Who doesn’t secretly wish they could be standing on the podium when watching the Olympics? Or play the guitar like Hendrix? Same goes with how to write a screenplay. Look to the best to learn and find your artistic path.

As they say, “It all starts on the page.” Which is why you should study as many scripts as you can prior to starting on your own screenplay. But the truth is that reading and studying scripts should be a career-long pursuit regardless of how long you’ve been writing your own.

Great scripts will not only inspire you to write one of your own. They can also help you understand the more technical elements like dialogue and action lines that made these scripts gripping well before they were made into films.

A lot of emphasis is put on the need for scripts to be great before production begins. Makes sense. But a script–even a fantastic one!–is only a precursor to what it’s ultimately supposed to be: a movie.

It’s just as important for emerging Screenwriters to watch compelling movies to better understand how a written story can make for a visually enthralling experience. When possible, Writers should read the script and watch the film version of a story to see how it translates from screenplay to screen.

Once you’re ready to tackle your own script, it’s time to move on to the next step of how to write a screenplay–choosing your screenwriting software.

From reading other scripts, you likely have already figured out that screenplays come with a format all their own. They’re not poems. They’re not prose. They’re not newspaper articles or novels.

Check out this video for a deep dive into some of your screenwriting software options.

All to say that you need a screenwriting software program to help you properly format your script. Keep in mind a few essential elements when researching scripting software:

While there is a formatting standard in screenwriting, each software program you come across likely has its own way of helping you write one. You may like the functionality of one or the intuitiveness of another. All to say, test out a few options before committing to one.

Why? Because the program that’s easiest for you to navigate will likely make it easier for you to sit down in front of that computer screen and commit to writing on a regular basis. Some of the more popular screenwriting programs include:

• Arc Studio
• Celtx
• Fade In
• Final Draft
• Storyist
• Movie Magic Screenwriter
• Page 2 Stage
• Slugline
• Trelby
• WriterDuet

Many software programs offer some kind of free trial period, so you don’t have to break the bank while deciding which one will best help you learn how to write a screenplay.

Just 40 years ago, there was no such thing as software programs of any kind. That meant screenwriters were forced to punch out their scripts via typewriter and be vigilant about making sure they were formatting them correctly.

Between your screenwriting software and other learning resources, there’s no excuse for poor screenplay formatting. This video breaks down the most common formatting elements.

Nowadays, screenwriting software does most of the work for us. That’s great, but it’s important to understand the function of each screenwriting element so that you are making purposeful decisions with each scene heading, action line, and parenthetical used in your screenplays.

Some of the most common screenplay elements are:

• Scene headings: Also referred to as slug lines. They typically include where the scene takes place (interior or exterior space), the specific location, and the time of day.
• Character names: The character name or ID will always sit above the dialogue of that character. To make it easy on your reader, give your characters distinct names. For example, don’t have your main protagonists be named Donnie and Dannie or Jane and Joan.
• Action lines: Keep action lines concise and relevant to what can be described visually.
• Dialogue: Dialogue should be dynamic and specific to the character saying it. A good rule of thumb is would you know who’s saying a particular line of dialogue if you didn’t have the character name?
• Parentheticals: Used to provide more context to how a line of dialogue is intended to be spoken. Use sparingly.
• Extensions: Extensions are used to provide context to dialogue as well. Specifically, to denote if dialogue is being spoken off screen or as voiceover.
• Subheaders: Subheaders can be useful to denote more specific locations within a scene. For instance, you might open on a house but use subheaders to indicate different rooms in it.
• More/Cont’d: Often the inclusion of “More” or “Cont’d” is done automatically by your screenwriting software. They denote a character who continues their dialogue after a page break or break for other reasons (like an action line).
• Fade In/Fade Out: Often the first and last words of a screenplay.
• Montage: The inclusion of the term “Montage” or “Montage Begins” or a variant of that phrasing might be used to show a rapid series of scenes within a script.

Most formatting elements you will use in every single screenplay you write, so it’s important to fully understand the purpose of each and how they work together to tell a story.

