Have you spent too much time…

• Worrying about the “correct” way to format a phone call, montage or time lapse, etc.?

• Wondering if a reader will throw your script in the trash if you add camera angles, bold your sluglines or use italics, etc?

• Getting confused by all the contradictory advice available on screenplay format online and in screenwriting books?

Since there are no definitive formatting "rules," much of it is subjective. So, instead of explaining things in terms of “right” or “wrong” rules, we focus instead on choices.

Some formatting choices put readers off. Others don't, by keeping things clear, concise and consistent. This book shows you how to make choices that do the latter. 

After working through Master Screenplay Formatting, you will:

• Avoid all of the rookie mistakes 95% of aspiring writers make when it comes to screenplay format: sluglines, description and dialogue.

• Understand why clarity is so important when it comes to spec script formatting, and how to improve it so the reader can focus on the story.

• Learn why it’s okay to do “forbidden” things like use camera angles or bold your sluglines, despite what you may have heard from some so-called screenwriting experts.

• Discover how to format a screenplay in the clearest, most concise way possible in order to improve your script’s readability and engagement with the story. 

• Fully understand the difference between spec screenplay and professional screenplay format, and the best choices (rather than "rules") you should make.

• Part 1: The Nuts & Bolts. Master the overall basics of screenplay formatting, including the title page, spec screenplay format vs. pro screenplay format, the importance of software and some tell-tale amateur mistakes to avoid before page one.

• Part 2: Sluglines. Get a handle on sluglines as we break them down into their four main components—interior/exterior, location, time, special information—and discover the biggest “errors” we see aspiring writers make again and again.

• Part 3: Description. As with sluglines, we break description down into three parts: action lines, camera angles and transitions. Again, using examples, we lay out the very best and worst ways to format each.

• Part 4: Dialogue. We analyze three areas—character names, actor directions and the actual dialogue itself—indicating what to avoid, along with rock-solid suggestions as to what to do instead.

• Part 5: Moving Forward. Finally, we end with some resources, recommended further reading and tips to keep improving your screenplay format. We also talk a little about how a fear of writing itself may be a part of your current formatting issues.