The Scripts You Should Read If You Want To Be A Writer

For the most part, my posts focus on how to break in to the industry and offer a behind the scenes look at the television industry; I rarely provide unsolicited advice on how to make your script better. I leave that to my fellow bloggers who have more than one season as a staff writer under their belt. That said, I’m about to offer you unsolicited advice.

All young writers do two things: read scripts and watch movies. Rarely, however, do they read the scripts of the movies they have watched. Here’s my advice: pick out a handful of your favorite movies (or scenes from your favorite movies) and read those scripts/scenes. Most good screenplays are available online. Study what you see on screen compared to what is on page. I read a lot of college students’ specs and the number one problem is that their scripts are overwritten. The descriptions are often too long by several sentences and sometimes several paragraphs. Young writers feel the need to direct the reader/actor/director. In addition, they don’t trust the subtext of their dialogue, which results in a very “on the nose” conversation. It’s hard to learn what you actually need to write on the page in order to get what you want on the screen or in your readers head. The best way to learn how to do this is to compare the page to the screen. Look at how much the writer described (or didn’t describe); compare the actual dialogue to the subtext and emotion of the scene on screen. It’s a great exercise.

Note: Be aware that all professional writers have a distinct style. Screenwriters who are also playwrights often provide less description (more like stage directions) than Writer/Directors. Read several examples and find your own happy medium.

For more tips, my husband recommends Denny Martin Flinn's How Not to Write a Screenplay: 101 Common Mistakes Most Screenwriters Make.