Here's something people often forget: it takes a person to write movies. Screenwriting involves
writing down ideas so that they'll be easily translated into visual art.
A screenplay, or script, is the backbone of any movie (well, except for Jean-Luc Godard movies).
It's the first step in the moviemaking process.
Almost everybody on the movie set has a copy of the script because it reveals what they should be
doing. It tells the actors how to act and what to say, the production designer how to build the set,
and the director how to shoot the scene.
Of course, a film is a collaborative effort, but it all starts with the screenwriter. A good script has
many facets (fame, fortune, love, marriage, affairs, divorce, despair, and so on); choose the ones
you want. However, screenplays have their own language, their own slang, if you will. What I
offer here are the basics you need to turn your burgeoning idea into a summer blockbuster.
Before You Start
At the outset, you must realize that screenwriting is a competitive sport. The Writers Guild of
America registers over 10,000 scripts a year, and less than 1% of them are made into motion
pictures. Everyone in Los Angeles and every second person elsewhere has a script they're trying to
sell, so your chances as a beginner are slim to none.
Although there have been flukes over the years, like Shane Black hitting the jackpot with movies
like Lethal Weapon ($250,000), The Last Boy Scout ($1.5 million) and The Long Kiss
Goodnight, few people get rich writing movie scripts. In fact, the average working screenwriter
earns about $50,000 US a year.
And fame shouldn't be a factor in your decision either. Not only does the public at large never
bother to find out who wrote a film, but the major studios often show the same lack of respect
toward screenwriters.
But if you are passionate about writing, about movies, and about making your dreams come true,
then you should seriously consider writing for the movies. When you think about it, screenwriting
is the toughest job in Hollywood. The screenwriter is the only person on a film crew who starts
with absolutely nothing. That said, let's write this baby.
Get a story
First of all, you need to find a story that interests you. Wipe those illusions away, it's all been done
before; the trick is to develop your story in a new and original way.
Start with a concept you can describe in a sentence such as: All the ghosts in America form an

Act 2: (pages 30-90)
The second act is where the story develops. For the first half, the hero accumulates exploits,
reacting to the established dilemma, and it seems like nothing can stop him.
McClane successfully alerts the police and kills the first terrorist. Now the bad guys are on to him.
What's more, McClane inadvertently comes into possession of the crucial detonators, which makes
him very valuable for the terrorists.
In the middle of the second act, which is also the midpoint of the movie, the story changes gear.
Passive characters become active.
The police show up, Sergeant Al Powell (Reginald VelJohnson) becomes McClane's ally, and
McClane takes it upon himself to save the day.
During the second half of this act, the hero is faced with problem after problem, which reaffirms
the dilemma of Act 1.
McClane is distrusted by the police, the reporters snoop around, the FBI shows up, and Ellis (Hart
Bochner) is killed. He's definitely on his own.
Act 3: (pages 90-120)
The third act is where all the conflicts are resolved and characters are changed forever by the
events they have just been through. Here the stakes are higher and the dilemma is at long last dealt
with. The hero must rise to the occasion when all seems to be lost.
McClane meets head terrorist Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) and soon, he's wounded. The bad
guys are about to blow up the roof of the building, the FBI guys are pulling a stunt that endangers
the hostages, and finally, McClane's wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia) is kidnapped. In the end,
McClane makes up with his estranged wife and Sgt. Powell regains his nerves by killing a
terrorist.
Create your characters
Although entire books have been written about how to build interesting characters, there are
certain fundamental elements you must keep in mind when creating a hero.
First of all, realize that the main character represents the audience. The readers or moviegoers, if it
gets to that, will live the events through the eyes of the hero. So this main character must be
empathetic, someone the audience can relate to.
The character should have an external struggle (what he wants to achieve in the story) and an

As aforementioned, scripts have a language of their own. There are strict rules and guidelines that
must be followed and this is often too harsh for novice screenwriters. Aside from trying to
conform to Hollywood standards, the importance of mastering format has to do with readers.
Readers are people paid by production companies to read the screenplays that have been
submitted to them. These people must sort through hundreds of manuscripts and determine which
ones are worthy of the company's attention. When they come upon works whose formatting is
deficient, it triggers the amateur alarm and they'll often dismiss this script for that very reason. So
if you can master the format, your script will at least get read.
There is a variety of expensive software on the market, Final Draft and Movie Magic being the
most popular, that basically do all the formatting for you. But if you're still learning and doing it
for fun, your existing word processor will do just fine. You can even set up macro commands to
make things easier.
Script Elements
Screenplays are not like novels. There are a number of elements, each with their own specific
purpose. Let's take a detailed look at them:
Slugline: Also called scene heading, this is the section in which you specify the location of the
scene. Identify whether the scene is indoors or outdoors, the exact location, and what time of day
it is. This line should always be written in uppercase.
Action: Use this section to describe who the characters are and what's happening in the scene, like
you would in any other story. However, always use the present tense, and the first time you
introduce a character, display their name in uppercase letters.
Character cue: This is the character's name, which you must write above their dialogue. This line
is always in uppercase.
Parenthetical: Used less and less because actors despise them, the parenthetical is a short
descriptive line between the character cue and the dialogue that either calls for an emotion or a
short action. Use it sparingly.
Dialogue: Obviously, these are your characters' spoken words.
Transitions: These are short expressions, such as "DISSOLVE TO:" or "SMASH CUT TO:", that
indicate how you want the editor to end the scene. But since your work is not about to be
produced, you should not use transitions in your script. The only ones you're allowed to use are

meant as a calling card, a proof of your talents. Spec scripts by beginners are rarely produced, so
lay off camera directions.
Respect conventions: As arbitrary as some of the format and presentation rules may appear, it's
absolutely fundamental that you comply with those guidelines with minimal deviation. Follow
these principles and instead focus your imagination on crafting a terrific story.
Fade Out
Screenwriting is a creative job. You must not be stubborn in trying to develop a story in only one
way. Explore different avenues and see if you can make your characters come to life and dictate
where your storyline should go.
Your first screenplay will likely be terrible but don't worry, the more you try, the better you'll
get at it.