How to Craft a Script: A Step-by-Step Guide

Are you interested in writing a film script, also known as a screenplay? We’re here to provide you with a straightforward, step-by-step guide to screenwriting. Let’s break it down into stages:

Stage 1: Laying the Foundation

Step A: Understanding the Nature of a Script

If you’re venturing into the world of cinematic storytelling for the first time, you might be wondering what exactly a script entails. Well, a script can be an original narrative born from your imagination or based on real events or existing works like novels, plays, or news articles. A movie script encompasses every element—audio, visual, character behavior, dialogue—required to convey a visual narrative on screen, whether in a film or television show.

Typically, creating a script is a collaborative process involving numerous revisions and edits, with input from directors, actors, and production professionals. However, it usually begins with the creative efforts of one individual—namely, you. Since filmmaking and television production are fundamentally audiovisual mediums, budding scriptwriters must capture both the audible and visible aspects of a story. Your task is to translate images and sounds into written words.

Crucially, your role is to show the audience what is transpiring on screen rather than merely telling them. Mastering this skill will set you on the path to bringing your feature film dreams closer to reality, perhaps even to Hollywood.

Step B: Familiarize Yourself with Scripts

The second stride toward becoming an exceptional screenwriter is immersing yourself in the world of scripts. Read as many outstanding scripts as you can tolerate. It’s especially beneficial to delve into scripts within the genre of your own project to gain a better understanding of the terrain. If you’re crafting a comedy, consider searching for ‘top 50 comedy scripts’ and commence your exploration there. Numerous scripts are readily accessible online at no cost.

Step C: Dive into Scriptwriting Literature

Equally valuable is delving into books that dissect the art of scriptwriting. There’s an abundance of resources available, and we’ve compiled a selection of noteworthy options to kickstart your journey:

1. Your Screenplay Sucks! by William M. Akers
2. The Coffee Break Screenwriter by Pilar Alessandra
3. The 21st Century Screenplay by Linda Aronson
4. The Nutshell Technique by Jill Chamberlain
5. The Art of Dramatic Writing by Lajos Egri
6. Screenplay by Syd Field
7. The Sequence Approach by Paul Joseph Gulino
8. Writing Screenplays That Sell by Michael Hague
9. Getting It Write by Lee Jessup
10. On Writing by Stephen King
11. Inside Story by Dara Marks
12. Story by Robert McKee
13. My Story Can Beat Up Your Story by Jeffrey Alan Schechter
14. Making a Good Script Great by Linda Seger
15. Save the Cat by Blake Snyder
16. The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler
17. Into the Woods by John Yorke

These resources will serve as valuable companions on your scriptwriting journey, offering insights and expertise to help hone your craft.

Step D: Analyze Acclaimed Films

The next step to immerse yourself in the world of scriptwriting involves revisiting your favorite movies and dissecting what makes them so captivating. Take notes on the aspects that resonate with you, whether it’s specific scenes, dialogues, or characters. Delve into why certain characters draw you in. If you’re seeking inspiration on which films to watch, consider exploring lists of the ‘greatest movies of all time’ and systematically working your way through them.

Step E: Craft a Logline (Brief Summary)

After indulging in cinematic classics, you’re likely brimming with enthusiasm to commence your script. However, before diving into the scriptwriting process, there’s a bit more groundwork to cover. First and foremost, you must create a ‘logline,’ which has nothing to do with trees but is a concise summary of your story, usually encapsulated in a single sentence.

It outlines your protagonist (the hero), their objective, as well as the antagonist (the villain) and the conflict they pose. Your logline should present the core concept of your story, its overarching theme, style, and the emotional impact it aims to deliver to the audience.

In the past, loglines were printed on the script’s spine for quick evaluation by producers. Today, you typically convey your logline in person or include it when presenting a treatment.

Step F: Develop a Treatment (Extended Summary)

With your logline established, it’s time to compose your treatment. This is a more detailed summary that includes your script’s title, the logline, a list of primary characters, and a concise synopsis. A treatment serves as a valuable document to share with producers who may review it to determine whether they should invest the time to read your full script. Crucially, your treatment should prominently feature your name and contact information.

Your synopsis should provide a comprehensive overview of your story, incorporating key ‘beats’ (significant events) and plot twists. It should also introduce your characters and convey the story’s general atmosphere. Anyone who reads it, ideally a prominent producer, should gain a sense of connection with your characters and a curiosity about their fates.

