How to write a screenplay for beginners.
Do you have a burning desire to see your stories brought to life on the big (or small) screen? Do you have a story you want to bring to the world but aren’t sure where to start?
Whether you want to adapt a novel or a stage play, or haven’t written anything at all yet, you’re in the right place.
We’re going to show you a step-by-step process for developing and writing a screenplay from scratch.
From the initial research phase to the crucial steps of outlining, writing, and seeking feedback and revision.
Everything you need to know to get started as a writer is right here, so let’s do it!
How to write a screenplay for beginners:
Step 1. Choose a genre.
Let’s get one crucial fact out of the way up front: Screenwriting isn’t as easy.
You need to know what you’re doing if you’re going to be successful at it. And so understanding the core principles of storytelling, character development, dialogue techniques, etc. is absolutely crucial.
Where to start?
First, if you don’t know already, or if you, say, write novels in a multitude of genres, you need to focus on just one.
Your first step as a beginner screenwriter is to decide what single genre you want to write in and specialize in it. This is because it’s much better to be a master of one genre than mediocre at several.
What genre of movies and shows do you generally like to watch the most? Chances are that whatever it is, should be the one you write in.
Immerse yourself in your chosen genre.
Watch as many famous movies or shows in that genre as you can. Find a “Top 100” list and watch every single one. Don’t be a passive watcher. Become a student. Take notes on what works and what doesn’t. Be obsessive. Out-Tarantino Tarantino when it comes to this stuff.
How to write a screenplay for beginners:
Step 2: Research the craft.
Ignore those who say reading screenwriting books is pointless. Read as many as you can.
The men who wrote the Declaration of Independence didn’t do so in a vacuum—without reading other important works beforehand. The same applies to screenwriting. Don’t try to write a script without context.
Take action: Check out our list of the best screenwriting books to get started.
Of course, reading screenwriting books isn’t enough. The best way to learn how to write a screenplay is to read screenplays. Similarly, you wouldn’t pick up an electric guitar and try to learn to play by reading a book on it. You’d listen to pro players and try to copy their style.
It’s the same way with writing a script. By studying the structure, character development, and dialogue techniques used by professional screenwriters, you can gain valuable insights into what makes a successful script.
Take action: Download and read these 50 best feature screenplays and/or 50 best TV scripts.
How to write a script for beginners:
Step 3: Brainstorm.
With your research complete, it’s time to dive into the writing process—starting with brainstorming.
What kind of stories do you enjoy?
Identify ideas and themes that you would be genuinely excited to see on screen.
As a beginner it can often be a good idea to start by writing what you know. Pull from your personal experience, and make sure your idea interests and excites you thematically.
Think high-concept.
High-concept ideas are a great place to start for beginner screenwriters. In other words, a story that instantly grabs attention and has wider commercial appeal.
Movies like Inception and Palm Springs, TV shows like Dexter and Poker Face can all be considered high-concept. Learn as much you can about high concept ideas and how to utilize them in your concepts.
Take action: Read our post on high-concept ideas and how to apply them to your story.
Logline your concept.
One of the best ways to brainstorm is by writing solid loglines for your story ideas. What’s a logline?
A logline is a sentence or two that sums up the core conflict of your story. It’s the foundation that you will build your script on. For example…
A truffle hunter who lives alone in the Oregon wilderness must return to his past in Portland in search of his beloved foraging pig after she is kidnapped.
A happily married woman falls for the artist who lives across the street.
A group of friends who meet regularly for game nights find themselves entangled in a real-life mystery when the shady brother of one of them is seemingly kidnapped by dangerous gangsters.
A Chicago advertising man must struggle to travel home from New York for Thanksgiving, with a lovable oaf of a shower-curtain-ring salesman as his only companion.
When a woman’s abusive ex takes his own life and leaves her his fortune, she suspects his death was a hoax. As a series of coincidences turn lethal, she works to prove that she’s being hunted by someone nobody can see.
Take action: For more information about how to write a successful logline read this post.
Write your story in prose.
After you’ve come up with your idea, write it out in prose form. Find your beginning, middle, and end. The core of your story. These benchmarks will eventually become your basic screenwriting three-act structure.
Take action: Use this guide to help you understand story structure.
Develop your characters.
The most important part of the brainstorming process is to flesh out your characters and their goals.
The number one downfall of spec scripts is characters not having a goal. Don’t fall into this trap. (And not just your protagonist either. Flesh out all of your characters’ goals.)
But primarily, make sure you know what your main characters want and how they plan on getting it.
Take action: Use our guide to character arcs for advice.
What do you want to say about people/the world?
Lastly, make sure you know what you are trying to say with your script before you start writing. Every movie and TV show has an underlying message beneath the narrative.
Of course, some are more obvious than others, but they all have one. You’re writing your screenplay for a reason. You want to say something. You want to tell an important story.
Make sure you know your theme or not only will you get lost as you write, but the reader will feel the story lacks substance.
Take action: For more on theme check out 3 Superb Ways to Express Your Script’s Message.
Get feedback.
