10 Screenwriting Do’s and Don’ts

It’s one thing to avoid screenwriting pitfalls, but what should we be doing right?

Reader question: When writing a script, what are pitfalls one should avoid?

Off the top of my head:

10 Screenwriting Pitfalls to Avoid

1. Don’t get caught up in supposed screenwriting ‘rules’.
2. Don’t commit to a story you don’t really care about.
3. Don’t rely too heavily on dialogue to advance your plot.
4. Don’t populate your story with thin, superficial characters.
5. Don’t worry so much about page count.
6. Don’t choose a weak story concept.
7. Don’t write long, meandering scenes.
8. Don’t ignore your story’s internal world.
9. Don’t lay out too much exposition at a time.
10. Don’t quit until you get to FADE OUT.

Seeing as I’m a postive-minded person, let me reverse the tone of this list (each of these below is the obverse of the same numbered item above).

10 Screenwriting Habits to Embrace

1. Do allow yourself to explore your creativity, especially in early drafts.
2. Do discover a story you’re passionate about… and use that passion to write the hell out of it.
3. Do remember at all times that movies are primarily a visual medium.
4. Do immerse yourself in characters’ lives, allowing them to emerge as full-throated, multidimensional individuals.
5. Do have the freedom to write the story the way it needs to be told.
6. Do find the strongest story concept possible and write to that concept’s narrative strengths.
7. Do focus each scene on one goal, then get in late and exit early to establish and sustain pace.
8. Do engage your characters directly to learn about their emotions and psyches, allowing them to ‘tell’ their story.
9. Do use the technique of teasing the reader with information because arousing curiosity is a good thing.
10. Do commit to getting to FADE OUT because you will learn so much more about your story by getting to the end.

Oh, hell, just to make it clear, here they are together!

10 Screenwriting Don’ts and Do’s

1. Don’t get caught up in supposed screenwriting ‘rules’.
Do allow yourself to explore your creativity, especially in early drafts.

2. Don’t commit to a story you don’t really care about.
Do discover a story you’re passionate about… and use that passion to write the hell out of it.

3. Don’t rely too heavily on dialogue to advance your plot.
Do remember at all times that movies are primarily a visual medium.

4. Don’t populate your story with thin, superficial characters.
Do immerse yourself in characters’ lives, allowing them to emerge as full-throated, multidimensional individuals.

5. Don’t worry so much about page count.
Do have the freedom to write the story the way it needs to be told.

6. Don’t choose a weak story concept.
Do find the strongest story concept possible and write to that concept’s narrative strengths.

7. Don’t write long, meandering scenes.
Do focus each scene on one goal, then get in late and exit early to establish and sustain pace.

8. Don’t ignore your story’s internal world.
Do engage your characters directly to learn about their emotions and psyches, allowing them to ‘tell’ their story.

9. Don’t lay out too much exposition at a time.
Do use the technique of teasing the reader with information because arousing curiosity is a good thing.

10. Don’t quit until you get to FADE OUT.
Do commit to getting to FADE OUT because you will learn so much more about your story by getting to the end.

Bonus tip: Write because you LOVE it. Let the process of writing be a JOY into and of itself.