Teach Yourself Screenwriting

This is a general rule for fiction plots that is helpful to know. As with all formal structures, it can be transformed or thrown out completely, but you can't do that successfully unless you understand it first.

Act One - Set up (30 minutes)
Characters and the setting are introduced. There is an inciting incident that begins the main conflict of the film. It ends with a reversal, or plot point, which sends the story in a new direction and provides a transition into the second act.

Act Two - Confrontation (60 minutes)
This is the main body of the story and where most of the action takes place. Problems or obstacles are presented which must be overcome. The midpoint is approximately halfway through the movie and represents the point where the main character has hit bottom or is the farthest from achieving the goal. The second reversal, or plot point, closes this act and moves toward the conclusion.

Act Three - Resolution (30 minutes)
This is when the climax is reached and there is a major physical, mental or emotional show down which brings some sort of closure. The denouement answers lingering questions and wraps thing up.

Plays, television scripts, and screenplays each have a different format and rules. Script Frenzy has a lot of good resources for writers. This article explains screenplay formatting clearly. Fortunately, there is software you can download that makes the formatting simple. Celtx is an excellent freeware program. Final Draft is the industry standard.

I took this helpful suggestion from another Script Frenzy article, Intro to Screenwriting. Before writing your first screenplay, read at least a couple of scripts to get the lay of the land. Start with a movie you have seen. Think about how the background and the action is described. Next read a totally unfamiliar screenplay and try to imagine the scenes in your head as you read. See how much detail is included in the descriptions. In both scripts, consider the pacing and the balance between descriptions of scenery or action and dialog.

This step can be done many ways and with more or less detail. Some writers need elaborate plans and others mostly improvise. Find what works for you. There should be at least a basic framework to give you some guidance. You might want to do a simple outline using the three act structure. Another option would be a timeline of events. This is especially helpful if there may be flashbacks or a non-linear story structure. A chronological timeline will help you keep things straight in your head and be consistent throughout the story.

Make a routine discipline to write every day. You may or may not be able to do it at the same time each day, but at least half an hour each day will keep you going. Depending on how hectic your life is, split it into two 15 minute sessions. If you have more time, do as much as you can. A strong writing habit will get you through the rough spots to the end of the first draft.

Perfectionism is a curse for writers. Lock away your inner critic and do not edit while you are writing the draft. It freezes creativity and you will end up stuck. A script begun with enthusiasm can easily be abandoned out of frustration and discouragement. Keep going and let the draft be what it is. This is one reason why I stalled.

Now is the time to open the door and let that critic out. This is a good time to let a couple of people that you trust take a look the draft and give you feedback.

Important points while editing
organization - move scenes around as needed.
pacing - cut out everything that is not essential.
dialog - make it sound natural to the characters.
continuity - make sure that names and other details are consistent throughout.

continuity example - in one scene I referenced a book that would be used in another scene and become an important prop and symbolic reference. In a later scene I forgot which book I used and wrote another title.

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