Don’t make screenwriting any harder than it needs to be… Before you to write “FADE IN,” make sure you’ve done the preliminary work. Whatever you intend to write, whatever story you want to tell, be as prepared as possible to write the story you’re visualizing in your head.

First, let’s talk about loglines. A logline is a single sentence that provides a concise, clear, and compelling account of your script’s story. Sounds like an impossible task, doesn’t it?

But it can be done. More importantly, it must be done. Many Producers, Studio Executives, and others who may be interested in your screenplay will first want to hear your logline before committing to reading a 100-page script.

It’s a little sentence that must convey a lot. This video breaks down how to write an effective logline.

However, the logline is equally important for making sure you stay true to the story you intend to tell. Of course, you can change the logline should you decide that your story should change. But in many cases, it serves as a valuable touchstone as you write your script to ensure that you’re not veering away from the foundation of your story.

Now on to the outline.

Every Screenwriter will have their own preferred method when it comes to using an outline or treatment or beat sheet in preparation for writing their screenplay. But the point that needs to be made here is to have something.

An outline functions very much as a road map that you can follow as you write your script. So can a film treatment or beat sheet, but in most cases, the outline is a more detailed blueprint that offers more precise coordinates for where you want to go.

A few tips as you write your outline:

Every scene in a screenplay should either inform the characters or progress the plot. Ideally, it should do both.

A scene where two characters are just enjoying a nice cup of coffee together is… well… boring. Stories and screenplays are about conflict, which is why every scene should have some element of tension.

Traveling through time. Overcoming an alien attack. Surviving a volcanic eruption. They’re all intriguing concepts, but without equally intriguing characters that experience those circumstances, your screenplay will fall flat.

Your preliminary outline should help in giving you a head-start in creating dynamic, compelling characters, but your work is hardly done yet. It’s vital to the success of your story that you have characters that future audiences love, hate, identify with, or wish to be like.

Whose journey will an audience be following? This is your protagonist, but don’t let the title fool you. “Pro” does not mean perfect. In fact, that would make for a very boring central character. Instead, explore their flaws–especially if those flaws obstruct their goal or want–which is a key element of a compelling protagonist.

Who is getting in the way of the protagonist’s goal? This is your antagonist, but don’t limit yourself strictly to human characters. Yes, an antagonist can be a person like Biff from Back to the Future, Hans Gruber from Die Hard, or Margaret White from Carrie, but it doesn’t have to be.

It can be another species like an alien or giant shark. It can be a force of nature like a volcano or hurricane. But whatever it is, make sure they have their own reasons for existing beyond just making things harder for the protagonist. A great villain is a person or thing that doesn’t think they’re bad at all.

Some stories are so streamlined that you really do have just the protagonist and antagonist. But in most cases, you’re going to have a cast beyond these two characters. If so, make them just as dimensional and necessary to the story as those other key figures. While, yes, supporting characters are there to support the central storyline, they should also have lives, wants, and flaws of their own.

No matter if we’re talking about the protagonist, antagonist, or supporting characters, it’s imperative that every single person in your script have a distinct voice. Just like the people in your own life have individual personalities and ways of moving through the world, so too should the characters you’re creating for your script.

Story structure and the elements commonly associated with it – inciting incident, plot progression, conflict, final climax, and resolution – will by necessity be part of your outline.

This is another reason why outlining your script can be a such an important part of how to write a screenplay: It can help you identify the weaker points of your story.

Before starting a screenplay, it’s important to have on hand the documents that can make that process easier. This video discusses how to create a script outline.

In many cases, there’s actually too little conflict! It makes sense. Screenwriters often fall in love with their characters and don’t want them to suffer. But remember, there is no story if there are no obstacles or stakes on the line.

All to say, be hard on your characters and hard on your story structure. Make sure it organically builds to your final climax. Make sure each plot point makes sense in the world of your story.

For instance, would Luke be as motivated to take on Darth Vader if he didn’t think his family had been murdered by him? That plot point – and conflict arising from it – are necessary for Luke’s decision to become a Jedi and take on the Empire.

