A screenplay differs greatly from a novel. In a novel, you can use your imagination to create the environment, convey feelings, and express the inner thoughts of the characters. But in a screenplay, all you have to go on is what the audience can see and hear.
It is crucial to master the art of visual storytelling in your screenplays because the visuals play such a large role in a film. This means that each scene, each action, and each line of dialogue you write will help paint a picture in the mind of the reader, which will later be brought to life on screen.
Use the Power of Visual Storytelling
Many novice writers rely too heavily on dialogue to get the point across. Don’t get me wrong, dialogue plays a huge role in a screenplay, but you need to remember that movies are meant to be seen. The audience can better relate to what they see than what they are told.
So don’t tell me the main character is sad and lonely; show me the character sitting in a bustling coffee shop, surrounded by friends and families, laughing and talking while he looks down at his coffee. Or instead of having a character explain to another that he is frightened, show me him hesitating to act, glancing around nervously, shaking slightly before making a decision.
Let me tell you right now that these small touches make a big difference in how the scene reads.
Make Every Scene Count
There should never be a scene in your screenplay that is not moving the plot forward. Every scene should introduce a conflict, reveal something new about the characters, or further the relationship between two characters. Before you start writing a scene, ask yourself:
- What does the character want?
- What is stopping him from getting what he wants?
- How will the scene end differently than it began?
If your answers to those questions do not lead you anywhere, then maybe the scene is not doing enough for the story. Scenes must always move forward in some way, either emotionally, dramatically, or in terms of the story itself.
Show Character Through Action
An audience can determine so much about a character’s personality just by watching what he or she does. You can show me that a character is kind by seeing him or her stop to help someone in need, even though they don’t know each other. Or you can show me a character is ambitious by seeing him sacrifice something close to him to gain something else. You can show me a character is insecure by watching him hesitate before walking into a room filled with people.
Show me who the character is, and I’ll believe in him.
Write Realistic Dialogue
Dialogue needs to feel real but also purposeful. If you’re including a dialogue scene, the dialogue should reveal something about the characters, show the relationship between the characters, escalate the conflict, or push the story along.
The way people talk in real life is often much different than the way we talk in the movies. There are times when we pause, stop ourselves mid-sentence, talk over someone, and leave our words half-spoken. Most of the time, we don’t say exactly what we mean. These things should be reflected in the dialogue in your screenplay to give it a realistic quality.
Don’t have your characters talk to each other just to let the audience know information they already know. Let your dialogue show who the characters are and where they are in the story.
Introduce Conflict
There needs to be conflict in every screenplay. If there is no conflict, then there is no story. Conflict keeps the audience wanting to see what happens next. It also forces the characters to grow in order to overcome obstacles.
Conflict does not have to be a life-and-death situation. It can be as simple as an argument between friends or a choice a character has to make between his career and his family. Or perhaps there is a secret that is about to be revealed. These conflicts don’t have to be epic to make them compelling.
As the story moves forward, the stakes should increase. The character needs to face more and more difficult situations to succeed, and with each challenge, he or she is forced to make a choice, which influences both the story and the character.
Revise, Revise, Revise
Very few first drafts of screenplays are finished drafts. When you revise your screenplay, you have the chance to tighten the pacing, make scenes stronger, cut unnecessary dialogue, and clarify the character motivations.
When you edit your screenplay, try reading your scenes as if you were watching them in a movie theater. Is the scene interesting? Does it draw the viewer in? Is the scene necessary to the story?
If you can remove a scene and the rest of the story still makes sense, then you should either add more to the scene or replace it with another.
The professionals know that the revision process is the most important step in writing a screenplay.
Learn by Watching Movies and Reading Screenplays
One of the best ways to improve your screenwriting is by watching movies. But don’t just watch movies; study them. Look at the beginning and end of each scene. Notice how they transition from one scene to the next. Pay attention to the visual storytelling that is done to tell the story.
You can also study the screenplays of movies that you like. See how the writer translated the story onto the page. Once you’ve read the screenplay, go back and watch the movie again, and you’ll see how everything came together in the end.
There are lessons to be learned in every movie you watch.
Final Thoughts
Writing for the screen is about showing the story, not telling it. If you focus on writing visually, create a conflict that is worth fighting for, write characters that feel real, and revise your work until it is the best it can be, you will start writing screenplays that grab the audience and don’t let go.
Every good film starts with a good screenplay. And once you start writing visually, every screenplay you write will be one worth watching.