ScriptFaze

How to Write a Screenplay

That’s right—I’ve done it.

After scientifically analyzing every possible screenwriting method, pouring over every script that’s ever been written, and developing a mental encyclopedia of every opinion ever written on movie-writing, I’ve boiled it all down and have finally come up with the ONE PERFECT method for writing a script that can be used by every writer in every circumstance. It’s the Rosetta Stone of writing processes, and after much thought and deliberation, I have settled upon the perfect name for this perfect approach:

THE SCRIPT-TASTIC METHOD

Okay… No.

I’m bluffing. Turns out, there is no perfect approach to screenwriting. Every writer is different, and every writer will need to hammer out the kinks in his or her own approach to writing.

Over the past ten years I HAVE developed a writing process that works well for me, however. I think it's a pretty good one, and maybe--just maybe--you'll find it helpuful, too.

Here's what I do:

1)    I start by BRAINSTORMING to come up with the right idea. Read my post Choose... But Choose Wisely to see my recommendations on this process, but the bottom line is this: Never go for the very first idea that springs into your head. Take the time to run through several ideas, and to weigh the pros and cons of each before settling upon the BEST concept for your next script.

2)    Once I’ve settled on a concept I like, I try to capture the idea in a coherent LOGLINE. Much can be said about crafting loglines, and this is a topic that I plan to write more about in the future. In a nutshell, a LOGLINE is a 1-3 sentence statement that captures the entire plot of your movie, and suggests the content of all three acts. For instance:

When a young boys discovers an extra-terrestrial who has been left behind on earth, he helps the alien return home, and along the way discovers the true meaning of love and friendship.

    Or:

After her son goes missing, a working-class mom becomes an object of controversy when the Los Angeles police reunite her with a boy that is not her child. Against all odds, the go-it-alone mom fights a corrupt system, and ultimately discovers the horrible truth behind her son’s disappearance.

If you’ve never written a logline before, try writing a couple for movies that you’re already familiar with. Reducing a two-hour plot into a two-sentence synopsis can be tough business, but it will force you to isolate only those elements that are the MOST IMPORTANT to telling a given film’s story. When you’re ready, try to capture your OWN concept in this format. Shaping a logline for your original movie idea will require you to decide what your film is REALLY ABOUT, and will serve to double-check that your concept is screenplay-ready.

3)    Once I have a logline, I write an OUTLINE for my new screenplay, paying special emphasis to ACT ONE, the ACT BREAKS and HOW THE MOVIE ENDS. My outlines tend to be 3-5 pages long, and focus on the 1-3 most important characters, and the specific PLOT POINTS that will shape their journey.

4)    My next step might surprise you. Many writers will take their step-3 outlines, and turn them into a beat sheet. But not me. Instead, I like to go ahead and WRITE ACT ONE.

Act One of any script should be 25-30 pages long, and will introduce a screenplay’s main characters while also setting the story of the script moving forward. I like to use the act-one writing process to discover my hero’s voice and to follow my instincts in introducing story twists and setup scenes. In the process of finishing my first draft, I’ll probably rewrite act one several times, but I like to finish a strong draft of act one up front, then use this draft as a guide to steer me on my NEXT STEP:

5)    The beat sheet. With my act-one firmly in hand, I now sit down and prepare a full 70-90 point BEAT SHEET for my script (see post: The Beat Sheet). Some writers skip this step, and move directly into writing their scripts. I still find writing a beat sheet to be helpful—it gives me the opportunity to rearrange scenes and work through problems at a stage when it’s not costing me any serious time or effort to do so. When I’m especially excited about a new project, pausing for an extra few days to develop a full-length beat sheet can feel like a tedious process—but especially for newer writers, I think it’s a step that is well worth the extra time spent up-front.

