Screenwriting 101: Lindsay Devlin

“A lot of people think movies are just sort of, ‘Anybody can do it. Anybody can be a screenwriter.’ But it’s a tough, tough craft. It’s…

Screenwriting 101: Lindsay Devlin

“A lot of people think movies are just sort of, ‘Anybody can do it. Anybody can be a screenwriter.’ But it’s a tough, tough craft. It’s like writing a novel. You have to study it. Not everybody can go to film school, I get that. But you can do extension classes, like I did, or online, or read books. Especially, get some freaking screenplays for movies you admire and read them, study them. There’s structure, there’s craft to it. You can’t just sit down and puke out a script and think you’re a genius. Writing is a muscle you have to exercise. It’s all about learning and doing and persevering, just like any other career path; but especially in the arts. The biggest thing is just don’t stop. Just because you write a couple of screenplays, if you love it, you just can’t stop.”

— Lindsay Devlin

From Go Into The Story interview, April 26, 2014

For 100s more Screenwriting 101 posts, go here.

The Protagonist’s Journey: An Introduction to Character-Driven Screenwriting and Storytelling is a #1 Best Seller in Film and Television. Endorsed by over thirty professional screenwriters, novelists, and academics, you may purchase it here.