Be it a gag, a short film, a play, or a feature film it all begins with script writing. A screen writer does not only watch zillion of TV shows and films, he even carries the power of creating a new world from the scratch. A world that never existed before.
But one thing that we all must understand is that not every script is a masterpiece. What makes a script a hit or a flop is the way it is written. Today I am going to share with you 8 easiest steps of script writing. These steps will help you become a good and successful screen writer.
1. Concept/ Story
Script writing begins with a concept. If you do not have a clear concept you will not have anything to begin with in the first place. What is a concept? It is the basic idea of what your story is going to be like. It does not have to be a complete story with the beginning, middle and an end. It can just be a rough idea of what you want to write.
2.Planning
Once you have your concept then you should write it down and read it over and out it into a flow. It will shape your concept into a story. Script writing requires you to plan and brainstorm over your concept. This will give you the idea if your concept is capable of becoming a good story or not. If while reading the concept more ideas of how the story will go forward start coming to you then it means that you have got yourself a decent story.
3.Research
Research and planning both go side-by-side for a screen writer. As your concept processes forward and take the shape of a story you need relevant information such as facts, theories to make sure that your piece is heading in the right direction. For example, if you are writing a script about doctors then you must know the terms and causes of each disease that you are mentioning in your story. You also have to be sure that the process you are going for the right procedure to deal with that specific disease. You do not need to look for a library to do your research. A simple tap on google can help you gain the information you need.
4.Character Development
By this stage you have your concept, you have a story to follow and you have done all the research you need to make your story a hit, and you will also have your characters build-up as well. When a screen writer is writing a script character is the first thing he builds because without the character how is your story going to go forward? In this step you are going to look a little deeper into your characters. Ask them question like why is he doing what he is doing, what is his purpose, why is your character acting in a specific way? Is he a people’s person or a loner? This helps your character to stand-out. You give your character a personality, a motive which helps your audience to connect with the character on a better level.
5.Plot
In script writing everything goes side by side. Be it doing research, or shaping your characters or plotting the story. It all happens together. Your story will fall into a plot while it is in the beginning stage but what you can do now is go over it again and look if you have missed anything. If your plot is even making the right sense or not. Break your story into scenes and make sure that there is a beginning, a middle and an ending to your story.
6.First Draft
Now you have all the things you need for your script. A concept, a plot and well-established character. Now is the time to begin script writing. Your goal for the first draft should be to write down the whole story and see what you have on hand. Your first draft should contain the following things;
- A complete story with a beginning, a middle conflict and an end.
- Characters with clear motives.
- Research to prove your statements.
7.Proofreading
Now you have your first draft in your hand but it still needs work. Once you are done with the first draft you will get the feeling that this is the best piece you have ever written but keep this in mind that as a screen writer your first draft can never be your final one. So, I would suggest that you give it a few reads. Ask your friends to read it for you and take their reviews. See what they have to say about your story. Take pointers and then review your draft. You will realize if the reviews you received are useful or not.
8.Editing Final Draft
This is the most fun part of script writing. Once you have your draft ready and a review from audience as well you can work on your draft again. Proofread it and you can turn it into an even better piece with improved dialogues, better use of words, and sometimes even better addition to the plot.
Obviously, you cannot ace all these things in the first go. Script writing is a try and learn process but once you start using all the steps which we just talked about I guarantee you that you will be a great screen writer in very short time.
