How To Read More Screenplays
How many scripts have you read in the past month?
Three? Two? None?
We know—it can feel like you’re wasting time, sitting down to read a script for two hours when you should be writing.
But help is at hand…
Why You Should Read Screenplays
As we’ve discussed in a previous post, reading screenplays should be a regular occupation of screenwriters.
We can’t stress enough how important it is to immerse yourself in professionally written scripts. You learn so much about structure, characterization, scenes, writing style, etc.
Basically, how the writer creates EMOTION in the reader from only a dead white piece of paper with some words on it. This is what we are all trying to do, and there’s no better way than learning from those who obviously know how to do it.
So, if you’re like many writers and find it difficult to make time to actually read scripts, do not despair.
Tip to Help Read More Scripts
A great tip to help you read more screenplays is to simply read a short chunk of a screenplay before you start writing your own.
It’s amazing how much easier it is to swallow bite-sized chunks rather than the whole pie at once.
Allocate fifteen minutes before you sit down to write to read that Tootsie script you’ve been meaning to get to for six months.
Or say to yourself you’re going to read ten pages. Twenty. Heck, twenty five!
Those fifteen or twenty pages every time you sit down to write (which should hopefully be everyday!) will mean you’ll finish reading a screenplay every week. Which is more than you’re reading at the moment, right?
Not only will you get through more scripts, but by reading part of a professional script before writing your own is a great way to get the creative juices flowing.
It’s hard to think of a better way to get in the mood to write!
