10 STEPS TO LEARN HOW TO DEVELOP YOUR SCRIPT
A quick guide to improving your skills as a screenwriter
It’s the moment to give the time and attention to that idea that has been spinning in your head. With this basic 10-step plan, we’ll help you schedule and go slowly shaping what could be the next movie or TV hit, why not?
The plan is built on a mix of readings, a couple of practical exercises and some tips from our team at Filmarket Hub. We hope you enjoy it and it will be useful.
STEP 1
CONCEPT I
Define the basis of your project, look for originality.
Writing a film script is a complex process that can be extended for a long period of time in which we have to be prepared to overcome our own mistakes, learn from them and always be prepared to face the next step in the writing and project development. Talent and inspiration is not a guarantee of success and therefore the screenwriter must be immersed in a continuous learning process to acquire new techniques and skills and, ultimately, become a better professional and increase the chances of to carry out a project.
The great challenge that writers face in their day-to-day life is to try to make their script stand out above the rest. Creating an original script is complicated, it requires a lot of talent and a great ability to combine a series of key elements and, above all, to have an idea with enough potential for someone to bet on the project.
TASK
Write in post-its or cards, what messages, emotions or values you want to treat. Remember, it’s better to communicate something that you feel the need to do it. This will help you as a guide when it comes to sitting down and writing, don’t worry if on the way this message changes, it’s better to have something to start with anyway.
STEP 2
CONCEPT II
The importance of references, learn how to classify your project.
You probably thought and heard on many occasions that “everything is already invented in cinema”. This phrase may be quite right, but it is no less true that it is not something that should hold you back when it comes to raising your ideas. The great stories of cinema and literature are there, they have become classics on their own merits and no one will change that.
It is logical to have references in important stories and creators and it is a natural process that all that influence is reflected in our writing unconsciously. Writing an original story does not mean inventing something and so it is always important to keep in mind our references, respect them and nurture ourselves with them enough so that learning allows us to build something different.
TASK
Ask 5 friends which movie or series is the first one that comes to their mind when you tell them the theme of your movie. This will give you perhaps different references to the ones you had and, of course, book a moment of the day to see them.
STEP 3
THE STORY
Building a solid basis: from idea to story.
The writing process begins long before the scriptwriter gets to put the first pages on paper. If a story does not have a thorough research and preparation work… the consistency of the script is going to be seriously compromised. The “blank page syndrome” is the greatest fear of any writer, but it may be an isolated problem during the writing and we can find a solution to it.
However, the lack of knowledge about the subject we are working on is a root problem that can lead to our script being trashed from its very birth to thwarting any possibility of a sale. That is why research and information search must be a mandatory part of our writing process of any script, based on real facts, set in a historical period or context, or even on the most fictional of stories.
TASK
Define your protagonist and his objective. Once you are clear, add the conflict, that is, the force that will prevent your protagonist from reaching his goal. With this, write a short synopsis, responding to the structure of beginning, middle, and end.
STEP 4
THE CHARACTERS I
Creating archetypical characters
Building a character’s arc is one of the writer’s most complicated and important tasks. It is necessary to understand your protagonist and be clear about the role that will play within the story to make its plot natural. The history of fiction has taught us the existence of a series of archetypal characters that we can take as guidelines to follow to build our own in a simple and quick way.
Remember that having a character that catches the viewer and makes an impact from the first moment they enter the scene is one of the keys that will determine the success of your script. But never neglect the supporting characters because they feed back the protagonists and they should serve to grow the story and get their own voice.
TASK
Define your protagonist: first physically, then characteristic features of his character and personality. Try to write his memories, where he comes from and where he goes, his ambitions and relationships. Do the same with the antagonist character (if any).
STEP 5
THE CHARACTERS II
Having something to say is perhaps the most important thing when writing.
Writing your dialogues is an exciting process that can become mentally exhausting. However, the reward can be huge and that is why it is worth putting a special emphasis on perfecting this facet of our writing. Dialogue enriches the script and characters and, in addition, can make your film memorable and remembered for a long time. What can you do to improve your writing techniques and the fluidity of your dialogues? Learn from the best!
