I've heard from a couple of sources that scene descriptions should use (for instance) "he runs" and not "he is running"--basically not the "to be + gerund" form--and I want to know, are they serious about that? Or is it more like something you should do if it's convenient, like the whole never-end-a-sentence-with-a-preposition thing? Hope you can shed some light on this before I start going pedantic on some of my scene descriptions.
It’s mostly for immediacy in the writing.
He runs is a lot more active than he is running. It creates a more active picture for the director and reader, and therefore helps strengthen the script and the emotions behind it.
Just like “he cries out” is more emotional than “he is crying out.”
They aren’t super strict about it. It’s not a “this will make us immediately pass on your script” sort of thing, but the active verb is just stronger script writing.
It also serves to make the physical space in your writing shorter, which is almost ALWAYS a good thing.
