HOW TO WRITE A SCREENPLAY

How often have you heard someone watching a TV, or after having come out of a movie say: “I could write something better than that”!

The truth is that just about everyone has a story worth telling.   So why don’t they?  Because they do not know how to write a screenplay – and that’s what we are going to look at.

Most successful artists are very particular about their tools.   The screenplay writer is no different. The key to writing is being organized – even if your writing area isn’t.  Before even writing a single word, you must have an inner road map that your characters are going to generally follow.

If you are writing a novel, you CAN come to the workplace with a general idea, because a novelist can take the time to ramble and develop his descriptive talents.   A screenwriter cannot!

Just like any muscle, the writing ‘muscle’ has to be exercised on a regular basis.   The regularity of sitting in front of your computer for specified periods of time is critical in training the subconscious that THIS time is when you are going to call on your creativity.   In order to learn how to write a screenplay you have to understand the discipline of STRUCTURE.  You do not have the luxury of allowing your script to evolve into 300 pages.   It will not get read if it does not conform to an industry standard of between 110 and 120 pages.

The basic structure of the three part screenplay is:

• 1) Establish you character and general situation ,
• 2) force him up a tree and throw rocks at him and
• 3) get him down again.

For the first part you get the audience to know something about the character and his situation - enough to care.

In the second part, a situation must be created that goes against your characters comfort zone.  He must have a nemesis that is trying to destroy everything he stands for and take a personal dislike to him.   This ‘bad’ guy takes pleasure in putting your hero up that tree and making it as uncomfortable as possible.

In the final third part, our hero needs to overcome all odds and ‘payoff’ the bad guy’s deeds.

If it is that simple, then why isn’t everyone you know a screenwriter?  The answer is they do not know how to write a screenplay.

So let us say that you have a clear idea of what your three acts are going to be.   Well, now you begin to develop the characters.   They have to play off each other and either support or  destroy our main character.   Any time the characters are neutral, the screenplay is dead.   Would you even want to watch Pacino and Deniro discussing what they saw on TV last night?  Probably not, because you saw the same program – so why would you pay to hear someone else discuss what you already saw?   Now, what if the characters were discussing burgers?  Still not interested?  How about if those characters were revealed to be contract killers and were about to knock off other bad guys?   Suddenly the dialogue about a Big Mac ‘Royale’ becomes a dramatic counterpoint in “Pulp Fiction”.   Anybody could learn how to write a screenplay in which the characters discuss the essence of a burger, but it takes a considerable writing skill such as Quentin Tarentino to make the dialogue about a burger become riveting!

So yes,  most people could learn how to write a screenplay – but would anyone want to watch their movie?

The reality of screenplay writing is that there are literally thousands of screenplays being promoted EACH week.   Visit LA and let it be known you are a movie producer.  In five minutes you will learn that you are surrounded by screenwriters – even the bagging girl at the checkout! 

So what does it take to become a screenwriter, besides learning how to write a screenplay?   It takes discipline – to sit at your workplace, even when you are not sure what you are going to write.   It takes having a thick skin, so that when the inevitable rejections come, you do not BELIEVE in their judgment as to your potential.   It take major BELIEF in yourself and that you have something unique to offer.   But MOST of all it takes LUCK!

The film industry is littered with great scripts that never got made:  

• Directors fall out with producers.  
• A great idea yesterday turns into a pariah today. 
• The studio that WAS going to make your picture has changed the studio head and HE wants to stamp his own directorial policy on his new position – and you were chosen by the previous head! 

There are a million legitimate reasons why Hollywood should not immediately fall at your feet – but YOU are going to overcome this.   If you do not believe this, then do not even attempt to learn how to write a screenplay!  If you DO believe in yourself, then hey – why shouldn’t it be you that gets lucky?!

So yes, learning how to write a screenplay isn’t so difficult.  The difficult part comes AFTER you have written the screenplay.