Screenwriter’s Guide to Writing Screenplays
Every movie ever made, from the Academy Award winners to the box office flops, can trace their origins back to one thing: an idea. Be they inspired by books or constructed in dreams, ideas form the basis of movies, books, television shows, etc. All it takes is someone saying, “I have an idea that would make a great movie!” If you’ve ever had this thought, you’re obviously going to want to know to write a screenplay if you want to make it a reality. There are some simple steps you can follow to set yourself on the path of the screenwriter.
Right out of the gate, you’re going to want to get Final Draft. This is a computer program designed to create screenplays and it’s absolutely essential to writing a good script. Not only does it format your screenplay properly and keep track of things like characters and locations, but it also removes a lot of the guesswork that goes into writing a screenplay by hand. You can do this with any word processor, but Final Draft is considered the industry standard. It’s expensive, yes, but you’re going to need it if you want to get serious about screenwriting properly. Pick it up as soon as you can and spend a lot of time with it. It will become your best friend.
When sitting down to flesh out your idea, you’re going to want to start with a treatment. This is a very important step in the writing process. These are typically five to six pages long and detail the movie from start to finish. Some can run even longer, up to thirty pages or more. Treatments will let you see how your movie will progress and allow you to make changes to the basic story without having to re-write an entire script. It’ll also give you an idea on movie length. Is it a feature or a short? You’ll also have a chance to see all your characters, how they react, and how the story flows. Treatments typically do not contain dialogue, though you can add a few lines here and there to get a sense of how they meld with the story. Keep a treatment basic: don’t add a lot of explosions or camera movements. Leave those for your actual script. What you’re doing with a treatment is seeing if your idea is feasible and if it can make a good story.
Once your treatment is done, you’re going to begin writing your screenplay. Try and follow your treatment as best you can so as not to muddle the story or make it unreadable. When writing dialogue, make it as natural as you can. Imagine yourself saying the lines and envision how characters react. Doing so will keep the dialogue grounded. While you can get as creative as you want, you need to keep budget constraints in mind. The more you do, the more it’ll cost, and most producers will take that into consideration before taking on your project. Keep the budget down by using as few locations and characters as possible, shying away from massive action scenes or stunts, and avoiding “throw away” scenes, or scenes that have no bearing on the plot itself. Once you’re done, make sure you register the script with the Writer’s Guild of America. This will ensure your work is protected from copyright infringement.
Once your screenplay is done, it’s time for re-writes. Read through your script from start to finish, acting out your character’s dialogue and get a sense for how the story actually sounds. Make any changes you feel are necessary. If you’re happy with it, and it’s properly proofread, start hunting for producers. These are people whose sole job is to promote and produce your script. Find one willing to work on an untried writer. Typically, these producers focus on independent productions. If your script is good enough, they might want to pick it up and run with it. If this is the case, do any rewrites they want and work with them to get the project started. They typically won’t want you to change your entire story, but always keep in mind you’re the creative mind behind this. Don’t compromise your vision for theirs. Be tenacious, but not bullheaded. If your script isn’t selling, rewrite it or scrap it for a new one.
Stay with it long enough and you just might have the next big blockbuster on your hands.
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