A tour guide’s advice for writers
Last evening, I expected the TV travel program would give suggestions on visiting Europe. But travel guru Rick Steves also offered wisdom for writers.
The episode, from 2006, gave a behind-the-scenes look at how segments of Rick Steves’ Europe come together. One of their best practices can contribute to the success of any writer.
They visit each city with a script in hand, but view that as only a draft, a working document. Each evening, Steves reviews and revises the next day’s script. But that’s not all.
Make sure every word earns its keep.
The next day, he again pores over it with his director and his photographer in a process they call “scrubbing the script.” Its goal: “making sure every word earns its keep.”
It includes reigning in his tendency toward alliteration. They don’t want a series of similar sounds to call attention to the writing and away from the content.
They finish, the director says, with a “much stronger show than when we began.”
Your own writing likely won’t be seen by millions of viewers. But why not? Take the effort to scrub your script, asking yourself if you can say it with fewer words, stronger words, ones rearranged for greater effect.
Try it and see.
