1. Script Writing
1. Have a title page. Your script will need a title page. This will include the title and your
name, but it will also include your contact information
2. Use the correct font, margins and breaks. You will need to use Courier Font
(typewriter font) when writing your script.
3. Give helpful details about the setting and characters. Use slug lines before each scene,
they say whether the action is taking place inside or outsideor if it is day or night.
4. All character names should be in capital letters above their dialogue. (you can put
instructions : pause, etc)
5. Use correct format of movie script (don’t confuse yourself with play script)
6. Be precise but explain it.
Developing Your Story
1. Formulate a premise. Write a short sentence or phrase of the fundamental concept
which drives the plot. This can be something which is the message or idea behind your
story, an extremely short plot idea, or something else to give you a goal and unifying
idea to work toward.
2. Create an outline or treatment. Before you begin actually writing dialog and script, it
might help to create a basic road-map/story of what will happen in your story so you
don't get sidetracked and can work out any plot holes or kinks. Sketch out a general plan
and envision how events will unfold. This should be told in the third-person.

2. 3. Flesh out your story. Write the entire premise of the play, movie, etc. with lots of details
and ideas, paying no mind to style, format, repetition, or anything else that gets in the
way of your creative flow. Your finished product should cover the plot, personalities,
relationships, character arcs, and a larger point to the story. Sometimes, drawings or
diagrams may be used as a temporary storyboard to show to other persons to
demonstrate facets of your plot and characters, etc.
Your characters should drive the action on the stage or screen, so make sure
they are interesting and innovative. It may not be necessary for you to fully
develop them right away, however, as they tend to take on lives of their own
as the script-writing continues.
4. Trim the story down. Now that you have everything on paper, look for dead weight,
weak links, irrelevant details, and over-explaining, sidetracking, elements that drag, and
anything else that weakens the overall trajectory. Be harsh; just because you fell in love
with something you worked on in the exploratory phase doesn’t mean it should survive
the revision phase.

3. Improving Your Script
1. Research after writing your first draft. Watch plays, tv shows, and movies which are
similar to the work you’ve just written. Examine your own work in comparison to these
others. Do you fall into to many tropes? Is your story over done? See if you can find
ways to distinguish yourself from these works.
o Work on making profound contributions to the subject you’ve written. Take a
philosophical approach to the topic and challenge conventional ideas. This will
make your work much more engaging.
2. Simplify your writing. You don’t need overly fancy dialogue or crazy scenes to keep your
audience engaged. Much like with writing a book, our work shines the most when we
are showing, not telling. Make your character’s choices speak for them and put more
meaning into what they don’t say than what they do.[4]
3. Write the plot in script format. The exact format will vary depending on whether you’re
writing for theater, TV, or the silver screen – and in what country. (For example, the
American TV industry’s standard script format is modeled on the business plan.) Use
proper headers to introduce scenes, identify each speaker, and so on; many production
companies won’t even look at a script if it isn’t properly formatted.
o
Consider purchasing script-writing software for this phase of the process. There
are several programs that will guide you through the formatting or even convert
an already-written script into the correct layout.

4. 4. Maintain your style. Remember, scripts are all about action and dialog. Make sure your
characters speak realistically, and try not to mix styles of speech and vocabulary too
much unless you are going for a certain effect.
Engaging Your Audience
1. Set the scene. Don't forget to include important details such as time of day, setting, and
actions of the characters in the scene. These are nearly as important as the dialog that
occurs.
2. Describe action only briefly. Provide a sense of what’s happening on screen, but leave it
to the director to fill in the details. Writing out all of the action is not the writer’s job.
Trying to include too much of this will only leave you disappointed when things are
changed.

5. 3. Spend a lot of time working on your dialogue. Dialogue will make or break your
characters and their relationships. What’s worse, dialogue is extremely difficult for most
people to write. To get your bearings, write down or record real conversations to see
how people really speak and which expressions they use.
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Be sure to listen to a variety of speakers to so that you can give your own
characters more flavor and individuality.
Ensuring that different characters have their own "voice" and "persona" based
on their background will keep them from blending into one another. Remember,
their personal will affect their attitude, word choices and dialect.
Read your dialogue aloud as you go, paying extra attention to whether or not it
sounds halting, stereotyped, over-the-top, or totally uniform.
Finalizing Your Script
1. Edit your work. Polish it, but don't be a perfectionist; work toward perfection, not to it.

6. 2. Show your finished work to people whose opinion you respect. Choose people who not
only come from different backgrounds and have varied personal tastes, but are also
willing to provide honest feedback.
Don't let yourself feel insulted, controlled, upset, or angered by a critiques or
remarks; they’re opinion, not fact. Laugh and be enthusiastic about help and
advice, but weigh your critics’ opinions against your own judgment before
implementing any changes.
3. Revise your work as many times as necessary. Painful as it may be, you’ll be glad when
you’re finally able to convey your vision.
o

7. Tips
Know the type of script you're writing. If your script is a comedy, make sure that other
people think that it's funny. If you're writing a drama, make the dialogue dramatic and
gripping.
All scripts should contain conflict, progression and status changes, or will be
uninteresting to read or watch.
If the movie you are making is a kids movie, get input from kids, not adults because they
are the ones who will be watching it!
Before pitching a screenplay, you'll want to get electronic proof-of-creation. You can do
this online.
If you’ve written a movie script, you may want to use one of the film industry's online
scouting services, to get your story and screenplay reviewed by industry executives in a
protected platform of exposure.
A stage play should have a cover page clearly showing the title of the play, the author of
the play, and the approximate length of the play. Stage direction/other direction is
written in italics.
You may want to attend a scriptwriting class, which will give you helpful hints on the
nuances of writing a full script, especially things such as plot development, character
development, and dialog.
Source Wikihow.com