6)    Next step—I write the first draft of my script. It is absolutely IMPERATIVE for writers to keep in mind that your first draft is just that—a first pass at something that you will come back to and improve upon later on. Don’t get caught upin the minutiae, or waste time hammering out every little detail and nuance. Focus on completion. Once your first draft is done, you will have plenty of time for STEP 7:

7)    Rewrite your script. See the post Why Your First Draft Should Suck to see my views on the rewrite process, but suffice it to say, the REWRITE is where the magic really happens. Once your first draft is done, it is far easier to rearrange scenes, cut out parts that don’t work, or to fill in better, more clever fixes for story problems. Don’t think of the rewrite process as a chore, or as a simple polish—this is where the real writing happens, and where the professionals separate-out from the amateurs. Put the elbow grease in on your rewrite, and the next time you type THE END you might really mean it…

So—whattaya think? Totally script-tastic? Or just another nutty approach to screenwriting?

The bottom line is that these are the steps that work for ME. Try them out, but keep in mind that your process may be different. Be open to what works, and discard what doesn’t. Eventually, you’ll have a stream-lined process that works for you, and you’re very own approach to getting those ideas out of your head, and onto the page...

The Beat Sheet

It sounds much cooler than it is. The term “beat sheet” could be mistaken for a list of neighborhoods distributed to a group of beat cops in a 1940s movie—or even some sort of breakdown of a musical song or phrase...

But no—

A beat sheet is actually an intermediary document between a TREATMENT and a SCREENPLAY, and it’s the most common item a producer will request before green-lighting a screenwriter to move forward with penning a script.

Beat sheets are specific items; they need to be done properly, or they’ll expose a newbie’s unfamiliarity with the business.

So, then—what IS a beat sheet?

A beat sheet is a word document that usually runs about 5-8 pages long, and breaks down EVERY SCENE in a screenplay into its essential BEATS – meaning, the most important elements that happen in that scene. Each “beat” usually runs about 1-3 sentences long, and is numbered from 1-to-whatever down the left-hand side of the document. Other than these “beats,” a beat sheet should contain a TITLE LINE and a BY LINE at the top of Page 1, and ACT BREAK LINES for ACT 1, 2 & 3 before each act. Do NOT reset your numbers at act breaks—the beat numbering should be continuous throughout the beat sheet.

Since there are usually 70-90 scenes in a feature film script, your beat sheet should also have, on average, about 70-90 beats.

Here’s an example from the first page of the beat sheet for the screenplay “Mehdi Time”:

Notice that each “beat” above explains ONLY THE MOST RELEVANT INFORMATION TO THE PLOT. Character nuance, set descriptions, and dialogue are entirely withheld. Also, notice how the character name introductions are in ALL CAPS, just like in a screenplay.

Take a look at this example from the ACT II BREAK of the same script:

Notice, once again, that the BEAT NUMBERS continue through the break. Also notice the transition FLASHBACK at the head of beat 17 to signify a change in timeframe. When it’s absolutely necessary to explain the progression of the plot, transitions such as FLASHBACK, FLASH FORWARD, or DATE BLOCKS (i.e. “SPRING 1985”) can be plugged into beat sheets in this manner.

The important thing to remember is that a beat sheet is MORE than an outline, but LESS than a screenplay—essentially, it’s like a finished script, but void of any dialogue or real emotion.

More than anything, however, a beat sheet is a TOOL that should be used by a writer to clarify their ideas for a script, and to COMMUNICATE these ideas to producers and to other writers. Don’t make the mistake of thinking your beat sheet will not change—IT WILL. Just like your college essay on Sigmund Freud changed after you’d already handed in your outline… Producers understand that things may change—even drastically—once a writer gets into the thick of it on the actual script. But they also want to know what approach a writer intends to take on a script before launching in, and that’s why they request beat sheets.

This process can be a pain in the butt, but it is ultimately helpful for screenwriters. It forces writers to focus their thoughts and to think through their plotlines beforehand, but just as importantly, it forces producers to sign-off on a writer’s creative vision before they get into the heavy-lifting…

But do it correctly!

Spend some time making sure that your beat sheet lays out a clear, well-developed movie. A sloppy, rushed beat sheet will do more harm than good, and will raise a red flag for producers that their writer may not be ready for the task ahead...

How to Get Rich Writing TV

The rumors are true:

Television writing is where the MONEY IS.

