning against a wall. Jill is walking past with a tray of biscuits and Jack sticks out his leg and ends up tripping her, sending her tumbling down a stairwell.”

Present Tense

“Jack leans against a wall. Jill walks past with a tray of biscuits and Jack sticks out a leg and trips her. She tumbles down a stairwell.”

The neat thing about present tense is it gives your story punch and can lead to a more engaging writing style. You can even write short, choppy sentences…

“Jill glares upward. Looks pissed. Grabs the tray and Frisbee’s it at Jack’s head.”

So grab your script and start kill-ing.