This phase of the writing process offers an opportunity to evaluate your entire story and assess how it reads when put into words. You’re likely to identify sections that work seamlessly and others that may require some refinement before delving into the finer details of individual scenes.

Step G: Crafting Compelling Characters

What is the core question at the heart of your story? What is the story truly about? Character development involves guiding your characters through a transformative journey to enable them to address these fundamental questions.

When you begin fleshing out your characters, you might find it beneficial to utilize a character profile worksheet, readily available for free online. Regardless of your characters’ roles, the key is to ensure that your audience genuinely wants to engage with them and can empathize, even with the antagonist.

Step H: Crafting Your Plot

By this stage, you should possess a clear understanding of the essence of your story. The next step entails deconstructing the story into its constituent elements and pivotal incidents, commonly referred to as a ‘beat sheet.’

There are various methods to achieve this, from using flashcards or notebooks to employing digital tools like Trello, Google Docs, Notion, and others.

The choice of tool is not paramount; what matters most is dividing the plot into individual scenes and enriching each scene with intricate details. This encompasses story beats (significant events) and pertinent information about characters or plot developments.

While the temptation to dive straight into writing the script is strong, it’s prudent to allocate a substantial amount of time to plotting beforehand. The more depth you infuse into this stage, the less time you’ll expend later on. As you embark on the writing journey, remember that stories thrive on tension—its construction and subsequent release. This tension necessitates a transformation in your protagonist to overcome the challenges they face.

Step I: Grasping the Fundamentals

Before you set out to draft your script, it’s essential to familiarize yourself with the basics. In essence, your script should be a printed document adhering to the following criteria:

• Spanning 90 to 120 pages in length.
• Composed in 12-point Courier font.
• Presented on 8.5″ x 11″, white, three-hole-punched paper.

While font enthusiasts may advocate for their beloved Futura or Comic Sans, the film industry staunchly favors Courier for both aesthetic and functional reasons. In this context, one page of script written in 12-point Courier generally translates to approximately one minute of screen time.

Consequently, the standard page count for a screenplay typically ranges between 90 and 120 pages, although this can vary somewhat by genre. Comedies tend to be shorter (around 90 pages, equivalent to 1.5 hours), whereas dramas often run a bit longer (approximately 120 pages, or 2 hours). Short films, naturally, have a shorter runtime.

Step J: Crafting the First Page

Utilizing script formatting software eliminates the necessity to memorize industry-standard margin and indent specifications.

Nevertheless, it’s valuable to understand how to configure your script correctly.

• Top, bottom, and right margins in a screenplay should be 1 inch.
• The left margin should measure 1.5 inches. This additional half-inch of white space on the left allows for binding the script with brads while preserving a balanced appearance in terms of text distribution on the page.
• The entire document should be single-spaced.
• The first item on the opening page should consist of the words ‘FADE IN:’.
• The first page should remain unnumbered.
• Other page numbers should be placed in the upper right-hand corner, positioned 0.5 inches from the top of the page, flush right to the margin.

Step K: Script Formatting

Below is a comprehensive list of script components and the appropriate indentation guidelines. Your scriptwriting software will manage these aspects for you, but learning them can be an enjoyable endeavor, right?

• Scene Heading:
• Indent: Left: 0.0″ / Right: 0.0″ / Width: 6.0″
• The scene heading entails a brief one-line description detailing the location and time of day for a particular scene, also known as a ‘slugline.’ It should consistently be rendered in capital letters.
• Example: ‘EXT. BAKERY – NIGHT’ conveys that the action unfolds outside the bakery during the nighttime.
• Subheader:
• Indent: Left: 0.0″ / Right: 0.0″ / Width: 6.0″
• Subheaders are employed when a new scene heading isn’t necessary, but a distinction within the action is needed. However, it’s advisable to exercise moderation with subheaders, as excessive use is typically frowned upon in Hollywood. One potential scenario for their use is when depicting a series of rapid cuts between two locations. In such cases, ‘INTERCUT’ is employed, followed by the scene locations.

Action

Formatting: Indent: Left: 0.0″ / Right: 0.0″ / Width: 6.0″

The “Action” section provides a descriptive account of the unfolding events within a scene. It should always employ the present tense. It can also be referred to as direction, visual exposition, blackstuff, description, or scene direction. Remember to restrict its contents to elements perceivable by the audience through sight or sound.

