How to Write a Screenplay

Most popular posts

A model modeling the effects of great tension in writing.

How to Use Tension in Writing

Tension can arise from anywhere — in a simple conversation, a family dinner, a job interview, or even with a...

A collection of word magnets representing the idea that all language is invented, including made-up words.

The Purpose of Made-Up Words in Stories

Have you ever read a book and come across a word you’d never heard or seen before? At first, you...

A sea of people, all of whom might share a voice in the fourth person point of view.

Fourth Person Point of View

Fourth person point of view is a unique and rarely used perspective in stories.  First person gives us “I.” Second...

A character waves at the camera, which is a sign of a writer not knowing how to introduce a character.

How to Introduce a Character: 5 Key Methods

A character’s introduction is one of the most important parts of your story. Done well, your reader can make a...

A fencing match is one of many scenes you can write once you know how to write a fight scene.

How to Write a Fight Scene in 6 Steps

Learning how to write a fight scene isn’t really about choreography. It’s about tension and what’s truly at stake for...

An eye peering through a page, symbolizing a point of view in literature.

Point of View in Literature

There is no “correct” approach to point of view in literature. Your sole consideration is how you want your reader...

A woman directs a cameraman with a screenplay in hand to suggest that a writer can shine in a different format — What is a screenplay?
Blog
Alan Watt

What is a Screenplay?

A screenplay is a script specifically written for film, TV, video games, or any other visual medium. It is not just the

Read More »
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

Read More »
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.

Read More »
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

Read More »

Recent posts

A woman in a bookshop look at novels with a camera beside her as a visual parallel for how to adapt a book into a screenplay

How to Adapt a Book Into a Screenplay

Months, maybe even years, have been invested in crafting your novel or memoir, and now you have decided to adapt...

Women wearing stylish hats in a New York City exterior street, one in partial shadow to suggest a mystique and a thrill to avoiding wearing too many hats as a screenwriter

Wearing Too Many Hats: Understanding the Screenwriter’s Role

When writing a screenplay, there often comes a point where you start to imagine you’re in charge of the entire...

A man solemnly wears a lot of many hats that he needs to sell — is this what you want your writing to represent?

“Too Many Hats” — Why Your Screenplay Loses Focus

“Too many hats” is one of the most common traps a screenwriter can fall into, and it almost always begins...

A woman directs a cameraman with a screenplay in hand to suggest that a writer can shine in a different format — What is a screenplay?

What is a Screenplay?

A screenplay is a script specifically written for film, TV, video games, or any other visual medium. It is not...

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...