Screenwriting Mistakes -- and how to fix them

Here's just a sampling of tips:

FORMATTING:

The first time a character is introduced you must capitalize their name. Add a brief description to indicate their persona. For example: "Marcel has such high ideals-he wants to be canonized while he's still alive." OR " Marcel thinks he's so high-minded that he nominated himself for sainthood, but lost out to Mel Gibson."

CUT TO is no longer used.

Parentheticals: Leave them out unless the meaning of the words will be lost without it.
It's better to put in a line of description than to use verbs in the parentheticals.
A character's description will help the actor to know how the words should be said, thus making parentheticals unnecessary.

Descriptions shouldn't be more than four lines. If you have to, break it up.

Dialogue should also stay under the four line max, but the rule is less stringent. After all, there are times when dialogue MUST go on longer. Just don't overdo.

End scenes on an action (not dialogue) and use transitions to segue into the next scene. A sound in one scene connects to a sound in the next, a door closes, another opens and so on.

CHARACTER

Your characters need attitude. Even minor characters. What are their dreams? Fears? Worldviews? Agendas?

The protagonist needs a character arc. He starts at point A and by the end he's at point B. Point B is where he was always meant to be, even though he may have been aiming for something completely different%u2026.

SHOW--DON'T TELL

Don't tell the reader what is about to happen--show them!

Don't tell the reader that someone is about to speak -- just do it.

DIALOGUE
Don't repeat things in dialogue. Keep it short--under 4 lines and snappy!