TASK
Think of a person you know very well. Now write a scene with dialogues between that person and your protagonist, imagine that they are both in an elevator, suddenly they hear a noise and the elevator stops. Use the beginning-middle-end structure, and at the end read it aloud, try to interpret the characters, this will help you polish each dialogue to make it as organic and fluid as possible, plus you will be able to better visualize the voice and personality of your character. You can do the same exercise with your antagonist character (if any).
STEP 6
STRUCTURE
Complementary tools when planning
We are living in a time when working from home has become an imperative for anyone who can do it. If there’s one thing the writer knows about loneliness, it’s how to take advantage of it to invest time in their projects and be productive without the need to leave the house. No matter what phase you’re in with your script, it’s essential that you make progress in development and never stop dry.
There are many tools available to the filmmaker to carry out his work in a telematic way. From reading scripts or watching movies and series to continuing to practice, train and refine the basics of writing. This is no time to throw in the towel, we want all those projects to see the light.
TASK
Make your first board, I advise you to first write on a couple of cards the main turns, that is, the different obstacles that your protagonist will face (1st plot twist, middle and climax), and then you see filling in the sequences to reach those turning points.
STEP 7
FORMAT
Basic concepts before you start writing
Before letting your imagination run wild, working on the characters, the story and starting to capture ideas on a page, it is vital to be very clear about a series of basic concepts that every script requires. If you want film producers to take you into account and take seriously your proposal you can’t leave any of these details on the air. Prove you’re a real pro and you’ll be one step closer to the target.
TASK
Choose a movie or chapter from a series (it may be some that you have for reference), and now write in script format the entire first sequence, remember, a sequence should involve: beginning-middle-end; can include multiple or a single scene. Do this exercise with the software you’re most comfortable with.
STEP 8
TREATMENT
From argument to tone search
Treatment is an intermediate phase of the development of your story, broader than a synopsis but prior to the development of the literary script. At this point, you should meet your protagonist, his universe and with your board, you would have to be able to visualize more clearly the main plot and story that you want to tell.
TASK
Now I encourage you to let yourself write the whole story, from start to finish and without telling the pages. Let ideas flow and don’t worry if it deviates a little from what you’ve pointed at on the board. Once you have a treatment version that you’re comfortable with, it’s time to write it in script format!. Remember, this is a resistance job, not a speed job. With patience and effort, you will reach the endpoint of your story.
In the Filmarket Hub online marketplace we currently support treatments instead of draft scripts, if you feel ready and think you can put together a nice dossier from your treatment, go ahead and sell that wonderful story!
STEP 9
PLANNING I
Don’t let the rush damage your project.
Get a little discipline, try to establish the hours a day you’re going to dedicate to your project. Probably not every day you sit down to write, many times it is necessary to dedicate ourselves to watching a reference film, reading or doing some course that can be useful to us to move forward.
We recommend you our TRAINING section on the platform, there you can find online courses of Masterclass and Erich Pommer Institut with benefits for our users. In addition, in our SERVICES page, you will find the best tools to continue developing your project.
STEP 10
PLANNING II
Just as you have targeted certain times of the day to write, I challenge you to mark in the calendar dates of “delivery”, set reasonable and small goals, that is, first the day to close the 1st act, then the 2th and so on until the end.
If you’ve come this far, then congratulations! The way ahead is long, becoming a screenwriter is a career of endurance, and only with a lot of patience and effort will you make your project come true.
If you think you have something really special on your hands, our UK Online Pitchbox is your chance to prove it. For the fifth consecutive year, this online initiative aims to discover high quality unproduced projects and match them with leading companies in the industry. Executives from Baby Cow Productions, Bankside, BBC, FilmNation, Lionsgate, NBCUniversal, See-Saw Films, Sky Originals and Vertigo Films are already confirmed to attend.
