Become A Hollywood Script Writer

A Beginners Guide To Screenplay Writing

http://www.howtowriteascreenplaythatsells.com

by J. Arthur

How many times have you watched a boring movie and felt that even though you haven't

actually written a screenplay, you can still tell a story better than that Hollywood script

writer?

Maybe it's time for you to stop being a "wishful player" and produce that story that's been

swirling around in that creative brain of yours all these years.

The question for most beginners is; "How do I put my story into a screenplay format?

What is a screenplay exactly? How is it structured? How does one describe characters,

scenes, environments, etc.? How do I write a screenplay that will sell?

There always seems to be such a lack of appropriate guidance and tips on how to start

such a challenge.

Sure, you can find suggestions online, you may even come across some valuable

instruction, but it always seems to fall just short of what you truly need in order to bring

your story to life.

Likewise, when you ask someone of authority how to write a screenplay, chances are

high that they will not provide you with the true guidance in which to see your vision

come to life.

After all, a professional Hollywood script writer won't be roaming around your

neighborhood, knocking on your door, and giving you advice on how to write it (let alone

what production companies and executives would be seeking your script).

Nonetheless, there are some tricks and tips you should know before you hit that

keyboard.

Trick #1: To Dream In A Professional Manner

So here you are, you've got your story in your mind (where it has been locked away for

some time more than likely) and your convinced it will be highly engaging to an

audience.

You believe in your characters, the plot, the sub-plot, the location, all of it...but every

time you sit behind the keyboard, your mind draws a blank and your vision quickly

recedes back into dreamland.

Don't misunderstand me, you must dream your tale before it becomes a reality, the trick

is to dream professionally...meaning you must dream your script as you pound the keys

on your keyboard.

Imagination only takes you so far until work must take over.

Don't worry about writer's block. Every writer experiences days in which nothing will

come forth. Every script has had moments when "writer's block" freezes the artist's mind

to the point where it's difficult to even type the word, "Hello".

The key to you creating the next Hollywood script is to fight that mind-freeze and push

through the fog, even when you have convinced yourself you'd be better off watching a

movie then writing one.

Trick #2: Believable Characters

One of the single greatest challenges for novice writers is getting their characters

believable and likeable (or not-likable). You've got to get

The audience caring about them in one way or the other, so when something happens to

the individual characters, the one reading the script is moved, either to joy or sadness,

pain or comfort, etc.

How does one do that? One very good piece of advice is to write what you already know.

In other words, pick someone you have known -or do know- and describe that person's

quirks, likes, dislikes, habits, mannerism, sense of humor, and all the little things that

make them who they are.

You can always "tweak" those descriptions to more accurately fit the characters in your

screenplay, but it's a solid place to start.

Building off this knowledgeable foundation will produce highly believable and

interesting characters (granted that the person you are basing them on is not mind-

numbingly dull. Yet, on the other hand, one of your characters might be required to be

that way...it's your script, you know who they are...or at least you should).

You need to understand them before your reader can.

At the same token, sometimes your characters will surprise you as he/she evolves.

Sometimes they may even spook you a bit. That is often a natural progress as they are

coming to literary life. You should not fear this, on the contrary, roll with it and see

where it takes you (as long as you keep your screenplay on track, otherwise it can be

construed as lack of focus).

Another tricky realm is describing those traits I mentioned in your characters in order to

bring them to life. There's a saying in writing (book or screenplay) and it goes;

"Show don't tell."

For example:

You don't want to write (tell) the reader that one of your characters is tall by saying;

"Bob is very tall."

That is lacking in imagination and it loses the interest of the reader quickly. Your

characters need to resemble real life beings, and if you think about it, in reality many

traits are not spoken are they? No...they are shown.

