Learning Film Making Part Five: Screenwriting

Writing a good script can take a lot of patience. How successfully you write is based primarily on one thing: how well you know your characters and your story. If you carry that knowledge with you and are able to talk about your story as if it was something that had actually happened, the screenwriting stage will be much easier.

Even if you have all that information at your disposal, you still need to know the basics of screenplay formatting. If your script looks professional, people are much more likely to associate its substance with professionalism. There are several screenwriting programs available; however, they may be out of your price range (in the hundreds). Formatting modifications to Microsoft Word are out there on the internet, which will help you with the what-goes-where side of the writing process. If not that, look up a screenplay online, copy the format, and try to duplicate it to the best of your ability. Never let your lack of resources hold you back from working on your movie.

Based on previous experience reading amateur screenplays (some good, mostly bad), I can you offer you several key points to keep in mind:

1. Stay away from large blocks of description paragraphs. Some writers get carried away with the amount of detail they can envision in a scene, so they make the mistake of writing a large paragraph of information when a simple line would have worked. A reader's eyes get anxious and dart ahead to where the dialogue picks up again. Always shorten descriptions and only keep the essential parts.

2. Use monologues sparingly. When a character speaks in a novel, they are given the freedom to say any sentence no matter how tongue-twisting and challenging it may be. In a screenplay, dialogue has to be altered because it is intended to be spoken aloud. Ten-line monologues can often be segmented into shorter pieces. I suggest saying every line out loud to yourself and asking whether or not it sounds realistic. Occasional clunky dialogue is okay if it is absolutely necessary, but do not be upset when actors start changing your lines because you wrote them as impossible babble.

3. Pace your screenplay well. Make sure that something is always happening or else the reader will lose interest. Follow long scenes with a couple short scenes. Three or more long scenes in a row spell disaster and might have the audience falling asleep. Every single scene had better encounter a turning point or reveal something about the characters. If a scene does not advance the plot, cut it. The only exception to this rule is writing in the comedy genre. A comedy's aim is to find funny while telling a story, so a scene finding funny should be kept in. Just do not get carried away or people will grow tiresome and crave narrative.

4. Write with budget in mind. I am assuming that if you are reading these articles, you intend to film this script on your own. The best way to accomplish this is to keep limitations on your mind while you are writing. Aside from the obvious advice of not writing in any large explosions, be careful when writing locations, because some might not be available to you. Since an airport scene simply would not be possible, either scratch the scene or find a creative alternative. You also may be able to disguise a similar location into looking like an airport lobby as long as you film the scene in close-ups. Whatever the case, stay constantly aware of what you have to work with.

5. Keep something bubbling beneath the surface. The biggest mistake you could make while writing a very mysterious character is to reveal everything about him. Keep your character's guard up. Have him lie to others as well as himself. A hesitation to answer a question or a certain facial expression can serve as a much more powerful hint than coming out and saying something in words. Things that are not said can often be as fascinating as the things that are.

6. Every single word must count. It is important to drive this advice home. The key to a good screenplay is economy. If a line of description could be said in five words instead of ten, change it. Respect the readers' time and reward them for their constant attention. By walking through your screenplay and scrutinizing the importance of every word, you will set your story to a higher standard than most other amateur scripts.

These six tips are only meant to serve as helpful reminders instead of a complete set of guidelines. Study up on screenwriting. There are countless books written about the subject. Several websites have large collections of free, published screenplays available online, so look up your favorite movie and read the script.

Most importantly, start to gain experience. I do not believe that you have to be born with the talent in order to write well. Writing is about dedication. If you were told that you had to write one hundred screenplays before you wrote a decent one, what would you do? If your response is to cringe while deciding that this is not quite the job for you, then this is not quite the job for you. Instead your response should be, "One hundred screenplays? I better get started." I firmly believe writing ability is directly proportionate to how hard the writer is willing to work.