16 screenwriting tips

16 screenwriting tips that will improve your script today. 

You may have noticed there are quite a few bad screenwriting tips floating around out there. Advice that says you shouldn’t ever use camera angles in your description, that a scene should always contain a protagonist with a goal, and that a screenplay is made up of just three acts.
It’s time to get down to brass tacks: screenwriting needn’t be this confusing. But with the number of contradictory screenwriting tips online, it often seems so.
We’ve broken down this list of scriptwriting tips and tricks into seven key screenwriting areas: concept, theme, characters, plot/structure, scenes, dialogue and description.
So let’s dive on in.

Concept screenwriting tips. 

• 1. Use a three-way triangle of conflict between the protagonist, antagonist, and stakes character to create the strongest concept possible.
• 2. Try to force your protagonist into action at the end of Act 1, rather than let them drift into it.
Read more on how to do this in our step-by-step guide: How to Write a Logline: The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide.

Theme screenwriting tips.

• 3. Think of theme in terms of an argument: the protagonist represents the “unknown” side, the antagonist the “bad” side and the stakes character the “good” side.
Read more about how to strengthen your theme here: Screenplay Theme: 3 Superb Ways to Express Your Script’s Message.

Character screenwriting tips.

• 4. Make your characters feel real by adding a surprising contradiction to them. 
• 5. Always make sure your characters feel real.
• 6. Map your protagonist’s character arc to every major plot point in your screenplay. The call to action, Act 1 break, midpoint, Act 2 break and climax should all be big moments that clearly demonstrate where the protagonist’s at on the arc.
Read how to show character arc through plot points here: Character Arc: The Secret Sauce to Demonstrating Your Hero’s Growth.

Plot/structure screenwriting tips.

• 7. Add two extra plot points to Act 1 of your script: an Inciting Incident (possibly) in the first scene, and a big event around page 17: the thing that spins the protagonist’s world out of sync, forcing them to make a decision at the end of Act 1.
• 8. Follow these 12 specific script beats in Act 1 to really set up the conflict in your screenplay and make it as strong as possible.
Read what these twelve specific screenplay beats are here: 12 Secret Script Beats You Should Include In Act 1 of Your Screenplay.
screenwriting tips

Scene scriptwriting tips.

• 9. Stop framing every scene you write in terms of “protagonist vs. antagonist.” In reality, many scenes are more about revealing information that direct conflict.
• 10. When it comes to writing a scene, there are 8 Core Principles you should follow. Every well-written screenplay scene—especially the big ones at major plot points—contain eight dramatic principles that best move your story forward and keep the audience engaged.
• 11. Improve your scene description style by comparing it to the pros

Dialogue screenwriting tips. 

• 12. Learn how to dramatically improve your script dialogue by reformatting screenplay transcriptions. This simple hack will get your fingers into the rhythm of writing professional sounding dialogue in less than a month.
• 13. For all you comedy writers out there, steal jokes from the web to boost your script’s humor level.
• 14. Eliminate on-the-nose dialogue by replacing all instances of explanation with action. Whenever you have a character explain something, check to see if the information would be better conveyed through a short, visual scene.
Read more about this and other subtext hacks, here: On-the-Nose Dialogue Examples and How to Stop It Killing Your Script.

Writing style scriptwriting tips. 

• 15. Compare good and bad versions of scene description side-by-side to really see what great writing looks like.
♦  16. Leverage suspense in your writing style by slowing down time, and thinking of each line as a new camera angle.

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