You would want to describe (show) Bob's height;

"Bob's lanky frame barely fit through the doorway as he ducked slightly to enter the

room." (description in a novel)

To describe (show) someone who is large one might say;

"Mark was stuffed in the chair in front of the desk." (Screen play description)

That tells the reader either Mark is a big-boy, or the chair is too small for him. Of course

which ever point you want to get across will be up to you. Defining the difference

between the two could be as easy as saying;

"Mark was stuffed into the child's chair in front of the desk."

Something like that.

Another example would be if Steve is broke, and doesn't care, you may describe it this

way;

"Steve stepped over to the mailbox, pulling out the days mail. Entering back into the

house; he sifted through his overdue bills tossing them one by one into the wastebasket."

(that's a bit wordy, more for use in a novel, but you get the point)

*These examples pertain to book-writing more than screenplays perhaps, but the rule

remains steady.

The Difference Between A Novel And A Screenplay In Describing An

Environment And Action:

Here there is a vast difference between book writing, and screenplay. In a novel you

would go into detail about the surroundings (once again though, describing the

environment is always better than telling) in a screenplay the layout is more often then

not;

"EXT. -November 30, 1864 - Franklin, Tennessee - Day"

- or -

INT. Richards Bedroom- Night

The EXT. and INT. naturally stands for "Exterior or Interior"

A screenplay is far more simplified then a novel in this manner, for it is a visual produced

by the director instead of a vision created by the readers imagination.

Also, on a different note; one thing you don't want to do is to "restrict" the characters too

much. In other words, don't dictate every little direction in a characters scene. Example

being;

-Steve picked up the news paper and frowned, as he read the front page article. Finishing

it, he looked up locked eyes with Charlie.

"It was you..." Steve whispered, his hand began to tremble.

Not only is it not formatted correctly, it's way to much info for a screen play.

A screen play describing this would be something like;

EXT. NEWSSTAND ON BROADWAY- DAY

STEVE ROBBINS flipped the magazine attendant a nickel and picked up a paper staring

at the front page. CARLIE MCGEE stood next to him, eating a doughnut and sipping his

coffee. The newspaper in Steve's hand begins to tremble...

STEVE ROBBINS

"It was you.."

CHARLIE MCGEE

"He had it comin'.

STEVE ROBBINS

"He was barely twenty! He was just a kid!

CHARLIE MCGEE

"Yeah well, kid or no kid he should have kept his mouth shut!"

This scene tell you a lot. It tells you they are likely in New York (being they are on

Broadway) it also tells you it's likely morning because Charlie is drinking coffee and

having a doughnut. The time period is many years ago by Steve Robbins paying only a

nickel for the paper.

The scene also tells you there was likely a serious crime committed for it was in the

news, and something clued Steve into the fact that it was Charlie who committed it. It

tells you the victim was young, and Steve cared enough about him to be upset over

whatever it is that happened to him.

You don't need a lot of description, you need action and dialogue. There's the

fundamental difference between a novel and a screenplay.

The first description would work in a novel, but not in a screenplay. Two different

animals entirely. Remember, the director will create any necessary visuals. You don't

want to step on his toes in your writing, and you also don't want to stop or stagnate the

flow of your story.

So, what is a screenplay?

In short, a screenplay is a structured collection of scenes with mostly dialogue and action

to carry it through. Compared to a novel, it is far-and-away different, yet a novel can be

relatively simple to turn into a movie script...not so much the other way around, however.

With that said, each has it's challenges, and each has it's unspoken guidelines. It is up to

you to learn and practice them properly. It's true, you can break the rules sometimes...but

you better know what you're doing first!

There are many more aspects to writing a screenplay that will sell of course. These

examples are but a few.

If you have found these suggestions helpful, and would like more information on how to

make your screenplay the best it can be, here is a free report that reveals many hints and

tips from an actual Hollywood Script Writer.

You can get your free report here: http://www.howtowriteascreenplaythatsells.com

I look forward to seeing your work up on the big screen. . . .

Here's to you becoming the next Hollywood Script Writer!

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