Tips for screenwriters by screenwriters.
A screenplay is arguably the most important tool in filmmaking. There is no movie or television show without a script or screenplay. A screenplay serves as the blueprint for the entire project. It shows the director the story being told, the actors what lines to say or actions to do, or the art department the …
Movie scripts, or known in the industry as screenplays, are the blueprints that producers, directors, cast members and everyone in between rely on to produce the film. Simply put: without the screenplay there is no movie to work on. So how long does it take to write a screenplay? On average, professional screenwriters can write …
Staring at the blank page is daunting, and decision fatigue is real. When you can write anything, what do you write? This “paralysis of indecision” that so many writers feel leads them to turn to external resources to help structure their stories. And with good reason — most films follow the same narrative arc, so …
One of the most important things to understand when writing a screenplay is story structure. Formulating a beginning, middle, and end into a compelling script is essential to keeping you on track as you write and keeping readers interested. Because of this, many different methods for organizing screenplays and stories are used. From Joseph Campbell’s …
There are a lot of ways to come up with characters when you’re writing a screenplay. Some may be inspired by people you know or yourself, and other times these characters will be fictional. Either way, it’s important to flesh your characters out completely, and a great way to do this is to have a …
When you are coming up with a story, it’s important to have a plot that moves forward at an engaging pace. Oftentimes, movies will have an object, goal, or person that serves as motivation for the characters or is something they pursue. This object is called a MacGuffin. Essentially, the definition of a MacGuffin is …
We’ve all heard the terms protagonist and main character, and they are frequently used interchangeably. Oftentimes they appear synonymous, especially in stories where there is a clear leading character that the plot revolves around them. While these terms are closely related, they are not the same. In fact, understanding the difference between a protagonist and …
Last month we answered the question, “Can A Screenwriter Be A Director?” Now it’s time to answer whether or not a screenwriter can be an actor. The simplest answer is yes, a screenwriter can also be an actor. Sometimes a screenwriter even act in their own movies, and there are many examples of this happening. …
As an aspiring TV screenwriter, your goal is to write television because you love TV. Whether you’re a network sitcom junkie or a premium content binge streamer, TV is your passion, and now you want to make it your career. How much does a TV writer make? TV screenwriters are paid according to their industry …
During the development process of a movie, the division of roles can become blurred. While having levels of bureaucracy can increase efficiency, there are times where we as filmmakers don’t want to have to sacrifice creative vision. A huge example of this is screenwriters selling a script but not being involved in the movie’s making. …