How to Write a Screenplay in Very Little Time
Hello!
Well although I don’t know whether you are writing a feature or a short or an animation script or something else…But if you are here, you intend to write a screenplay in very little time.
This means that you will have to work with extreme clarity on the three act structure (beginning, middle and end) and in eventual detail. So let’s get to it.
Start with answering five basic questions:
- Who is the story about
- What problem is that character facing
- Who is that character up against (who is the villain in the story)
- What is the character’s main goal
- How does the character’s life change when he/she/it achieves its goal
Then focus on your character – think about him/her/it as a friend and write down everything you can about him/her/it. Think about their style of talking, walking, dressing, what they like to eat, what kind of family they come from, what interests them, what disgusts them, their friends, their enemies, their relationships, their schooling, their childhood, their dreams, ambitions, aspirations and so on. You could go down to even writing about what is the weirdest dream they have had, what they are afraid of, what makes them happy and so on. All of this will help you with dialogue later on.
Then break down each of the 5 points mentioned above further into a beginning, middle and end making sure that each part has something interesting in it.
Once that is done, you will have your story ready.
Now writing the screenplay becomes easier because you already know what is happening in that part of the story. Visualize it in your head, and then write down exactly what you see. Not how you feel, but what you “see”.
Then think about what your friend, the character, would say
in the given situation, and continue writing till you have finished.
Bonus Tip for writing characters is to think of someone you know personally and then use hints from their behaviour as character traits for your story. It helps write faster.
Hope this helps you!
And do feel free to share your writing for review. Would love to help!
Also, if you are the writing kind, you can join our LinkedIn group for writers here and challenge yourself to a new story everyday!
Cheers!