Once you’ve come up with a solid idea, get as much feedback as you can. You want to make sure your story has legs before you waste any time writing it. If you don’t have any friends or family in the industry to give notes, we can help.
Don’t make the mistake of writing an entire script around an idea that hasn’t been properly vetted. You could save yourself months of rewrites by simply tweaking the concept or story beforehand.
How to write a screenplay for beginners:
Step 4: Write your outline.
What’s an outline? After you’ve written the story out in prose, it’s a good idea to try to break it down into the scenes that make up each act.
Creating an outline like this is a crucial step in the writing process. Not every screenwriter works this way, but writing without one can be like trying to navigate through woods without a trail.
This step may be the most difficult and time-consuming, but it’s also one of the most important, especially for beginners .
How do you write an outline?
Outlining techniques vary from writer to writer. Some people just write their outline in Pages or Word. Others use notecards. Some use storyboarding apps or screenwriting software.
The most important thing to remember is to be as detailed as you can. Flesh out everything. Story structure is particularly important here, so make sure it is solid.
If your outline is lacking, you could be looking at several rounds of rewrites. Spare yourself the pain and put a lot of thought and effort into your outline.
Take action: Our step-by-step guide How to write a script outline that will save you months of rewrites will be extremely helpful as you’re starting to outline.
When your outline is complete get feedback.
There’s nothing worse than going from outline to script only to discover that something isn’t working.
Show it to someone (not your mom) in the industry or pay for notes. Script Reader Pro has helped many aspiring screenwriters see the wood through the trees via our story notes services.
How to write a screenplay for beginners.
Step 5: Write your script.
Now that you have a solid outline, it’s finally time to write.
Choose your screenwriting software.
Before you get started, make sure you are using the proper software. Screenplay formatting is very specific, so you want to use a program that does the heavy lifting for you.
Don’t worry, we’ve already done the research here: Screenwriting Software: The 7 Best Programs Compared. There are also a number of free programs available if you don’t want to break the bank.
Write a first draft.
As you start writing, stick as closely to your outline as possible, but don’t worry if it changes. Sometimes you discover something new during the writing process that you didn’t see while outlining. This is more than okay.
That said, be careful not to deviate too much from your initial structure. Changing too much could cause your entire story to crumble.
Make sure all of your dialogue feels natural, written in a way that people actually talk.
Less is almost always more. After all, film is a visual medium. The words on the page are only half of it. It’s best to show instead of tell.
Take action: Check out our post, Show Don’t Tell: How to Turn a Talky Script into a Visual Masterpiece.
Lastly, do your best not to overwrite. One of the biggest mistakes beginner writers make is doing too much. Keep it simple.
This isn’t poetry or fiction. Every single line—whether action or dialogue—should be clear and concise.
Of course, you want to make sure you have a distinct voice but don’t fall prey to any of the common writing style pitfalls.
Take action: You can find the most popular things to NOT do in a script here.
How to write a script for beginners.
Step 6: Get feedback and revise.
As the cliche goes, writing is rewriting. The revision process is where your script will truly take shape. After your first draft is complete, send it to industry contacts for feedback, or use a professional script coverage service.
Listen to the notes that resonate with you and leave the others behind. It may take a few rounds of feedback and rewrites to get your script up to snuff, but it will be worth it once you have a polished script in hand.
It’s extremely important to get eyes on your script to make sure it makes sense and really packs a punch. Get as many notes as you can from trusted sources.
FAQs on how to write a screenplay for beginners.
Q. How do I start screenwriting as a beginner?
A. Starting is the hardest part. If writing a whole screenplay seems too daunting at first, try writing a short film. Short films follow the same 3-act structure with a beginning, middle and end. Watch some short films to get a feel for them, and read short film scripts. Get feedback on a few five- or ten-page scripts and then have a go at a full feature.
Q. Can I write a screenplay with no experience?
A. Every famous screenwriter who ever lived was exactly where you are at one point: a beginner with zero experience. Everyone has to start somewhere as they say, so just start 🙂
Q. How long is a script for a two-hour movie?
A. One page of screenplay roughly equals one minute of screen time. Therefore, a movie-length screenplay is anywhere between 90-120 pages. (But aim for the lower end of that scale if you can.)
Q. I’m over 40. Am I too old to learn how to write a screenplay as a beginner?
A. Nope. While agism does exist in the industry it’s not much of a big deal if you’re writing features. Older TV writers might experience more pushback, but feature film writers generally break in in their 30s, 40s, 50s. Check out this post on agism in Hollywood for more info.
Conclusion.
Don’t get too precious about first efforts. It’s extremely rare that a writer’s very first script will be fantastic. But don’t sweat it. View this first script as an initial step on a long winding road toward becoming a successful screenwriter.
It requires dedication, creativity, and a strategic approach but, hopefully, by following the info outlined in this blog post, you’ve gained some valuable insights that’ll help you along the way.
With some determination (and a little luck), you’ll get there. And don’t forget we’re here to help. You can book a free 15-min discovery call here to discuss just how.
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What do you think of our six steps on how to write a screenplay for beginners? Have you tried writing a script, or this is your first time? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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