Character

Formatting: Indent: Left: 2.0″ / Right: 0.0″ / Width: 4.0″

When introducing a character, their name should be capitalized in the action. For instance: “The car speeds up, and out steps GEORGIA, a muscular woman in her mid-fifties with nerves of steel.”

Each character’s name should consistently be in uppercase and placed above their dialogue. Minor characters lacking names can be denoted as ‘BUTCHER’ or ‘LAWYER.’

Dialogue

Formatting: Indent: Left: 1.0″ / Right: 1.5″ / Width: 3.5″

“Dialogue” encompasses the lines spoken by each character. Employ dialogue formatting whenever a character’s speech is audible to the audience, even if it’s off-screen or in voiceovers.

Parenthetical

Formatting: Indent: Left: 1.5″ / Right: 2.0″ / Width: 2.5″

A parenthetical, despite its complex-sounding name, simply provides a character with directions pertaining to their attitude or actions—how they say or do something. However, it’s essential to exercise restraint with parentheticals. They originate from traditional playwriting, and you should only use them when absolutely necessary. Why? Because if a parenthetical is needed to clarify the situation, your script might require a revision. Furthermore, it’s the director’s responsibility to guide actors in delivering lines, and an excess of parentheticals might not be appreciated.

Extension

Placement: Positioned within parentheses after the character’s name

The “Extension” is a concise technical note that follows a character’s name, indicating how their voice will be perceived on screen. For instance, if your character is speaking as a voiceover, it would be presented as ‘DAVID (V.O.)’.

Transition

Formatting: Indent: Left: 4.0″ / Right: 0.0″ / Width: 2.0″

“Transitions” are instructions related to film editing, typically found in a shooting script. These include phrases such as:

• CUT TO:
• DISSOLVE TO:
• SMASH CUT:
• QUICK CUT:
• FADE TO:

If you are crafting a spec script, it’s advisable to avoid using transitions unless there’s no alternative way to convey the story’s progression. For example, ‘DISSOLVE TO:’ might be employed to indicate a significant passage of time.

Shot

Formatting: Indent: Left: 0.0″ / Right: 0.0″ / Width: 6.0″

A “shot” informs the reader that the primary focus within a scene has changed. However, as a spec screenwriter, this is not a term you should frequently employ; it primarily falls within the director’s purview. Examples include:

• ANGLE ON —
• EXTREME CLOSE UP —
• PAN TO —
• DAVE’S POV —

Step L. Spec Script vs. Shooting Script

A “spec script” is essentially a “speculative screenplay,” meaning it’s a screenplay you write with the hope of selling it to someone in the film industry. Given the fierce competition in the film world, adhering to the standard scriptwriting guidelines discussed in this article is crucial to avoid alienating influential figures like Spielberg and others.

When your script is purchased, it transforms into a “shooting script” or “production script.” This version is tailor-made for the production of a film, incorporating numerous technical instructions such as editing notes, camera shots, and more. These instructions serve as guidance for production assistants and directors, aiding in determining the sequence in which scenes should be filmed, optimizing resources like sets, cast, and locations.

It’s important not to include any elements from a shooting script in your spec script, such as specific camera angles or editing transitions. While you may naturally have preferences about how the story should be visually presented, it’s strictly discouraged in spec scripts. If you wish to have creative control over these aspects, pursuing the independent filmmaker path might be a more suitable choice. If your goal is to sell your script, adhering to industry conventions is the way to go.

Step M. Choose Your Writing Software

Crafting a successful screenplay for the big screen is undoubtedly demanding, but modern screenwriting has become considerably more accessible due to the wide range of affordable screenwriting software available. These programs handle script formatting, including margins and spacing, enabling you to focus on crafting a compelling narrative. Here are several software options to consider:

• Celtx
• Fade In
• Final Draft
• Highland
• Movie Magic Screenwriter
• Movie Outline
• Montage
• StudioBinder
• WriterDuet

Additionally, there are numerous outlining and development programs designed to assist you in gathering your thoughts and organizing storytelling ideas before you begin writing. Some of these include:

• Contour
• Dramatica
• Save the Cat!

Step N. Establish a Plan

When tackling a substantial project, setting a deadline is a wise practice to provide a clear target to strive for. For crafting a film script, allocating a period of 8-12 weeks is generally reasonable, as this aligns with the timeframe typically offered by the industry for script development. Ensure that you prominently display your deadline in a place where it’s visible to you, such as on your calendar, mobile device, or even consider making it a tangible reminder like a tattoo on your hand. It’s also beneficial to share your goal with a few friends who can encourage you and help hold you accountable.

