News > Top 10 Screenwriting Tips

Written by John Lichman

Pfft, it's Friday. Read this handy guide for writing a screenplay!

2 Don’t show off

 

European writers in particular try to make their work look complex and clever. The major skill in screenwriting is making the multifaceted seem simple and accessible. Look at Shrek.

5 If it’s not 90 minutes then there must be a good reason

Generally speaking, one page of screenplay will take a minute of on-screen time. A movie should be 90 minutes. If your script is over 100 pages there had better be a good reason for it (Ghandi was deserving of three hours; many others are not). Commercially, if you go much above 100 minutes the cinemas will lose one showing a day.

6 Choose your protagonist

Movies should have a protagonist. This can be more than one person (Crash), or even an inanimate object or a place (Fargo). They do not always have to be sympathetic, but they do have to be intriguing.

There, go write something put it on YouTube. Remember to credit FilmWad at the Oscars. You're welcome. 

(via MCN)