Writing Your First Screenplay: Do’s and Don’ts

Congratulations, the lightening bolt of inspiration has struck and you have an idea for a screenplay. Awesome!

But you know nothing about screenwriting, or where to even start. What do you do when you have no experience and don’t know what to do?

Well here’s the good news: anyone can be a screenwriter! All you need is a story to write, and the patience to learn the craft of screenwriting. Don’t believe me? Take a quick look at James Cameron. He was a truck driver, and read books about writing screenplays in his spare time. Another example is Sylvester Stallone, who wrote “Rocky” in two days after watching a boxing match. The rest, as they say, is history.

Luckily, there are many (free) resources for you to learn how to write your first story, several of which you can find on Stage 32’s website. In this blog I will share the “Do’s and Don’ts” I learned in my journey writing my first screenplay.

First Things First

When I wanted to write my first screenplay, I knew nothing. Although I had a Doctorate degree and understood the basics of writing, I knew writing a screenplay is a different skill and must be learned. I searched the Internet endlessly, learning about how to write in the proper screenplay format. I also learned that in order to write a story…