How to Make Your Screenplay Better: The 5 Subtle Details You Overlook
Great screenplays are like great omelets. They’re made up of a variety of smaller ingredients that work together to create perfection, unless they're using Feta cheese. But, like anything else, even the most perfectly created omelet can be improved with a few tweaks here and there. When you read through your screenplay again, it may seem obvious which areas require attention and which don’t. While readability is important, so is content. Those smaller details are what make viewers connect with your story and go away thinking about it long after the movie has finished. Creative Theory Studios offers script doctor services, which is a great way to help improve your script. Here are some of the easy things we look for when improving a screenplay…
Show, Don’t Tell
Screenplays are long paragraphs of dialogue, so it’s important to avoid the tendency to “tell” rather than “show”. To put it simply, Show, don’t tell. This can seem like an obvious rule, but you’d be surprised how many screenwriters forget it. To avoid the urge to shove a lot of expository dialogue into your script, try to swing towards showing rather than telling. When your characters talk to each other, write around the conversations, not at them. Try to add more action to your scenes and cut out more of the “talking heads” style of writing so that you don’t end up with such a dense script. Don't tell the audience your character is tired. Show them by having the character yawn as they drum their fingers on the counter, waiting anxiously for that coffee pot to finish percolating.
Use Active Voice
Too many screenwriters fall into the trap of writing with a “how to” tone. The key to making your script engaging is to avoid writing “plainly”. While you want to be able to clearly explain your process and show your reader the inner workings of your characters and story, avoid writing like a textbook. Keep your sentences short and simple. Break up paragraphs with action to keep your readers interested. You want to make your script sound like a conversation between two people. With that in mind, try to write with an active voice. Avoid using passive constructions like “is being” or “will be”. Instead, try to turn those around and write with an active voice. What does that mean? It means that your sentences should be built around verbs, and not just any old verb, but ones that tell your reader what your characters do. Be specific. Your goal is to make your dialogue sound like two real people talking to each other.
Match Your Page Count to Your Audience
A common mistake made by new screenwriters is to write a script that is too dense. You want to make your screenplay easy to read, but not so easy that it reads like a brochure. Match the page count to the audience for whom you are writing. As a general rule, it's one minute per page. Remember that you may have to cut some scenes or even some characters to make your word count work. If you’re writing for a studio that requires a certain page count, you may have to make some hard choices. But, in general, strive to keep your page count around the same number of minutes you desire your movie to be.
Avoid Passive Voice
Passive voice is when you use “be” verbs or “become” verbs. Simply put, linking verbs - am, is, are, was, were. These are the verbs that take the “to be” form. “To be” verbs like “to be”, “to become”, and “to look” are passive voice. Avoid them because they sound like the writer is describing the action instead of actively participating in it. For example, don't write, "He is exhausted from all the running." Instead write, "Exhaustion overcomes him as he tries desperately to catch his breath." Passive voice usually comes off as amateur and that's not a trait you want to show in your script.
Watch for Tying
Finally, tie up any loose ends in your script. This is especially important if your screenplay ends on a cliffhanger. If you leave your audience with a question hanging in the air, you’ll probably have many people asking you questions when they see you at a Q&A. It’s good to remember that your readers are not just your audience; they’re your friends, your family, and your loved ones. They care about this story as much as you do, and they want the answers just like any other audience member does. A good way to tie up any loose ends is to use the final scene of your screenplay to tie up any unanswered questions.
Final Thoughts
What makes a screenplay great isn’t a formula or a procedure – it’s a combination of thousands of small decisions made throughout the process. Screenwriting can be a challenging and slightly frustrating process, but with the right attitude (and a little bit of help), it can also be an incredibly rewarding and creative one. When you make the effort to improve the small details in your screenplays, you’ll be able to take your screenwriting to the next level. But don’t be afraid to ask for help. Here at Creative Theory Studios, we offer script doctor services - from developing better characters to refining your story structure, we can help you take your screenplays to the next level.
