So you want to be a screenwriter? Are you aware that there are a lot of different forms of writing involved in screenwriting? You can’t just specialize in a single genre. If you are writing the screenplay, you are typically writing an adaptation from an existing novel. You are not writing the story as much as you are adopting it for the screen. This is a challenge because the book might take 20 hours to read while you have to compress it into a 2 hour movie. That is just one of the types of writing you need to master. Here are 5 more.
1) Technical Writing
If you are going to be doing sci-fi, your screenwriting will venture into the realm of technical writing. For that, you will need the right technical writing software. You don’t have to know the latest theories in astrophysics to do the job. But you might need to bring in a one-time expert to lay down the technical details that sufficiently explain your mcguffin.
A technical writer will also be useful for documentaries, history, and other non-fiction screen work. Your segment on the future of graphene will need a professional explainer that keeps the audience informed and connected. Sometimes, a technical writer is a screenwriter’s best friend.
2) Press Release
What happens when you are done with the screenplay? Depending on the size of the production, absolutely nothing if you don’t do it yourself. You need to learn how to cultivate a relationship with the press. Part of cultivating that relationship is sending out press releases. A press release is a lot different than screenwriting. Press releases read like news, but with bias and enthusiasm toward the work you are presenting. It finds a happy space between news and marketing.
If you are a one-person production company, you have to wear many hats. One of those hats is marketing. You have to be able to effectively get the word out about your new project. You can’t wait til production is complete. Movies are almost never complete before the first teaser trailers are produced. Marketing starts early in the film-making biz. Copy writing and press relations is a part of the job.
3) Dialog
Dialog is the Achilles heel of many creative writers. You can be merely competent at exposition and still pull off a hit if your characters engage in the kind of dialog that keeps viewers coming back for more. Each character needs to have their own voice. You have a voicing problem when all the characters sound the same. That is a sign that your characters are not fully realized.
When characters are fully realized, readers can anticipate the kinds of things they will say in a given circumstance. If one of the characters is doing a highly technical job, you will need to tap into your tech writing skills so that the person sounds authentic. Hiring a tech writer to give a character real-world grounding is no different than hiring an editor to clean up your copy.
4) Scene Blocking
You need more than a great plot and snappy dialog for a compelling screenplay. You also need to master the art of scene blocking. Blocking a scene is like creating the choreography for a dance. The characters need to know where they need to be in relation to other characters, objects, and scenery. A character can’t angrily throw a vase at another character if there is no vase near to hand and if the other character is not far enough away for throwing a vase to make sense. Give the director and the actors something to work with and they will take it from there.
5) Grant Writing
You can write a screenplay for free. But it costs money to shoot the film. If you are wearing many hats, you will likely have to raise money for the project. If the project is for historical or educational purposes, you could get a grant for your documentary. Grant writers tend to be paid well because they are often the difference between a product being financed and a product being canceled. Learn to do grant writing and you will have a crucial source of funding for your non-fiction projects.
As an independent screenwriter, you need to wear many hats to bring your projects to life. That means developing such skills as press, grant, and technical writing. If you do not have these skills, it is more affordable than you think to bring in an expert.
Michael Driver is a freelance writer from Texas. When not writing to pay the bills, he loves covering topics related to history, movies, and sports. Michael can be reached at ReddishRaddish87@gmail.com