For writers, television is the land of yogurt of honey. Or if you don’t like yogurt—just the honey. Seriously—no creative folk make more money than top-tier TV writers. What’s that you say? Leonardo DiCaprio got paid $20-million to appear in Shutter Island? Yeah, well, Larry David got paid $250-million for 1/3 of the DVD rights for Seinfeld.

Writing TV is where it’s at if you love writing, play well with others, can produce quickly—and want to get paid.

The problem is—everyone else knows this, too.

As well as the paychecks, the world of television offers writers something more. Unlike movies, where the directors and producers ultimately call the shots and get all the credit, in TV the writers are top bosses. Executive Producer on Lost? JJ Abrams. Deadwood? David Milch. Chuck? Josh Schwartz. So what did all these Exec Producers do? Raise the money? Oversee the creative team? Sleep with the CEO of Sony?

Nope. They’re writers.

In TV-land, writers have more power than directors, and literally steer their show through seasons as the head-writers of a writing STAFF. We call these top-tier writers SHOWRUNNERS, and that’s their job—they RUN the SHOW. Other than network execs, they report to no one but themselves.

So—how do you get there? How does a new writer steer his or her career toward these soaring plateaus?

Five years ago, I’d have given you a different answer. For years, it all started with two steps:

•    STEP 1 – Write two or more SPEC scripts for your favorite, current television
                    shows.
•    STEP 2 – Find someone who WRITES on one of those shows—and give them
                    your script.

After that, the lucky writers would be noticed for their talent, and spend years as a staff writer on one of these shows. When enough man-hours had been spent writing-by-committee, you’d be given written-by credit on your own episode, and eventually build up the credits necessary to make you a legitimate TV writer. THEN you could return to the networks with your own concept for a series, and PITCH it to them in the hopes that YOU will be hired on as the head writer of your very own show.

Many people STILL make their path through this process—and if that’s you, I ain’t knocking it. It’s a good path—a proven path. And if you can hit all those bars, you’re headed down the right road. Some writers also begin as WRITING ASSISTANTS, and work alongside staff writers until they are eventually bumped-up to writers themselves. That works too.

But with the advent of cable television and the MANY CHANNELS that must now fill up programming time, the process has changed. The doors are now open for writers OF ALL BACKGROUNDS to jump right to the finish line, and PITCH their own TV series without ever having worked as a staff writer on a show.

In fact—this process in encouraged. “New blood” is all the rage in TV programming, and studios are more and more likely to give new-ish writers a chance. Now, does that mean that just anyone can walk in off the street and pitch The Wire? No. Of course not. You need to have already proven yourself in film writing or some other area of the entertainment world, and you must have WRITING SAMPLES that prove you’re no hack. These days, the process goes like this:

•    STEP 1 – Write at least (2) original TV pilots OR screenplays OR stage plays
                    that are fresh, brilliant, and totally unique. Gone are the days of
                    writing SPECS—these days, creative execs want to see what’s
                    DIFFERENT about your writing, not how well you mimic someone
                    else’s.
•    STEP 2 – Develop a PITCH for a new TV series. A pitch is an idea with a
                    fresh HOOK that can be delivered VERBALLY in 10-15 minutes. If
                    you’re shaking your head in confusion, go watch the The Player.
                    Your new show idea should be written FOR OUR TIMES, and be
                    SPECIFIC in it’s intended audience.
•    STEP 3 – If you don’t have an agent or a manager, contact anyone you
                    know in television and let them know you have a pitch about X,
                    and ask them if they can connect you with a development exec or
                    production company. If you don’t know anyone working in
                    television, network over the internet, attend group-pitching
                    events, and go to film festivals. Just like SHIT—networking
                    happens.
•    STEP 4 – Once you’ve made a connection with producers, ask them if they’d
                    like to hear your pitch. If they say NO—ask them if they’d be
                    willing to read your writing samples. When approached
                    respectfully, you’ll be surprised by how often production
                    companies are willing to forgo their own solicitation policies, and
                    will agree to read a script.
•    STEP 5 – When someone has said "YES, we’d love to hear your PITCH"—
                    prepare for the meeting. PITCH your idea to anyone who will
                    listen to it. Really—anyone. In preparation for the exec, pitch to
                    your mom, pitch to Uncle Billy—pitch to the guy next to you on the
                    elevator. Each time you practice your pitch, it will improve—and
                    who knows? Maybe Uncle Billy served in the Navy with the
                    President of Universal.
•    STEP 6 – PITCH YOUR SHOW! Make sure your pitch is short and DRAMATIC.
                    Restrict your pitch to discussion of the show, its characters, and
                    its episode arc—your job is NOT to play businessman, and you
                    should NEVER suggest the marketing possibilities or projected
                    earnings for your series. Avoid phrases like:

