Tips for Screenwriters: Write a Script in 6 Basic Steps

Tips for Screenwriters: Write a Script in 6 Basic Steps 

So, you've decided to develop your own screenplay but aren't sure where to start? Don't worry, I'm here to assist you.   I'll be sharing some of the tips I've learned from my own experience and from other great writers that you may follow before embarking on your glorious journey to become a great screenwriter!

1. Be authentic:

While writing your script, think about what you want to say to the viewer. In its totality, your script should reflect 'you.' After all, it’s your story. The biggest thing that you can bring to the industry is ‘you’ yourself, where you are coming from, what your life has been, what is your perspective, what is your point of view. Although, it is true that we are all a bunch of clichés (to some level we think and behave like each other), but holistically we all are different. We are unique. We have our own voices. Use that voice in your script. Many new filmmakers and scriptwriters walk into the world wanting to be Tarantino or Scorcese or someone or someone and they just forget that they need to be just themselves. You don’t need to do that. There’s no need to follow someone else’s footsteps, you can create your own footsteps and for doing that you first need to be yourself!

2. Have a clear vision:

Before writing a script, you should first make sure that your own story is clear in your head, i.e., you should know your own story from the inside out. This way, it will be much easier for you to map out your vision in a script format.  As long as your script or story depicts your vision or idea accurately on paper, you are good to go. The point is that anyone who reads your script should not be perplexed and should understand what you're trying to express, because a half-baked script might be disastrous when adapted for the big screen. Your voice (thought or vision you wish to express to the entire world) should come through loud and clear in your work (writing), striking the audience's heart and mind like Zeus's bolt!

 

3. Add depth to your characters:

Make sure that the characters you have created do not fall flat. What I am trying to imply is that depth should be added to the characters. Each and every character of your world (no matter how insignificant the character may be) should have some motivation (behind their actions). To create fleshed out characters, include the reason for your characters' actions, why they are behaving the way they are, their backstory (if any), their milieu (if needed to make the audience understand more about the character), and any other detail that can explain a character's psyche and actions in the script.

It is easier to build conflict if you are familiar with your characters and their desires.

 

4. Show, don’t tell (make your script as visual as possible):

Let’s say you have written a line, “She tries to remember her past”; now how would you convert this line from a scene into your screen?

Unfortunately, you will be unable to convert this line to the screen. Why so?

Because thoughts are intangible and cannot be expressed on the screen. Nobody can actually see what the girl is thinking. Therefore, in order to express her thoughts, you can use a series of flashbacks or montages instead. As scriptwriting is used for the visual medium, externalizing the internal feelings or thoughts is crucial.

There’s a famous saying in the world of cinema, i.e., ‘Show, don’t tell’.

Let me explain this phrase with the help of an example: Let’s say you are writing a scene in which the protagonist is frustrated with something and is fuming with anger. Now, how would you write this scene? Keep in mind that you are not writing a novel where you can just write the character’s inner feelings and continue. Here, you’ll have to write the scene in such a way that can be translated onto the screen visually.

In order to portray the character’s frustration and anger, you can write: ‘The character punches the wall (in rage)’. Here, the action of the character was mentioned and not the feelings or emotions.

So, this was a basic example of ‘Show, don’t tell’.

The rule of ‘Show, don’t tell’ plays a vital role in screenwriting. The entire film ‘The Quiet Place’ is based on ‘Show, don’t tell’.

‘Show, don’t tell’ can be exemplified through:

●        A character’s behaviour or reaction in certain situations.

●        Visual imagery and symbolism

●        Facial expressions, small gestures, change in the tone of the voice

 

5. Format your script properly:

You must format your script properly before showing it to the directors and producers.

The habit of reading has been ingrained into our minds since our childhood due to which it may be tough for some of us to break the barrier of “describing the characters’ feelings” through words. We have always been spoon-fed by books (regarding the inner feelings and thoughts of a character) due to which we are not challenged to think of a scene or situation visually, but in the case of a screenplay, we have to keep in mind how our script will get visually portrayed on a screen. While writing a script, another challenge that many aspiring screenwriters face is the ‘Pacing’ of the script. Knowing how to pace a scene for the screen can be excruciating at times.

This is the part where a screenplay format shines because the aforementioned challenges can be easily tackled by formatting a script.

First and foremost, formatting aids in geography. One can know about the location of the scene (where the action is happening) just by reading the ‘Slugline’.

