Inside a Woman's Glove

on the nose - dialogue which too clearly indicates what a character is feeling or thinking or wishing; in other words exactly what the author is intending for that moment and scene. (From the Script Writing Terms page at scriptsales.com)

In other words, "show, don't tell." Instead of having a character say, "That makes me mad!" have them indicate it by expression or action, especially by alluding to it rather than indicating it directly. As much as I enjoy the TV show Grey's Anatomy, I think their scripts are sometimes too "on the nose." The different plotlines are too obviously perspectives on the same topic, and they address the subject too obviously.

And then there's the other extreme...

Central Oregon is home to a beautful, glossy, (free!) magazine named Gusto, which features articles on wining and dining and cooking. The new spring issue includes an article on wine tasting by Dennis M. Sienko of the Bend Wine Center. In this article the author describes his attendance at a wine tasting fifteen years ago and hearing legendary winemaker Andre Tschelistcheff characterize the bouquet of a favorite wine as smelling like "the inside of a woman's glove."

I don't know what that means. Do you? I take solace in the fact that the meaning of this phrase eludes the author as well. Was Tschelistcheff describing the smell itself? Did it smell like soap? Perfume? Was he calling the bouquet sensuous? Was he implying a sense of anticipation? Of mystery? I don't know. It's a mystery to me, that's for sure. I wonder if I'd try that wine. Well, to be honest, I probably would, just from curiosity. I've never smelled inside a woman's glove.

Somewhere between writing on the nose and inside a woman's glove is the happy medium. Speaking of which, we now watch What About Brian instead of Medium. We've switched Arquettes.

I'd compare the bouquet of this blog to the inside of Santa's sack.


Blog Tag: Chatter