SERMONIZING – Please, Just Don’t!

You write because you have something to say. Yes, we get it. We all do. We all want to be heard, get our point across, and maybe even make a difference in this world. After all, the word is mightier than the sword.

However, that can sometimes lead us to go overboard and we forget that it’s our job to tell a good story and, instead, we wag our finger at people and lecture. No one wants to be lectured; even if one agrees with the sentiment in the script, if the dialogue is not handled deftly, the message may come across as ham-fisted. We’ve read way too many scripts where the story just stops dead while the protagonist – aka the writer – sermonizes.

This problem has gotten worse in recent years, with the political divide in the US and western countries growing ever wider, as they keep us fighting a culture war to prevent us from fighting a class war.

See what we did there? We threw in a zinger, and no sermonizing 🙂

If your point is political – guess what? Half the audience may not agree with it, and because of that, producers may not want to touch it, and even if they do, the audience may reject it. In general, people watch movies and TV shows to be entertained, not lectured. Yup, we had been looking forward to the return of David Tennant as Doctor Who with Russell T Davies at the helm… and didn’t make it past the first episode because of the above-mentioned ham-fisted dialogue and a story which repeatedly ground to a halt so that the characters could lecture the Doctor (and the audience) for having the arrogance to present as male.

See, that’s the thing nobody seems to realize–even people who are predisposed to agree with you and who want to applaud your efforts may get turned off. In other words, not only are you not going to change anyone’s mind, you may even lose the choir. And, thus, won’t have anyone left to preach to.

So, how can you make the point you so desperately want to make?

At their best, movies and TV shows can have a transformative effect on society. Projects like NETWORK, FALLING DOWN, ERIN BROCKOVICH, have a strong message, even a mission, and they don’t flinch from making those points on the page.

However, they… do we really have to say it?… show, don’t tell. Remember that your theme–the point you, the writer, want to make–is usually the lesson your protagonist learns. And they need to learn that lesson via the EVENTS they experience.

(Note, we said “events they experience,” not “lectures they are forced to listen to.”) And those “events” come in the form of obstacles they must overcome in pursuit of a high-stakes goal.

In other words, make sure your story is solid. Only then will you actually achieve what you set out to achieve instead of preaching to a possibly dwindling choir.

Now of course we’re not advocating writers hinder their creativity or avoid making any scathing or divisive or controversial comments in a screenplay. By all means, get your point of view across.

But perhaps think twice about making a meal out of it…

Unless that’s point of the whole thing. Case in point: BARBIE. A film that was designed for a very specific target audience — girls who at some point played with Barbies. Naturally, the point of view is going to reflect that, and the bit of lecturing in that film not only landed as it should but was embraced, if the $1B box office is any indication.

But for a spec script by an emerging writer without the benefit of a well-established, hugely famous intellectual property? It may be best to stick to telling a compelling story.

FAQs

What does “sermonizing” mean in screenwriting?

Sermonizing in screenwriting happens when a character delivers a lecture that directly pushes the writer’s message instead of letting the story convey it naturally. These moments often feel preachy because they prioritize the writer’s viewpoint over storytelling. As a result, they can interrupt the narrative and reduce audience engagement.

Why is lecturing the audience in a script often ineffective?

Lecturing the audience is ineffective because viewers watch films and shows mainly to be entertained, not instructed. When dialogue becomes overly preachy, it can feel forced and disrupt the story. This often causes audiences to disengage from the characters and narrative.

How can overly political messaging affect a script’s marketability?

Strong political messaging can narrow a script’s appeal because audiences hold diverse viewpoints. Producers may hesitate to invest in projects that could alienate a large portion of viewers. As a result, scripts that heavily emphasize political agendas may face challenges in reaching a broad market.

Why might even audiences who agree with a message be turned off by sermonizing?

Even audiences who agree with the message may dislike being lectured. Heavy-handed dialogue can feel obvious or condescending, breaking immersion in the story. This can reduce emotional connection with the characters and the narrative.

How can heavy-handed dialogue hurt a story’s momentum?

Heavy-handed dialogue can slow the story by pausing the action for speeches or explanations. When characters stop pursuing their goals to deliver messages, the narrative loses momentum. This weakens pacing and makes the story feel less engaging.

What is the difference between expressing a theme and preaching it?

Expressing a theme means revealing the message through character actions, conflicts, and outcomes. Preaching a theme involves directly stating the message through dialogue or speeches. Strong storytelling usually shows the theme through events rather than telling the audience what to think.