As the name suggests, the ‘action lines’ are used to describe the character’s action (one can know what the character is ‘doing’ by reading the action line).

This format makes it simple to understand the scene's location, time, and characters. As a result, the reader will have no difficulty understanding your script.  First impressions are important, especially in the field of media, therefore if you want your script to make a good impression on producers, studio readers, managers, directors, or agents, make sure you format it properly before showing it to them.

Every screenplay comprises the following elements and should be formatted in the given sequence:

                 Slugline, Action, Character, Dialogue, Parenthetical

                 

1. Slugline (scene heading)- Slugline is written to describe the location and time of a scene. It should always be in CAPS.

               For instance, the slugline “INT. POLICE STATION - NIGHT”, depicts that the scene occurs in the interior of a police station during the nighttime. INT. stands for Interior (location) while EXT. stand for exterior (location). Use INT/EXT., if your scene takes place in both internal and exterior settings, such as a car chase scenario (where the character is in the car, but the car is on the road).

 

2. Action- This section of a script is used to describe the action (what are the characters doing in a scene) that is taking place in the scene, as the name implies. The action lines explain what the viewer will finally witness on the big screen. Suppose in a scene, if your character is drinking coffee, then it must be mentioned in the action lines (that the character is drinking coffee) below the slugline.

            

3. Character- After giving the description of the location, time and action happening in a scene, you should introduce the characters in all caps (above their dialogues). If the name of your character is mentioned in action, then you may not use CAPS (Character names should only be in Caps when they are introduced and before they deliver their dialogue).

           

       

4. Dialogues and parentheticals- A character's lines must appear as dialogue whenever they speak, whether out loud or via voiceover. If your character is speaking on the phone and is not shown in the scene but is present, you can write ‘O.S’ (stands for ‘Other side’) or O.C (off camera) beside the name of the character in brackets.

               For example: In a scene, there is a telephonic conversation happening between the protagonist and his friend, Rahul.  Rahul is not shown to the audience in the scene (just his voice is audible). You can use ‘O.C or O.S’ in such a case.                                   

                                        RAHUL (O.C)

                                    Hey! How are you?

                                          Akhil

                                          (rudely)

                             Why are you calling me at this time?

5.  Parentheticals can be used to indicate a character's feelings through dialogue. Because Akhil spoke        to his friend harshly in this case, the specific term (rudely) has been added in brackets underneath the character's name. It can be also used to create a pause between two lines or to supply a tone-inducing adjective.

 

6. Divide your screenplay into beats or plot points:

After writing the logline, organize the crucial events (of your script) in sequence. By doing so, you will be creating an outline for your film. Outlining your screenplay will assist you in removing the superfluous elements from your writing. You can outline your screenplay by breaking it down into ‘plot points, story beats, scene descriptions, character arcs, dialogue samples, and act breaks’. One can use this to convert their premise and logline into a full-fledged story.

Major incidents in the film that serve as a catalyst for propelling the plot ahead. There are 7 major plot points that you may include in your screenplay. They are: The Back Story, the Catalyst, the Big Event, the Midpoint, the Crisis, the Climax, and the Realization.

1. The back story of a character is an incident that occurred in his or her life (in the past) that caused them to act in a certain way. Any physiological, psychological, or sociological factor that influenced the character's psyche in the past can have an impact on their behavior or attitude in the present.
2.  Any event that creates a major hurdle in the life of the protagonist and challenges them to push their limits is known as ‘catalyst’.
3. Big event is responsible for creating a gateway to the second act of a film. A significant shift occurs in the protagonist's life during this event.
4. The protagonist's journey reaches a crescendo at the midpoint. He or she does everything in their power to resolve the problem in their life.
5.  After the high of a midpoint, the protagonist's life is shattered by the dreaded crisis. For the lead character, everything seemed to be gone at this point.
6. The climax occurs after the crisis. This is the most dramatic and pivotal moment in a story or film. It's the final showdown between your main character and the antagonist.
7. After the climax, when the protagonist (or protagonists) shows a possibility of growth or change and realizes something new about themselves, we call this point the ‘realization’.

 

So, that was all about screenwriting and how you can also thrive in this field using your creative geniuses. I hope you can implement the tips whilst writing your scripts and make a good name for yourself in the entertainment industry. Wish you all the best, and GODSPEED! -

'Shubham Das '