Writing Blog
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10 Biggest Mistakes I See in Early Drafts
From the hundreds of screenplays I have read, these are mistakes I see again and again from novice screenwriters. Luckily, we can all learn from our mistakes. 1) THE SCRIPT ISN'T FUNI If we’re going to read a script from beginning to end, it should be a fun read. If it’s a horror, make us scared. If it’s a comedy, make us laugh. We go to the movies because it's fun, so make sure your script is fun. 2) TOO MUCH ACTION DESCRIPTION Amateur writers often use way too much action description. It slows the pace of the script, and so often, a lot of that action description isn't needed. 3) ON-THE-NOSE DIALOGUE We can forgive a little on-the-nose dialogue, but if a script is full of it, then it shows a lack of creativity from the writer. 4) BAD HANDLING OF EXPOSITION If characters are talking in paragraphs about their backstory, and it’s clear exposition just to get the exposition out, then it’s not fun. Make sure the exposition is handled through moments where we don’t realize this is exposition. 5) SHOW, DON'T TELL Why have your protagonist tell us about a moment when we can see it? If something life-changing happened to your protagonist, then show it to us! Don’t just talk about it. We might not remember every piece of dialogue, but we’ll remember a scene that changed the protagonist. 6) NOT KNOWING WHEN TO FADE IN AND WHEN TO FADE OUT There should only be one FADE IN at the top of the script and one FADE OUT at the very bottom of the film. Amateur writers put more of these in the middle of their scripts. 7) KEEP IT LESS THAN 110 PAGES (ESPECIALLY IN COMEDY) Sure, there’s an exception to this, but your story better be incredible. A script from a first-time writer that’s 124 pages is just a headache to a reader. For the most part, people don’t want to read scripts over 100 pages. If a reader has the choice to choose a screenplay that’s 94 pages and a screenplay that's 115 pages, they’re much more likely to choose the 94-page script. 8) COMEDIES NEED TO BE FUNNY Comedies need to be a mix of great stories and great laughs. If you’re gonna submit a comedy, make sure we laugh. Pump up the jokes in scenes that need more jokes before submitting. 9) CHARACTERS HAVE SIMILAR NAMES Don't have a Josh, Jake, John, and Jeff! Make sure every character has a different name than your other characters. It gets confusing when you keep reading names that start with the same initial. 10) THE FIRST 10 PAGES ARE BORING The first 10 pages of a screenplay are the most important. They have to hook the reader to want to read the rest of the screenplay. Once we are hooked, it's easier to forgive other parts of the screenplay, but if we're not hooked, then we'll pass on the screenplay. |
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Starting 6/27, Learn how to write a Movie in 3 months with a teacher and screenwriter who has sold and optioned screenplays. You will be responsible for writing 10 new pages a week. For any questions, feel free to email me at [email protected] Here's a YouTube video with more info as well - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH9VSH3S48M&ab_channel=JordanImiola Every week on Thursdays 9 PM EST/6 PM PST, we will go over Screenplay Structure and talk about what we discovered writing our stories. You’ll have the accountability, discipline, and Fun Factor to write your movie until your screenplay is finished! (Boo-Ya!) Course size is limited to 8 students, so enroll me ASAP if you want a guaranteed spot. You can write a screenplay entirely from scratch or use a screenplay that you have already started but still need to finish. Once the course begins, there are no refunds, and you'll be responsible for being on Zoom every week. If you can make it every week, you can reach the page count assigned for that week. This course will keep you accountable to ensure your screenplay is finished, but it will also be A TON OF FUN! 44 Ways to Write Fast + Finish Your Story
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If you’re looking for wonderful knowledge about screenwriting, these are 5 Favorite Screenwriting Books.
#5 Save The Cat Strikes Back by Blake Snyder
All the stuff Blake Snyder thought of after his first book, he put in his second. The book was published 3 months after Blake's death at the early age of 52, but he left us with some amazing devices.
#4 The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure For Storytellers and Screenwriters by Christopher Volger
This book melds together mythology and storytellingl. The Writer's Journey is based on the writings of Joseph Campbell, but this is easier to absorb, and it's more relatable to most of us.
#3 The Story Solution: 23 Actions All Great Heroes Must Take by Eric Edson
Written by the Professor of Screenwriting and Director of the Graduate Program in Screenwriting at California State University, Northridge, this book explores a step-by-step blueprint for proper hero goal sequences.
#2 Save The Cat by Blake Snyder
Screenwriters Love this book or hate it, and I love it. Blake Snyder can correctly beat out 98% of blockbuster movies. His beats and study of film are remarkable. This book is perfect for first-time screenwriters because it’s a plethora of information, and it’s a really fun read. A book many of us refer to again and again.
#1 Writing Movies for Fun and Profit by Robert Ben Garant & Thomas Lennon
This book is so entertaining and will often make you burst out laughing. You won’t learn as much about how to write a screenplay as Save the Cat, but this book will inspire you to become successful in Hollywood. The authors have made more money and produced films than all the other authors on this list combined.
Copy and paste these questions into a Google doc or Word doc and answer each. Or write them in a dedicated notebook for your story to help develop your characters.
1. What is their full name?
2. How old are they?
3. What is their physical description?
4. What is their marital status?
5. What was their childhood like?
6. What is their Current Occupation and what were their past jobs?
7. What was their Education?
8. What are their hobbies? Do they play any Sports?
9. What is their Favorite Book?/Movie?/Album?
10. What is a typical Saturday night for the character?
11. What is their Biggest regret in life?
12. Who or what does the character love?
13. Who or what does the character hate?
14. Who or what does the character fear?
15. What is the character’s internal motivation? (what they need) and What is the character’s external motivation? (what they think they need):
16. What is the character’s fatal flaw?
17. What is the character’s secret?
18. How does the character speak?
19. What is the character’s goal in the story?
20. Is the character active in achieving their goal?
21. Who or what prevents the character from achieving their goal?
22. What happens if the character does not achieve their goal?
23. What is the transformation arc of the character?
24. Who or what helps the character change?
25. Who is the character’s mentor?
26. Does the character have any conflicting personality traits?
27. What is the character missing in their life?
28. What is the first image of the character? What does it tell us about them?