How To Start Writing A Movie Script

A movie script is a lot of things- it’s a story, it has characters, there are settings, action sequences, and so on. All of these components make up the film, but none of them matter unless someone else can use them to write a screenplay!

That person could be you or anyone really - an aspiring screenwriter could start writing their own script by just writing about anything they want to talk about for long enough!

But this isn’t quite true. It’s difficult to get started writing a movie if you don’t know what genre your movie fits into. You also need strong fundamentals in terms of structure, tone, and storytelling before moving onto more elaborate features like dialogue and characterisation.

This article will help you overcome some common hurdles that most new writers face when trying to write a movie. They include:

Writing short stories vs prose

Knowing how to write a scene with actions, conversations, and developments

Understanding the different genres and which one yours belongs to

Getting rid of unnecessary clutter and tightening the narrative knuckle

The first two tips here relate directly to what we’ll be talking about today, but only slightly. Both of those take place under the general topic ‘how to begin writing a movie’, so make sure you check out both of those before coming back.

Read movie scripts

Now that you have your general idea for what kind of script you want to write, it’s time to read some screenplays!

Reading a screenplay is an easy way to get familiar with how writers structure their stories and dialogue. Plus, most major film studios provide free access to many recent movies via their website or app.

By reading several different plots, you will learn how storytelling works in fiction.

Create a writing schedule

Now that you have your script, you’ll need to get it out there for people to read! The first step in doing this is creating a writing routine or schedule.

You can be as creative with your approach as you like, but most writers recommend setting aside an average of one hour every day to write.

This can be done either at home or anywhere else you feel more comfortable writing from. Many do it while working so they can combine work and time to focus solely on writing.

Brainstorm story ideas

The first thing you should do is brainstorm all of your possible movie stories. There are many ways to do this, but one of the most effective strategies is using an idea pool or script box.

A good way to begin writing a new screenplay is to pick a genre and write down everything that comes along with it. For instance, if you choose action as a genre, then make lists related to action movies such as “Action Scene” and “Cool Action Scenes.”

After getting some basic concepts in place, start moving forward by creating two more bullets. First, create a list of events (examples: wake up, walk downstairs, open refrigerator) and second, create a list of actions (example: drink milk).

Now combine these three into one large empty box and see what comes out! Keep going until you run out of room or ideas. These are great starting points for novelists because they use event-action-description format.

Event? Description? A scene is made up of events and actions so why not take advantage of it! This method works well for screenwriters as well since you can easily add in additional details to make it longer.

Do some research

Starting off the writing process for a movie is always doing your homework! Before you start drafting, make sure to do some preliminary work. Check out the script of similar films to see how they are structured and what makes them successful. You can also read through their Wikipedia articles to get an idea of what parts of the story they like to include in their plot.

Reading these scripts will give you a good starting point for your own screenplay. You can then take notes or even add additional elements to make yours more interesting.

Write in a quiet place

Now that you have your story, setting, and characters all locked down, it’s time to write!

Writing a movie script is almost like writing any other type of fiction - except you don’t get paid as much, there are only so many stories out there, and your work will probably never be seen by anyone but yourself. That said, writing a movie script can be just as rewarding as anything else if you put in the effort.

And we’re not talking about putting in 10 hours per day, every day, either. A good rule of thumb is 1 hour per page - one full page = one minute of screen time. This means a 2-page short story would take two minutes to write, for example.

That’s not very long, especially when you consider that a feature film can easily run over 100 pages (and even those under 120 usually get written drafts). So start writing early and keep going until you hit that mark at least once.

Practice proper grammar

Grammar is the language of writing! Proper grammar makes your writing more elegant and attractive. When it comes to writing a movie script, there are three main groups of words that you will need to know: prefixes, suffixes, and pronouns.

Prefixes refer to part of a word that can be removed without changing the meaning of the word. For example, what does “reading” mean? A reading! Prefixes add new dimensions to a word. The most common prefixes we use with “read” are -able, -ed, -er, -ing, and -y.

A suffix attaches to another word and changes its form or sound. Examples of suffixes include -ist, -hood, -ly, -ness, and -ic.

And finally, our friendly neighborhood pronoun is always needed when you write a script. A personal pronoun refers to I, me, my, us, and ourselves. They are also referred to as first person singular (or second person singular) pronouns because they only have one person before them.

Edit your work

After you write your first draft, the next step is to go back in and edit it! This can be done via track changes or simply editing it as you would any other piece of writing.

With screenwriting software such as Microsoft Word, there are several features that can help you do this more efficiently. For example, the insert clip tool allows you to quickly take content from another source (like an article) and include it into your script.

By using these tools, you’ll get better quality written material which will then must be edited and polished further.

Publish your script

After you have written your movie script, it is time to publish it! If you are just starting out as a writer, this may be tricky to do. Most people start publishing their scripts by posting it online using free writing tools or through various film crowdfunding websites.

While both of these are good options, there is an even better way to go about it. The best place to publish your screenplay is at Screencraft, one of the top screenwriting software programs.

There is a paid membership option for Screen Craft that allows you to not only upload your own work, but also get feedback from professionals in the industry! This is very helpful as they can give you tips and suggestions on how to improve your story and/or tone.