The process of screenwriting is lengthy, demanding, exhausting, cruel, generally unrewarding, and solitary… but it can also be super enjoyable! (For brief intervals). So before you begin, make sure it’s an idea you’re passionate about—something that will propel you through the many times your brain tells you to quit. And those times will come. They do for everyone. But the important thing is to finish what you started— so start with the right idea! Before students start, Murray Miller advises you to ask yourself these questions:
1. Do you know what a screenplay is?
Every now and then my mom sends me a “script” that her neighbor’s cousin’s friend’s roommate wrote. And there’s words and paragraphs and people say stuff but it doesn’t look or feel like a screenplay. They’re often formatted how someone might assume a play is formatted. So first thing’s first – if you want to write a screenplay, at least know what it looks like. The best way to do that is to read one. Or ten. Or a hundred. You can get 'em all right here on the internet!
Truly, there’s no better teaching tool than reading great scripts (especially ones in the genre you're writing). After a few, you’ll start to crack the code in terms of structure, character arcs, and subplots. Even reading bad scripts that were produced is helpful—it’s inspiring to know just how low the bar can be. Hey, if they made “7 Days In Hell” they’ll make anything, right?! So now that you know what a screenplay is, if you still want to write one, get some scriptwriting software. Final Draft is the main one. There are others but just get Final Draft.
2. Why are you doing this?
This may shock you, but there are people who want to work in Hollywood for reasons beyond pure artistry. Be honest with yourself, what’s compelling you to write this script? If the honest answer is fame or money, I’d consider influencing. Sure, writers get invited to award shows, but very very few become famous. And as for money, sure— lots of writers are making lots of money—but the odds of selling that first script are very low. As far as Murray Miller can tell, there are only 2 reasons to write your first script—One, because you’re truly excited about this story and want to share it with others; or two, you’re truly excited about becoming a screenwriter and know the only way to do that is to start writing. Just like anything else, the more you do it, the better you get. .
3. Is your story actually a story?
Stories have beginnings, middles and ends. Not just beginnings. I can’t tell you how many times people tell me they have the best idea, “It’s about a group of convicts on a prison spaceship forced into deadly zero-gravity gladiator games…” and have no idea where it goes from there. Or any desire to figure it out. Or any personal connection or investment in the story. Ideas are easy. Especially now, ChatGpt can come up with thousands in 3 seconds—that space prison gladiator one’s not bad. But STORIES are much harder than ideas. A story is usually about someone. And the change they undergo through the trials of your script. And in the end, there’s an end. Just like with running a marathon—starting is easy, ending is hard. Before you get going, I’d advise you to at least have some general idea of where the story ends up. Without that destination locked in, it’s easy to get lost along the way.
4. Does your character want something?
Basic story structure: You have character. They usually have some flaws. They want something. Some obstacle is preventing them from getting it. In overcoming that obstacle they may not get what they wanted but they get what they needed to make them a stronger person, correcting that original flaw. Sure there are plenty of exceptions to this rule, The Big Lebowski’s a great one; but if you’re just starting out, make it easy on yourself—make sure your character clearly wants something.
5. Did you tell anyone about this?
If not, start to! Tell anyone who will listen about this idea. New writers are often precious about their idea, worried it’s gonna be stolen. It won’t be. People generally don’t go off and write scripts that someone else wants to write. The more people you tell, the more feedback you get, (even if it’s just a skeptical glance), and you revise.
Many of the stories that stood the test of time were told over and over again, over centuries, revised and enhanced-- the more you tell it, the better it gets. Murray Miller gives the example when you start a story about your kid doing something funny and half way in you realize it sucks and you embellish it so as to not ruin your friend’s dinner party… that’s what happens with script ideas-- you don’t wanna look dumb in front of your friend so your brain bails you out and makes it better (most of the time).
6. Can you tell me your idea in a sentence?
Now that you know what you’re writing about, the best way to kick the tires on the idea and make sure it’s crystal clear is to come up with a Logline. Developing a clear logline is crucial. A one-sentence synopsis of your film. One sentence only. That encapsulates your movie or TV Show. Once you have the basic idea down in just one sentence, it will serve as a homing beacon, guiding you back on track if you get lost in the woods. Every line you write, every scene and character will be in service of this basic idea. And you won’t forget it because it’s just one sentence.
7. Are you sure you wanna do this?
Writing a script always seems so simple—we’ve all seen dozens of movies and it’s just people talking and doing stuff. You can even just take a movie that already exists like Point Break and have the characters racing cars instead of surfing and then create a mega-successful-franchise, right?
Not really. Writing a script is always challenging. There will be story holes, logic problems, hacky characters—it will make you feel bad and stupid and want to quit. To do it well, you should write clear character descriptions, a beat sheet, an outline, then the script, then rewrite the script, then rewrite the script again, then rewrite the script again. So to get through all that, make sure you really wanna do this. Without real conviction, it’s hard to get to “THE END.”
But when you do, I promise – nothing will ever feel more rewarding. And the feeling lasts almost a minute. SO—If you answered yes to all those questions—even #2 that isn’t a yes or no question – then CONGRATULATIONS, according to Murray Miller you’re ready to start your script! There’s endless resources to help you through the screenwriting process. The more you know, the better. 3 books I’d highly recommend for starting out are: Save the Cat by Blake Snyder, The Hero’s Journey by Joseph Campbell, and Story by Robert Mckee. These 3 books will give you a solid foundation to start an exciting career in writing ideas that ChatGpt came up with! GOOD LUCK!
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