The Top 5 Things I Learned from Screenwriting School (In No Particular Order)

My sophomore year of college I sat masked and socially distanced in a classroom with chairs that were roped off with caution tape so that students wouldn’t sit too close together. This was somewhat funny, considering many of us try to avoid each other worldwide pandemic or not. It was my first screenwriting lecture, and introduction to the form of writing that was required for me as a film major. I was taking it to go through the motions, but quickly I fell in love. Now, nearly two years later I’ve become fully immersed in the world of screenwriting and plan to make it my career.

Within these short years I’ve gained a decent amount of experience writing myself. I’ve completed two short films, recently completed my first feature-length film, and am currently working with a published author to convert one of his novels into a screenplay (check out “Holly’’ by Albert French). I’ll also be spending my final year of school working on my thesis, a feature-length film adapted from the Lorrie Moore story “How to Be an Other Woman. In addition, I’ve spent countless hours of my life reading, critiquing, and editing my peers’ work so I feel like I have a decent grasp on what a good screenplay is and isn’t.

Throughout my college years I’ve also been privileged enough to have writers of shows like Lost, The Simpsons, and The 100 visit my classes and give their advice on how to make it in this crazy industry. A lot of it is a mix of nepotism and a lucky connection to be honest, but I’d like to share what I’ve learned about the writing side of things. So, here are the top five things I’ve learned from college screenwriting classes:

• Be Mean to Your Characters.

This is something I really struggled with at first. I fell in love with my characters and wanted them to have what was best for them. The problem with that is that we don’t watch movies to see people be happy with one another or have a pleasant Sunday afternoon. We watch for the drama. We want to see characters argue, go through something traumatic, break up with the love of their life only to find out they love them once it’s too late. To keep it simple, put your characters through the wringer if you want an interesting story. This will also help to develop your character and your plot. (Keep in mind that sometimes what a character considers to be the worst thing for them can actually turn out to be the best thing for them.)

• Don’t Say it Straight.

When you’re talking to people do you always say exactly what you mean? Do you always tell your crush that you love them, or tell your roommate that they are being extremely annoying? No? Me neither. Real people don’t talk to one another like that. Being open and vulnerable is just not in a lot of people’s human nature. To keep your screenplay interesting and realistic it’s extremely important to write around the meaning. For example, have your character’s fight about where they’re going for dinner, when really they’re fighting about their deep relationship problems. This will keep your audience engaged and allow for more tension in your script.

• Actions Speak Louder than Words.

This is as true in screenwriting as it is in the real world. Anyone can say they are a nice person, but who can show it? The best way to have a character show who they really are is to have them make a decision (usually an unusual decision is best). This means they are breaking away from their peers or the audience’s expectations of them as a character. Characterization through the subversion of expectations is one of the best ways to show an audience who the character really is. In addition, this action is usually a defining good or bad action. For example, Severus Snape subverts expectations through his defining good action in Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part II when he defects from the evil forces to aid Harry in killing Lord Voldemort. This action revealed that Snape had been good all along and had actually been looking out for Harry throughout his time at Hogwarts.

• It Doesn’t Matter if this Story’s Been Told Before.

One of the hardest things about writing a screenplay can simply be coming up with an original idea. However, you don’t necessarily need an original idea. Think about it, a lot of stories have been told a million times: Romeo and Juliet, the end of the world, the list goes on and on. It doesn’t matter if you have a premise that is vaguely similar or a carbon copy of something that’s been done before, what matters is what you do to make it into a completely new story. You want the audience to feel like they’ve never seen your story before, even if they have. You do this by creating new character types, changing the setting to bring new obstacles, subverting genre expectations. Simply put, don’t feel bogged down by the thought of having to create a never-before-seen idea. What matters is the creativity to make an old story a new one.

• Write For Yourself.

Last year in one of my screenwriting workshops my class had a Zoom call with director Heidi Ewing to discuss her film I Carry You With Me. Ewing has also directed films like Jesus Camp and The Boys of Baraka (check them out, they’re great). Anyway, during this call Heidi said that the most important thing you can do to be successful is to write for yourself. Everything you write should be deeply personal to you because that’s what you’ll love doing the most. That doesn’t mean that you should only write about your experiences or your life, but it does mean that you should be passionate about what you’re writing. That’s how you’ll find the most joy anyway.

• (BONUS!)

You don’t have to go to film school to study screenwriting if you want to be successful. All you have to do is read, watch, and write. Immerse yourself in the world of film. Read screenplays as you watch the films, branch out from your favorite genres, and write as much as you can. Practice really does make perfect and you’ll become more confident in your abilities with each new script.

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