Tips for writing a screenplay

The world is a crazy place, so many writers that it gets so confusing i.e., the wannabee writer, the money-making writer, the “copy” writer, the script writer, the JavaScript writer, the content writer, the play writer… did I miss any?

To make it easier, it’s straight to the point, here we are only writing about tips for writing a screenplay without coding.

Writing a novel, writing a play and writing a screenplay requires focusing on specific areas and writing styles each in its craft. Here we are focusing on screenplays.

1) Dialogue

Screenplays are only dialogue based. There are a handful of screenplays that come out in a form of a book format for the public to purchase. With screenplays, dialogue would need to be mastered along with pacing the story using elements of a screenplay such as setting, climax, and plot, actually, here you can sift out all the elements required for screenplays.

Describing the characters and putting the setting in perspective to what the writer is envisioning for the screenplay is important, but dialogue dominates the screenplay. Why? The screenplay aims to become the visual outcome by means of either a short film, episode or movie. The dialogue has to distinguish one character from another and depending on the role the characters will play the parts (dialogue) would need to fit. For a successful screenplay (at this point an investment), the characters by means of their dialogue face complex roles that require excellent dialogue.

Dialogue is everything when it comes to screenplays, imagine this, the screenplay is the final piece that is required to produce and direct it and so imagine if it becomes a flop due to the dialogue and the audience is lost very early on in the movie, series or short film? The budget for this project and the results would determine the continuation of the series, movie, short film and screenplay writer for the scriptwriter to stand out so that they could continue writing and remain in their profession. Their success in their portfolio wins them work and recognition.

Dialogue is the most important, in my opinion in the tips for writing a screenplay.

 

2) “Write” to the point

When writing a screenplay, the scriptwriter needs to feel rather than write. With writing a novel the author can take their time and not limit what they want to write through word count. Taking longer at writing the setting and descriptions are not aspects that a novelist worries about, however, when it comes to screenplays elements being described to the filmmaker would need to be written out sweet, short and to the point.

The example below is a piece from my novel https://tdenchpatel.com/purchase-the-south-african-roamer/ which is why it’s a novel and not a screenplay.

Example:

Chapter title: All stars pg. 33

Doosh! Doosh! Doosh! Doosh!

Tuuu ru…Tuu ru… (You both look at each other and start singing the beat.) Tuu ru…

 

You and Duran: Tuu ru…Tuu ru (Turning up the volume and making sure that the bass is on.)

Tuuu ru…Tuu ru…Tuu ru… (You lower the windows.) Tooot tooot turu (The wind is flying through yours and Duran’s hair)

Da! Da! Da (The bass is flying out of the car into the air.)

 

Cold coolin at a lounge and I can’t find some ladies
but like Eiffel 65 said, I better get my keys.

…

You both don’t know the rest of the words but shake your heads to the bass and wait for your favourite part.

…

So, I fashionably walked over, to the other side with my tequila
I asked the girl, why you so shy? She said,

 

Duran and you scream: Funky Cool Cantina

…

Duran and you scream again: Funky Cool Cantina

…

So, I gave it to my ferret when he was hungry,
then he licked my finger looked at me
and did something very funky.
He used to bite me and was much, much meaner

 

Duran and you sing: But now all the neighbours’ pets run to my house for the Funky Cool Cantina

…

Duran sings: I went up to this woman,

she said, hi, my name is Carmen (You can’t stop laughing at Duran’s imitation of a woman’s voice)

That is why a screenplay is a script and not a novel. Screenplays roughly sit at 90 to 120 pages, so the above script has way too many lines to demonstrate its point in a 2-minute scene in terms of movie time. Why? Did you notice that there are two characters, they each have their own parts to play, even their script and then the song itself which had to be created to not breach Copywrite infringement? Could this piece be written out better, to the point and still come across the same way it’s been demonstrated above? Yes. This is what makes novels different to screenplays.

 

Let’s try again now for the likes of a screenplay.

 

You and Duran: (You both look at each other and start singing the beat.) Tuu ru…

(Going along with a funky upbeat song)

Duran: Tuu ru…Tuu ru (Turning up the volume and making sure that the bass is on.)

You: (You lower the windows.) (As you sing along on the beat the wind is flying through yours and Duran’s hair)

(The bass loud from the windows.)

 (Lyrics of the song continue)

You both don’t know the rest of the words but shake your heads to the bass and wait for your favourite part.

(Lyrics of the song continue)

Duran and you scream: Funky Cool Cantina

Duran and you sing along together.

(Lyrics of the song continue)

Duran sings: I went up to this woman, she said, hi, my name is Carmen (You can’t stop laughing at Duran’s imitation of a woman’s voice)

21 lines from the original script down to 15 lines, however, it can be shortened even further by the filmmaker because the ideas that he/she has on bringing this script to life is different from the scriptwriter. Once the script or screenplay leaves the hands of the scriptwriter the Copywrite may no longer belong to the scriptwriter (depending on the agreement) meaning the director and producer can change pieces of the script according to their own discernment.

3) Don’t spoon-feed the audience

We have no idea who is sitting in the audience, I mean in the audience we could have Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan, Jeremy Slater, Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, scientists etc. Don’t underestimate the audience’s intelligence. Writing a screenplay that could be really intelligently thought through or has conventional concepts may cause the writer to overthink or doubt if the audience will get it. There are many insecurities that writers have with regard to their work, especially concerning the audience but knowing that what the audience gets and doesn’t get isn’t entirely up to the writer (it can be up to the writer too), however, the final outcome is decided on by the director of the film, series or short film. Intelligent people pick it up, someone on high-level frequencies will pick it up even with the final outcome ticking the boxes of the majority of the audience.

4) Write what you want

I believe this was the advice of the Batman screenplay writer (still in question), however, even as a novelist I can give the same advice. Write what you’ve been thinking of a lot, or that has been brewing in your mind. Perhaps it’s only when you reach the moment you have to write is when it all comes to you. Leave the director or those viewing your script to decide whether it’s worth their investment or not. Sure, learn how to write a screenplay, master the craft but ultimately what is coming to you, is coming to you with a good reason (only the movie Gods know why) and writing that which you want doesn’t ever become a waste of time whether it ends up becoming a movie or not, it might end up becoming a series, or a winner in another area. Every piece of writing serves to become better and better on the next topic. Here’s some food for thought, that series, Lost maybe you’re meant to have more cast and crew also trying to achieve breakthrough success on levels which only the movie Gods know!

5) Don’t lose the reader at the beginning

You might have a great plot and idea; you imagine it and can see it visually and now it’s time to bring it to life through writing your screenplay. Remember you’re not writing a novel so; you would need to begin captivating the audience as you continue towards the greater plot. Sure, it could end up being quite predictable in the beginning, like most movies, series or short films, I mean think about it, how many movies do people watch with their kids, girlfriends, boyfriends, husbands, wives, friends, etc? How is your script going to be different from the next scriptwriter?

I guess I can think of many differences because I am a novelist and an author of a children’s book about where craft can become mastery with screenplays but who am I to advise you? I have decided to get the best information I could find out there to give you more screenwriting tips. Take a look at the links below.

10 Things filmmakers should know about screenwriting

Screenwriting tips

Basic steps to writing a screenplay

Seven things novelists should know about screenwriting

Once I tried to write a screenplay and I just got stuck at the part where there was a storm, and then lighting struck me! I couldn’t continue with it, so I made it into a novel.

Yes, another bad joke, don’t tell me you didn’t see it coming?

You can also have a look at the Tips for writing a screenplay short video.

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In the next article, I will be going into why write in active voice rather than passive voice.

Yours sincerely

T. Dench Patel