        •    "This is the best police show you’ve ever heard!"
        •    "This show is a PERFECT FIT for your company."
        •    "Based on the earnings of similar shows, you will make a FORTUNE
                on this idea."
        •    "I promise you, deep down, this show will be a success."

No, no, no—and NO.

Each of these phrases make you look like an amateur, primarily because they are telling the producer how to do HIS job. No one knows if your show is a match for their company better than the producers who WORK THERE. Likewise, they know better than you (or like to think they do) how well-matched your show is to the market place.

Your job is to convince them of all these things by focusing on the STORY and CHARACTERS of your show idea. Make them BELIEVE it is a marketable, well-matched, totally profitable, one-of-a-kind idea by how well you describe your concept in the room.

After that, it’s out of your hands. If you get a YES—wonderful news! You move into the development process. If you get a NO—cut your losses, and start squirreling out a new company that you can pitch to.

But WAIT a minute! Are they really gonna let someone who’s never written for TV run their very own show?

Well—no. You may not need to spend years as a staff writer to sell a pitch for an original series, but based on your experience (or lack of experience) it’s likely that a proven SHOWRUNNER will be hired on as Executive Producer and head writer. A new writer who’s created his or her own show may be contractually relegated to a STAFF WRITER or ASSOCIATE PRODUCER position, and receive a fraction of the pay received by the showrunner.

Unfair? Yeah, maybe. But like so many things in the film and TV industry, you need to see your first pilot-sale as a big step forward to greener pastures ahead. If you sell a pilot, you’ve already beaten the odds. If you can sell one AGAIN, studio execs might get the idea that you really know something, and put you in charge of your own series.

So fight on, writers! There’s no one at the top of the food chain who didn’t start by taking classes, reading articles about the ‘biz, and dreaming about their unlikely successes. But they stayed at it, developed their skills, grew their contacts—and now look at them! Putting those movie star paychecks to SHAME...

The End: How to Wrap It Up

Structure, structure, structure. Page 17, midpoint, climax.

You’ve climbed walls and beaten down doors on your path from idea to completed first-draft—and woven the proverbial needle through every structural check-point along the way. Your hero lost it all at the end of Act 2B, rose from the ashes in Act 3, and rode triumphantly through the climax to land—where exactly?

Well—at THE END. Every great adventure must one day draw to a close, and your script is no exception. Somewhere around page 100 for comedies, or page 115 for actions and dramas, your screenplay must wind down—and ultimately FINISH.

So how do you end a screenplay? What are the right ways and wrong ways to say goodbye to your cast of characters?

Turns out—there is no “right way” to finish a script. Unlike so many other parts of screenplay structure, how you end your script will be one of the most personal and idiosyncratic choices you will make. These days, the convention in America is for scripts to end with a twist—even dramas will pull the rug out in the final pages. But of course, sometimes the best twist is no twist at all—which leaves us back where we started…

Good endings, however, tend to provide definitive answers to the following three questions. What those answers are, however, is totally up you:

1) Was the inherent conflict of the inciting incident resolved? (E.T. is on the space ship!)

2) Was the essential character conflict defined on page 17 resolved? (Indy and Indy Senior ride into the sunset together!)

3) How is the protagonist different now than from the beginning of the film? (Zoolander’s all grown up: “there’s more important things than male modeling—like love, and helping kids who can’t read good.”)

NOTE: Portions of this article first appeared in the article "Screenplay Structure," penned by this author for the website www.scriptfrenzy.org.