During the initial draft, your primary focus should be on getting words onto the page. Avoid being overly critical of your work at this stage; simply write whatever thoughts come to mind and follow your outline. If you can consistently produce 1-2 pages per day, you’ll complete your first draft within two or three months. Some individuals find it advantageous to establish a writing routine, whether it’s writing at a specific time each day, in the morning, late at night, or without any set schedule. Some might require the elimination of distractions like turning off their phone and internet to concentrate fully. Discover a routine that suits your preferences or working style and stick with it. You’re more than capable of achieving this.

Step O. Vocalize Your Dialogue

One highly effective method to assess the naturalness of your dialogue is to read it aloud. As you craft dialogue, speak it aloud simultaneously. If it doesn’t flow smoothly or feels somewhat forced, it’s a signal that revisions are needed. Highlight the sections that require refinement, and revisit them during the editing phase.

Step O. Take a Well-Deserved Break

Upon completing your draft, you might either perceive it as a masterpiece or consider it far from ideal. The reality often falls somewhere between these extremes. When deeply immersed in a creative endeavor, it can be challenging to gain a comprehensive perspective. This underscores the importance of taking a substantial break between the writing and editing phases. Direct your attention to other activities for a few weeks, like reading a book or watching television. Returning to edit your script after this hiatus will grant you a fresh and unbiased viewpoint.

Step P. Take Detailed Notes

After allowing yourself a well-deserved break, dive back into your script and meticulously examine it. Take note of any sections that appear confusing or sound peculiar. Identify areas where the story might be unclear or where characters seem to engage in actions that don’t significantly advance the plot. These are the segments where you should readily wield a red pen. As previously mentioned, this is an opportune moment to read your script aloud, adding accents and delivering lines in a manner that aligns with your vision for the story.

Step Q. Seek Input from a Trusted Confidant

As you approach the final iteration of your script, you may wish to share it with individuals for feedback. Initially, consider approaching friends and family or any fellow writers within your network if available. Request their insights on specific parts that you find concerning and inquire if there are any aspects that left them perplexed.

Step R. Craft the Ultimate Draft

After accumulating your notes and gathering feedback, it’s time to immerse yourself once more in the details and labor toward creating your final draft. Continue making revisions until you find contentment with the outcome. If there are modifications needed for the story or characters, address those first as they may contribute to resolving more substantial script issues. Generate each new draft in a fresh document, allowing you to seamlessly transfer preferred portions from previous versions into the new one. While delving into the specifics, be cautious not to become overly ensnared by minor details that hinder your ability to complete a draft. Furthermore, before you commence sharing your work with the wider audience, ensure a thorough examination for spelling and grammar using a tool like Grammarly.

Step S. Final Presentation and Script Binding

In the world of scriptwriting, there are rules for every aspect, even for how you bind your script. Here’s what you need to know:

• The first page serves as the title page and must be typed in 12-point Courier font.
• The title page should prominently feature the title of your script, along with “written by” and your name centered on the page.
• Place your contact information in either the lower left-hand or right-hand corner of the title page.
• Optionally, you can include a copyright notification, “Registered,” or “WGA” (Writers Guild of America) notice in the lower left-hand or right-hand corner.
• Remember, your script should contain no graphics, pictures, or any extraneous elements.

To prepare your script for distribution, you’ll need the following materials:

• Script covers (available in linen or standard card stock)
• Three-hole-punched paper
• Screenplay brass fasteners, also known as brads (Acco number 5, size 1 1/4-inch for scripts up to 120 pages, Acco number 6, size 2-inch for larger scripts)
• Optional: Script binding mallet
• Screenplay brass washers
• Script mailers

Here’s how to bind your script properly:

Print your title page and script on bright white three-hole-punched paper.

Insert both the title page and the script into the script cover, ensuring that the front and back covers remain blank – they primarily serve as protection for the script.

Insert two brass fasteners into the first and third holes, leaving the middle hole empty.

Turn the script over and slide the brass washers over the arms of the fasteners. Flatten the arms of the fasteners against the script. Optionally, you can use a script binding mallet for a more secure fit.

Finally, utilize script mailers to send your film script to the prominent figures in Hollywood who can help make your script a reality.