How to Write a Screenplay

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A hand rearranging scenes visually depicts how to outline a screenplay

How to Outline a Screenplay

Some screenwriters resist outlining. They prefer to follow the story wherever it leads, trusting their instincts over structure, discovery over...

The five-act structure visualized literally as five planes in formation — themes of tension, war, fighting, danger, organization

Five-Act Structure

The Five-Act Structure is a key aspect of dramatic storytelling. The tradition stretches as far back as the ancient Greeks,...

Getting through the messy middle pictured here, as a woman on the opposite end of a chessboard trying to figure out what to do next

Getting Through the Messy Middle

We’ve all been stuck in the messy middle of a story.  Inspiration strikes like raw lightning, bringing a new idea...

Common themes in literature appear often in hieroglyphic storytelling

Common Themes

While every story is unique, the history of literature is populated with reinterpretations of common themes.  Through the lens of...

A picture of a pan next to a marked up page to visualize copy editing

Copy Editing

Copy editing is a specific type of editing that focuses on both the technical aspects of your writing and the...

Joseph forgiving his brothers is an example of how a redemption arc is useful in storytelling

Redemption Arc

A redemption arc is where an immoral character atones for their wrongdoings and earns their forgiveness. When humans first began...

A hand rearranging scenes visually depicts how to outline a screenplay
Blog
Alan Watt

How to Outline a Screenplay

Some screenwriters resist outlining. They prefer to follow the story wherever it leads, trusting their instincts over structure, discovery over design. And

Read More »
A picture of a very small man atop a film camera for the featured image of the blog what is a short film
Blog
Alan Watt

What is a Short Film?

Every screenwriter dreams to one day have their own feature length film on the big screen. Regardless of how grand that goal

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A trail between many hills and a lone runner, the solitude in the journey of writing mirrored by the solace that screenplay structure--presented as a trail--provides
Blog
Alan Watt

Screenplay Structure

Screenplay structure allows a writer to investigate their characters and theme and get to the heart of where they exist in story.

Read More »
Blog
Alan Watt

How to Sell Your Screenplay

Selling your screenplay is a battle of outreach, portfolio, and simplicity. Learn how to balance your professional expectations with the heart of your work.

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Typewriter with some cameras around, how to write a logline for the collaborative medium
Blog
Alan Watt

How to Write a Logline

A logline is the first chance your screenplay gets to make an impression. After months of outlining, writing the rough draft, and

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Recent posts

A hand rearranging scenes visually depicts how to outline a screenplay

How to Outline a Screenplay

Some screenwriters resist outlining. They prefer to follow the story wherever it leads, trusting their instincts over structure, discovery over...

A picture of a very small man atop a film camera for the featured image of the blog what is a short film

What is a Short Film?

Every screenwriter dreams to one day have their own feature length film on the big screen. Regardless of how grand...

An evocative image that suggests to the writer reading this blog that good screenwriting classes should evoke a sense of childlike learning joys.

Screenwriting Classes: What to Look for

Whether you are new to the craft of screenwriting, or perhaps stuck somewhere in the middle of your manuscript, the...

Deciding the question of "how long should a screenplay should be?" is a process of measurement against the demands of an audience, your work, and yourself that is much akin to the physical process of measuring something with a tape measure a few times over.

How Long Should a Screenplay Be?

Screenplays usually land around 90 to 120 pages. And the reason involves both technical considerations and the practical realities of...

See how to write flashbacks in screenplay as a relation to a lack of stricture on temporality. A table at the end of a hallway with many doors that lead into other rooms as a visual metaphor for how flashback functions inside a screenplay and how to write a flashback in screenplay, specifically handling the temporal relation between image and page.

How to Write Flashbacks in a Screenplay

Flashbacks act as a sort of Swiss army knife. You can use them in multiple ways — to foreshadow coming...

How to introduce a character: sometimes the introduction is the character themselves asking to be invited in, and the audience will decide for you who they are. These characters can come from anywhere, and be anyone you need them to.

How to Introduce a Character in a Screenplay

How to Introduce a Character in a Screenplay: Master the art of first impressions with proper formatting, action cues, and...
A photography montage to demonstrate the parallel to creating a montage in the visual medium of a screenplay.

How to Write a Montage in a Screenplay

Learn how to write a montage in a screenplay to condense time and show character growth. Master the format and...
A trail between many hills and a lone runner, the solitude in the journey of writing mirrored by the solace that screenplay structure--presented as a trail--provides

Screenplay Structure

Screenplay structure allows a writer to investigate their characters and theme and get to the heart of where they exist...

How to Sell Your Screenplay

Selling your screenplay is a battle of outreach, portfolio, and simplicity. Learn how to balance your professional expectations with the...
Typewriter with some cameras around, how to write a logline for the collaborative medium

How to Write a Logline

A logline is the first chance your screenplay gets to make an impression. After months of outlining, writing the rough...

save the cat

“Save the Cat” Story Structure: A Screenwriter’s Practical Guide

One structure model designed specifically for screenwriters is Blake Snyder’s “Save the Cat!”  If you’ve been in one of my...

script format - camera operator with two actors

Script Format 101: Writing for the Screen and Stage

In a previous article, I went over formatting requirements for screenplays. These techniques can also help set up a sound...

screenplay format

Screenplay Format Made Simple: Tips & Essentials

Getting your screenplay format down right matters more than you might think. You could write the most brilliant story ever...

storyline

Storyline: Marrying Plot to Theme

Every screenplay is built around a single invisible force that holds everything together. You may not notice it on first...

What is My Screenplay About?

What is My Screenplay About?

When we think of our favorite movies, there is invariably an element that is so novel, so surprising, that it...

A Screenplay is a Blueprint

A Screenplay is a Blueprint

A screenplay is the blueprint from which directors take their cues. It is not the screenwriter’s job to provide camera...

intro to the 90-day screenplay (FREE)

Join me now to begin the process of getting the story from your imagination to the page, and complete the...