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Screenwriting for Authors – Don’t Make These Common Mistakes

by Manuel Marino | Movies, Writings

Photo by Meredith_Farmer

Screenwriting differs greatly from writing a novel or a non-fiction book. It is a distinct medium and should be approached accordingly. It is a challenging form that even talented writers can master.

With this in mind, here are some common mistakes made by aspiring screenwriters. Hopefully, this article will help you avoid them and make your script or book more appealing to Hollywood.

STARTING TOO LATE – Novels often begin at a leisurely pace, with detailed scene descriptions and character backgrounds. However, because screenplays typically span a maximum of 120 pages, with much of it being white space, a screenplay needs to engage the audience early on.

UNNECESSARY DESCRIPTION – Screenplay descriptions should be minimal, providing enough information to convey the setting and overall tone. Leave the finer details to the director and/or creative team.

STATING THE OBVIOUS – One mistake novice screenwriters make is having characters explicitly state what the audience can already see on the screen. For example, if we are watching a track meet and John crosses the finish line first, it is unnecessary and dull to have a character say, “John won the race.”

FORMAT – Screenplays adhere to a strict structure. The …

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