Identifying your story structure will also help you figure out which elements are extraneous to it. A tight 90-page script is much better than a bloated 120-page one.

All right, you did your research. You mapped out the trajectory of your story. You developed nuanced and detailed characters. Now it’s time to get down to the business of actually writing your script.

Starting the writing process can truly be the hardest part of creating a screenplay. This video offers some advice on how to get over that creative hump.

Here’s the thing… It will probably be bad. Maybe mediocre. But certainly not great. And that’s okay! It’s just a first draft.

Ease up on having overly high expectations of yourself or your script. Just write. Write through your doubts. Write through your second guesses. Just get it on the page. You can shape it into a masterpiece later.

And we do mean put it away. Or rather don’t open that computer file.

Once you finish the first draft, stop working on your script. Not forever because it certainly will need more work, but at the very least, take off a few days, weeks, or even months. Breathe. Watch more movies and read more screenplays. Maybe brainstorm your next idea. Then come back to your script with fresh eyes.

It’s such an overused phrase, but it’s still entirely true: “Writing is rewriting.” We’re going to take that clump of clay that is called a first draft and make it into a beautiful work of art. But it will take time and lots of edits.

The good news is that if you’ve taken a sufficient beak from that first draft, you’ll see many of the flaws that need to be addressed and can knock them out accordingly.

Editing a script is often easier than initially writing it, but this video offers some additional tips to simplify and smooth out the process. TLDR: Cut whenever possible!

How you go about making edits is largely up to you.

Some Screenwriters focus on a single element at a time. For instance, they’ll do a character pass where they focus only on fixing what’s not working about their protagonist, antagonist, or supporting characters. Similarly, some Writers concentrate only on editing their dialogue or action lines during a pass.

Other Writer just go page by page to strengthen, tweak, or delete whatever’s not working on it. It’s up to you just as long as you do it.

Once you feel like you’ve put in the work and have crafted a strong script, it’s time to see if others feel the same way. Yes, handing off your script to someone else for feedback is a very scary proposition, but it’s also a very necessary part of how to write a screenplay.

You don’t have to share your work with everyone. In fact, we’d recommend against it.

How can you best incorporate the notes you get while staying true to your storytelling vision? This video explains.

Instead, choose just a few people who meet the following criteria:

1. They understand the specific nuances of how to write a screenplay. In other words, not your mom (probably).
2. They’ll give you honest feedback. While it would feel really nice to have someone tell you that your script is perfect in every way and ready to be made into a movie, that’s probably not the case. So find someone who will tell you the truth about what needs additional work.

If you have specific questions that you’d like your reader to pay particular attention to, let them know. That being said, if you trust their opinion, it’s likely that they’ll bring to your attention weak elements that you didn’t even notice. And that’s exactly why we ask for feedback on our scripts!

After you’ve put so much work into your script, the idea of making yet more edits might sound a wee bit demoralizing. But especially when you have others telling you that certain elements aren’t working for them, you owe it to them, yourself, and your story to address those issues.

That doesn’t mean you have to take every single note you get. But if you have two or more people flagging the same problem, take it seriously and try to understand why it’s standing out in your script.

What are some guidelines to keep in mind as you’re writing a screenplay? This video breaks down these important unwritten rules.

Think about it this way… You’re likely going to have only one chance to make an impression on that Manager, Agent, or Producer who has expressed an interest in your script. So it has to be as perfect as possible.

In addition to addressing notes you’re given, look at your script with your own critical eye. Are there scenes, characters, or lines of dialogue that you don’t need? Cut them!

Another common saying in screenwriting is “sometimes you have to kill your darlings.” It can be a heartbreaking experience, but ultimately it’s for the greater good of the story.

Learning how to write a screenplay is an involved undertaking, but one that can help you realize your creative vision. And with practice, you’ll find a series of steps that work for you.

While not an easy task, by fully investing in the process of writing a screenplay, you’ll come out on the other side with a wholly unique work that hopefully will be shared, appreciated, and enjoyed one day by others as a film or TV show.